Moezzi’s ‘The Rumi Prescription’ and Rumi’s relevance in this manic world

Sitting in his San Diego apartment's dining room, casually enjoying a cup of coffee and savouring a salty-cheese morsel, Ahmad turned to Melody and asked her about her emotions regarding the upcoming pilgrimage.

Before Ahmad could finish his question, Melody sighed and responded, "Papa, it's hard to put into words. I have a whirlwind of emotions—fear, excitement, and joy, all mixed together. This might be my final attempt, and if I fail, there seems to be no way out. I fear sinking into profound darkness."

Ahmad comfortingly placed his hand on Melody's shoulder and reassured her, saying, "Don't worry, Melody jaan. Remember, your doctor-father is here for you." He then walked over to his study desk, holding his coffee, jotted down a few lines on a prescription pad, and handed it to Melody, saying, "Here's your medicine." 

Melody reads the prescription,

"Why seek pilgrimage at some distant shore,
When the Beloved is right next door?"

In the preceding conversation, the full name of the individual referred to, is Melody Moezzi, a distinguished Iranian-American barrister, author, and a mental health advocate who struggles with a challenging mental illness known as bipolar disorder. Melody has faced extended hospital stays, two suicide attempts, and had to step away from her legal career. Despite countless efforts involving medication, therapy, counselling, and yoga, her persistent mental condition continues to haunt her.

Melody's father, Ahmad, an Iranian-American physician, had left Iran after the Islamic Revolution and gained acclaim in the United States as an obstetrician. In addition to his medical pursuits, Ahmad delved into the poetry, life and philosophy of Rumi. He memorised almost half of the 26,000 two-line poems of Masnvi. Amidst political upheavals, refugee experiences, personal setbacks, Melody's mental struggles, years of war, and his own life journey, Ahmad came to realise that only Rumi's verses could lift his daughter from the abyss. Thus, he prescribed a pilgrimage as a remedy for Melody. Yet, this pilgrimage was not to a distant Kaaba or Kailash but to the depths of her own heart, inspired by Rumi's teachings. Melody embarked on this inward journey and later penned a transformative book titled The Rumi Prescription (TarcherPerigee, 2020) detailing her experiences. In this book she recounts her personal journey battling bipolar disorder and how her father, inspired by Rumi's teachings, prescribed an inward journey to find healing, ultimately leading to her transformative experiences and the writing of this memoir. The book explores the intersection of mental health, spirituality, and self-discovery.

But this is just the story of one Melody. Rumi's poetry has shown light to thousands of such dark souls over the years. More than 800 years ago, Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi, commonly known as Rumi, was born in the Balkh province of Afghanistan. He composed thousands of poems during his 66-year life, and Masnavi—a six-volume poetry book written in Persian is the immortal creation of Rumi. In about 26000 poems of Masnavi there is an incredible combination of religion, love, sufism, spiritualism, and philosophy of life as a result of which many called Masnavi as Persian Quran. After the Quran and Bible, it is the most read and discussed book in the world. 

Following the 2001 Twin Tower tragedy, when Islam became synonymous with fear in America, Rumi emerged as the "best-selling poet" in the country. In a world marred by religious intolerance, political turmoil, and terrorism, Rumi's poetry, steeped in devotion to hadith, the Quran, and Prophet Muhammad, introduced the true essence of Islam to readers. Rumi conveyed that every religion has both its institutional and spiritual facets, challenging the perception of religion as a rigid rulebook. This spiritual dimension of Rumi's teachings resonated deeply, making him immensely popular not only in America but across the globe. Although Rumi's poetry had been translated into English for some time, it was Coleman Barks' 1998 book, The Essential Rumi, that catapulted Rumi's popularity in America and the Western world, particularly among the younger generation.

When asked why Rumi's poetry, written nearly eight centuries ago, still remains relevant, German poet Hans Meinck responded, "We are all living in a dark time and in this darkness Rumi's poem is the only light of hope". Rumi, many years ago, provided the solution to the contemporary chaos of our materialistic lives through his verses. His centuries-old poetry possesses the unique ability to soothe the heart's deepest wounds, eradicating even the smallest seeds of despair. Rumi's spiritual and motivational verses not only empower us to confront life's frustrations and anxieties but also illuminate the path to genuine emotional fulfilment and inner peace. According to Rumi, as long as one remains entangled in the pursuit of worldly glory, status, and power; emptiness persists, leading to monotony and eventual self-loathing. To escape this cycle and attain true happiness, people must embark on a journey of self-discovery, breaking free from societal pressures and finding their authentic selves.

That is why in Masnavi Rumi calls everyone,

"Become the sky and the clouds that create the rain,
Not the gutter that carries it to the drain."

'Who am I, where did I come from, what should I do?' are the eternal questions of all of us. These questions, their answers, the universality of our desire to know these answers have brought everyone under one umbrella regardless of nationality, era, caste, religion. Through poetry, Rumi reminds us that none of us are alone in our struggle, that despite our differences, we are deeply connected to each other. Our life is a journey, we are all travellers on the same path and the ultimate goal of each of us is peace of mind and contentment. Even after 800 years, Rumi is equally relevant, be it America, Germany, Iran, Afghanistan or any other country because he was able to tie everyone together through poetry.

According to modern psychologists, one of the causes of human suffering is futile thinking. Rumi also believes that unnecessary thinking about the future, fear and dwelling on the past can make our lives miserable. Rumi in his poem compares anxiety to a hunting lion; our heart is the hunter's desired prey. In today's manic world, when we are constantly rushing from one thing to another, bombarded with all kinds of confusing information; Rumi's poetry can serve as a powerful reminder to slow down and look within and listen to our hearts. Rumi's poetry encourages us to be aware of the immense beauty and mystery of our surroundings and to seek connection with God. This spiritual teaching of Rumi has enlightened and is still enlightening thousands of people like Melody Moezzi.

Rumi's poetry can bring some measure of peace to this war-torn, troubled world, so it is time to absorb the spirit of Rumi's humanist, poetic message and bring some semblance of order to these chaotic, turbulent times. Rumi's universal humanist poetry reminds us that there is still room for peace. Therefore, reading and practicing Rumi's poetry can serve as an essential facet of 'self-care' amid the challenges of modern manic life. 

Atia Sultana is a dedicated public servant by day and a literary explorer by night, charting the depths of the literary cosmos with the fervent hope of penning a masterpiece one day. Reach her at sultananeela@gmail.com.