New Books Network Jamal J. Elias, "After Rumi: The Mevlevis and Their World" (Harvard UP, 2025)
Oct 3, 2025
Jamal J. Elias, the Walter H. Annenberg Professor of the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania, explores the Mevlevi community's evolution after Rumi's death. He discusses the concept of 'emotional communities' and critiques labeling Sufism. The narratives around charismatic leaders like Ulu Arif and women’s roles in Mevlevi history shed light on important cultural dynamics. Elias also delves into the complexities of orthodoxy and heterodoxy, the significance of the Masnavi, and how Persian literature faced challenges during the Ottoman period.
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Mevlevis As An Emotional Community
- Elias frames the Mevlevis as an "emotional community" anchored in affective engagements with Rumi and the Masnavi.
- He argues emotion and charisma shape membership, leadership, and practice more than regimented order structures.
Succession Drama After Rumi
- Elias recounts early succession drama: Rumi publicly favored his grandson Ulu Arif over his son Sultan Valad.
- Ulu Arif emerged as a charismatic leader and spread the Mevlevi community across the region.
Miracles, Dogs, And Christian Echoes
- Elias describes many miracles and colorful stories about Ulu Arif recorded in Aflaki's Manakib.
- He notes several miracles echo Jesus' deeds and suggests these may have appealed to Christian devotees.
