“Abd Al-Hossein Zarrinkoub” (1922-1999) is probably the most important literary figure, writer and translator whose wide range of research and works in the fields of Rumi and literary studies are such that they should be listed as reference works in these field. Furthermore, he has penned major studies on the history of Islam, the development of Sufism, the life of Ghazzali, the principles of literary criticism, the aesthetics of modern Persian poetry, and studies of the classical authors. In 1960, after receiving his doctorate degree, he taught for a while at Tehran Center for Higher Education, Tehran University, and the Faculty of Dramatic Arts. He also worked as a visiting professor at Sorbonne, India, Pakistan and Oxford universities, from 1947 to 1949 at the University of California and Princeton. In 1955 and 1956, he managed the Department of Persian Literature at Tehran University. He spent the years 1981 to 1983 in France and did extensive and specialized research on Rumi’s works.
He has written three major works on Rumi, two of which are Masnavi commentaries: “The Secret of the Reed,” (in Persian: Serr-e nay) (Tehran: ‘Elmi, 1985), and the two volumes explaining and annotating selected passages, “The Ocean in a Jug,” (in Persian: Bahr dar kuze) (Tehran: ‘Elmi, 1987, reprints). These original works are perfect for those, who have a serious interest in Masnavi.
These works however were somewhat intimidating and difficult to read for the general readers. Thus many individuals urged Zarrinkoub to write a book on Rumi in a non-scholarly language without the distracting scholarly apparatus; a request to which he obliged and wrote the book “Step by Step to the Meeting with God,” (in Persian; Pelle pelle ta molagat-e Khoda) (Tehran: ‘Elmi, 1994).
The image of Rumi, presented in Zarrinkoub’s works is the result of the viewpoint and stories of the Rumi’s devoted followers and his circle of friends and companions – Baha al-Din, Borhan al-Din, Sultan Valad, Shams and others. Yet it is filtered via the lens of the psychological aspects, cultural circumstances and social and historical conditions and thus provides us with a near-to-perfect portrait of this great man.
Lewis, Franklin D. Rumi: Past and Present, East and West: The life, Teaching and poetry of Jalal Al-Din Rumi. Oxford: One World Publications (UK), 2000.
