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Primary sourceBookc. 1260-1273

Fihi Ma Fihi

Rumi · c. 1260-1273

A Persian prose work recording informal talks and teachings given by Rumi to disciples and Seljuk notables.

This prose work preserves Rumi's own spoken teachings to his followers and Seljuk notables.

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Page of an Arabic-script manuscript with dense handwritten text in black ink, with several passages and marginal notes highlighted or underlined in red. The aged paper is cream-colored with a dark border, and some text runs along the margins.
Manuscript selection of Fihi Ma Fihi, Rumi's recorded discourses.

About this source

What it is

Fihi Ma Fihi, meaning "It Is What It Is," is a Persian prose work made up of 72 short discourses. It is believed to have been compiled, likely by Rumi's son Sultan Walad, from notes taken during Rumi's lectures, probably written in the later part of Rumi's life.

Why it matters

Unlike Rumi's poetry, this book records his everyday spoken teaching, showing him explaining Sufi ideas in simple terms and engaging with the politics and people around him, including Seljuk notables. It is considered one of the earliest Persian prose works of its era and an introduction to his longer poem, the Masnavi.

Look closer

  • How might a record of spoken teaching differ from a poem that Rumi composed carefully?
  • Why might Rumi's son have wanted to preserve these talks in writing?
  • What historical details might this text reveal about Seljuk society that poetry alone would not?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Rumi (Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Open illuminated manuscript spread showing two pages with gold and blue decorative borders, floral illumination, and panels of gold-tinted Persian script in the center. Ornamental marginal dots and a faded title line appear at the top right.Book

Primary source

Masnavi

Rumi · c. 1258-1273

Illuminated manuscript page with Persian calligraphy at top and bottom and a painted scene of seated and standing men in a landscape with trees, flowers and a grassy slope. A bearded man in a black robe and white turban sits facing a young man in an orange robe and ornate hat, while a shirtless man sits nearby and attendants and onlookers stand or sit around them.Book

Primary source

Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi

Rumi · c. 1247 onward

Exterior view of the Mevlana Mausoleum in Konya: a stone building with a tall turquoise conical-roofed dome, a second grey dome, two slender minarets, and a stone wall with trees and flowering shrubs in front on a sunny day under blue sky.Artifact

Secondary source

Grave of Rumi

soon after 1273

Exterior of the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Turkey: a stone complex with a tall turquoise conical-roofed dome, a white minaret with a pointed cap, grey domes, and a low wall in a grassy park under a blue sky.Artifact

Secondary source

Mevlâna Museum

Badr al-Din Tabrizi (architect) · built soon after 1273; museum since 1926

A long cream-colored robe laid flat on a patterned red rug, with dark Arabic calligraphy and small grid-like script patterns across the front, sleeves, and body, with a central vertical panel.Photograph

Secondary source

Maulana Rumi - Jubba

Ahmed Nisar

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