Died: 283 A.H.
عشق النساء ديانه و تحرجا
في الصدر يسرح في الفواد تولجا
سبب النجاه من العذاب لمن نجا
يوم ابلقيامه من ذنوبي مخرجا
جهلا واتبع الطريق الاعوجاً
واری سواه لنا قدیه مبهرجا
عال محل الشمس او بدر الدجا
يوم الغدير السامعيه مجمجا
مثلی و اصبح بالفخار متوجا
خطبوا واكرمه بها اذزوجا
يبغى لقصر النهروان المخرجا
بيضاء تلمع و قده و تاججا
يا هند لم اعشق و مثلی لایری
لكن حبى للوصى مخيم
فهو السراج المستنير و من به
واذا تركت له المحبه لم اجد
قل لي اترك مستقيم طريقه
و اراه كالتبر المصفى جوهرا
و محله من كل فضل بين
قال النبي له مقالا لم يكن
من كنت مولاه فذا مولى له
و كذاك اذا منع البتول جماعه
وله عجائب يوم سار بجيشه
ردت عليه الشمس بعد غروبها
1. O Hind, I don’t regard love for women a religion, faith and
remoteness from sin. 2. But love with relation to the successor has occupied
my heart and affected my feelings too much. 3. So, he is the illuminated lamp
through whom the saved ones get salvation. 4. And if I leave his love on
Judgment Day, I will not have any escape from my sins. 5. Tell me, should I
leave his right path due to ignorance and adopt the path of deviation? 6. And
I consider him to be the most precious gem and regard others as valueless. 7.
His position is loftier than that of all others like the position of the Sun or
full moon on a dark night. 8. The Prophet was clear regarding him on
Ghadeer day and he clearly announced without any ambiguity. 9. One,
whose master I am, this Ali is also his master and began the day with the
crown of pride on his head. 10. It must also be remembered that when
people asked for the hand of Batool, the Prophet declined. 11. He possessed
miraculous powers, which were most obvious when he routed the Kharijis in
Nahrawan. 12. After the sun set, it rose up again white and bright.1
Introduction to the poet
Abul Hasan Ali bin Abbas bin Jarih2 was well known as Ibne Rumi. He was
a prominent Shia poet and a leader of community.
His beautiful and numerous poems full of eloquence and literary expertise
are admired by all through the ages. His poetry excels the compositions of other
poets of his age.
He was an expert in different kinds of poetry. Even the most well known
poets of his time are unable to reach his level.
In his love and affection for Ahle Bayt (a.s.), he had a lofty aim through his
poetry to praise them as well as to defend their rights, which is the most obvious
fact.
In the book of Fusulul Muhimma,3 Ibne Sabbagh Maliki (d. 844 A.H.) and in Nurul Absar,4
Shablanji have considered him to be among the poets of Imam
Hasan Askari (a.s.).
There is no doubt that he was originally from Byzantine as mentioned in a
number of places in his collection of poems with emphasis. His statement that
people of Fars are my maternal uncles and people of Rum are my paternal uncles, imply that his mother was from Fars as is also clear from his couplets. According
to books, his mother was a religious, righteous and a kind lady.
His religious beliefs
The third century was a period when many religions and sects appeared and
there were very few, who did not express their views on religion and did not
explain their Islam in the light of other faiths. This was a common phenomenon
in the educated class.
Ibne Rumi was from such readers, he was present in those gatherings and
heard from his family members about his religious beliefs. Thus, he was a
Muslim, whose Islam was true, but he was a Shia Mutazalite, who believed in
free will and two natures. This was supposed to be the best and the most perfect
religion of his time.
It is clear that Ibne Rumi inherited Shiaism from his parents; because his
mother was from Iran, she followed the religion of Fars and was very close to
Alawites. And because his father named him as Ali, and this is the name most
liked among Shia and which extremist followers of Sunni school avoid.
As for his being Mutazalite, Ibne Rumi does not conceal it; he neither
praised it nor argued in favor of it; on the contrary he made it clear and he was
proud of it and he insisted upon it.
He was a believer in Mutazalite religion of Qadariyya5, who believe in free
will and regard God free from compulsion to punish those, who were forced to do
something.
His satirical poetry
The third century produced two poets of satire. They were the greatest
satirical poets of all times in the world of Islam: one of them being Ibne Rumi
and the other, Dibil Khuzai, who wrote satire on Caliphs, rulers and everyone:
“When I open my eyes, I open them on a large number of people, but I don’t see anyone.”
Muarra has reconciled them in a single line and made it into proverb for one,
who spoke ill of his children:
“If days are just they would speak ill of its folks, as the days of Rumi or Dibil.”
Date of his death
We are certain that the most correct date of his death is Wednesday, when
two days remained from Jamadiul Awwal, year 283 A.H.
His martyrdom
All agree that Rumi was poisoned to death and Qasim bin Ubaidullah or his father committed this act.6