An Islamic scholar, theologian and poet, Rumi lived in the 13th century. He produced many famous works in both prose and poem form which have a lot to say about the world, human interactions, spirituality and mysticism. Although his teachings are closely associated with the Sufi tradition of Islam, his thoughts are not restricted to that version of Islamic mysticism alone. Across the Middle East and South Asia, Rumi is considered to be one of the most influential writers of all time, certainly in the last millennium. His works are still published, and he has a significant readership in North America, among other locations. Indeed, he has been described as the most popular poet in the United States before, something that it is hard to argue against.
