Episode #57
Shams Tabrizi: "True Companionship: Beauty & Flaws" | Discourse 5 of the Maqalat
Producer, Cinematographer, and Host: Dr. Rasoul Rahbari-Ghazani Co-host: Dr. Reyhaneh Davoodi-Kahaki In this episode, I explore a deeply personal passage from Shams Tabrizi’s Maqālāt. Here, Shams reflects on his relationship with Rumi, saying: “Rumi has beauty—he saw my beauty, but not my ugliness. This time I will show both, so he sees me as I truly am.” For Shams, spiritual companionship is not built on pretense, but on honesty—revealing both virtues and flaws. He goes further: when someone listens to his speech, they would grow “cold” and distant towards others’ speech. He means that once a seeker follows true spiritual guides, they no longer find worldly or superficial instructors satisfying. Real wisdom creates a new hunger that cannot be fed by mere appearances or materialistic teachings. This discourse invites us to reflect on authenticity in spiritual friendship, the courage to show both strengths and weaknesses, and the transformative effect of encountering real truth. My latest books: The Soul-Conquering Love in Fayz Kashani’s Poetry: Translations and Annotations (Persian and English): Link Sarayān: The Real’s Permeation: Ibn ʿArabi on the Divine Presence in the Cosmos with Neoplatonic Insights: Link If you enjoy the content and wish to support our work, your generosity helps us continue creating: Link #ShamsTabrizi #shams_tabrizi #Iran #Sufism #PersianPoetry #Rumi #PersianPoem
