Jalal al Din Rumi (1207-73 CE) was born in the Persian province of Khorassan (modern day Afghanistan). A disciple of the Sufi tradition, he was the figurehead of the Whirling Dervishes. The Masnavi, a narrative poem of 25,000 verses in six volumes, is widely considered to be the greatest spiritual masterpiece ever written. Today, Rumi is the United States' best-selling poet. Franklin D. Lewis is Associate Professor in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. He is a specialist in Persian literature and author of Rumi: Past and Present, East and West: The Life, Teachings and Poetry of Jalal al-Din Rumi, also published by Oneworld.