The Architect of Ecstasy: How Rumi’s Ancient Path of Love Conquered the Modern Heart

Central to Rumi’s philosophy is the concept of Ishq, or Divine Love. For Rumi, love is not merely an emotion but the fundamental force that holds the universe together. He viewed the soul as being in a state of exile, separated from its divine source like a reed plucked from a reedbed. This metaphor, famously introduced in the opening lines of the Masnavi, suggests that the "cry" of the human heart is actually a longing to return to the primordial unity of God. Through love, Rumi believed, the ego is dissolved, allowing the individual to experience a direct, unmediated connection with the infinite.