The Study of the Legacy of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi in Azerbaijani Literary Studies

Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, a towering figure of classical Eastern literature, stands as a Sufi philosopher and poet whose influence on intellectual and cultural history has persisted for centuries through his poetic language and mystical worldview. His Masnavi, ghazals, and other poetic works are esteemed not only for their artistic and aesthetic qualities but also as foundational texts articulating the philosophical and mystical principles of Sufi thought. Central themes such as divine love, spiritual perfection, inner purification, and the longing for union with God merge with the universal categories of literature and are transformed into enduring values of humanity. Within Azerbaijani literary scholarship, sustained interest in Rumi’s legacy emerged particularly in the second half of the twentieth century. Among these studies, the research of Azada Rustamova occupies a distinguished place. Moving beyond conventional literary aesthetics, her methodological approach situates Rumi’s poetry within broader philosophical and mystical frameworks, thereby opening new directions in scholarship. This article analyzes Rustamova’s contributions concerning Rumi’s biography, emanation theory, and the structural-aesthetic features of his poetry. It further argues that Rustamova interprets Rumi’s works not merely as literary creations but as manifestations of the human inner world and as aesthetic codes of Sufi thought. Finally, her interpretations are examined in dialogue with Western, Russian, Iranian, and Turkish scholarship to provide a comprehensive, comparative perspective on the study of Rumi’s intellectual and poetic legacy.