The Gift of Rumi

Experiencing the Wisdom of the Sufi Master

By: Emily Jane O’Dell

Narrated by: Lilia Houshmand, Sean Rohani

An authentic exploration of the real Rumi

As one of the world's most loved poets, Rumi's poems are celebrated for their message of love and their beauty, but too often they are stripped of their mystical and spiritual meanings. The Gift of Rumi offers a new reading of Rumi, contextualizing his work against the broader backdrop of Islamic mysticism and adding a richness and authenticity that is lacking in many Westernized conceptions of his work. Author Emily Jane O'Dell has studied Sufism both academically, in her work and research at Harvard, Columbia, and the American University of Beirut, and in practice, learning from a Mevlevi master and his whirling dervishes in Istanbul. She weaves this expertise throughout The Gift of Rumi, sharing a new vision of Rumi’s classic work.

At the heart of Rumi’s mystical poetry is the “religion of love” which transcends all religions. Through his majestic verses of ecstasy and longing, Rumi invites us into the religion of the heart and guides us to our own loving inner essence. The Gifts of Rumi gives us a key to experiencing this profound and powerful invitation, allowing listeners to meet the master in a new way.

©2022 Emily Jane O’Dell (P)2022 Spotify Audiobooks

A sincere account

I love how the author honestly shares her experience as a Sufi. Lovely read. I didn't want it to end. Thank you.💗

True and good!

I’ve long been a reader of Rumi in translation, and a reader of Persian poetry and Sufi classics. But this volume is unique with high scholarship and sensitivity, and an intimate understanding of how the lessons of a compassionate teacher like Mevlana are applied to oneself. Nuanced and masterful, yet with an easy, self-reflective style that is warm and inviting.
The voice artists here exercise great compassion, giving voice to both Jelalladin and Emily. And the translations are fresh, with the sense of a new, favorite discovery. “Yes!” I found myself saying again and again on first listen. “True!” And “Amen”
It is a generous book, one that greets its reader as a friend.