Human Rational Soul in Rumi

When discussing the rational soul, Muslim philosophers deal with certain problems such as the eternity or originatedness, immateriality or materiality, and the subsistence or annihilation of the soul after death. As a prominent Muslim gnostic, Rumi tried to provide some answers to similar philosophical questions. However, it is noted that his approach was to some extent different from that of philosophers. In his view, the core of the problem was the perfection of the soul through wayfaring, abandoning the world of matter, and union with the Essence of the Truth at the level of oneness and divinity. Since knowledge is at the heart of gaining proximity to God, Rumi focused his efforts on defining the soul in the light of intuitive knowledge and explained the difference among human beings in terms of their specific differences. He believed in the union of the soul with the Essence of the Truth and maintained that this union has some effects on the soul.