Rumi A New Translation About the Author A great spiritual master and poet, Jalaluddin Rumi was born in Wakhsh (Tajikistan) in 1207 to a family of learned theologians. He founded the Mawlawi Sufi order, a leading mystical brotherhood of Islam. He is also the author of the six-volume epic work, the Mathnawi, which has been referred to as the 'Koran in Persian'.