He was born in "Wakhsh" (Tajikistan) under the administration of Balkh (which is located in present day Afghanistan), in 30 September 1207 A.D., to a family of learned theologians. Escaping the Mongol invasion & destruction. The family travelled to Baghdad, to Makka on pilgrimage, and to Damascus and eventually settled at Karaman near Konya in what is now western Turkey. This part of the world was then known to its inhabitants as Rum, a name derived from the Byzantine Roman Empire that had formerly held it. Jalaluddin's name in religion and literature - Rumi - is itself derived from Rum.

When his father Bahauddin Walad passed away, Rumi succeeded his father in 1231 as professor in religious sciences. Rumi 24 years old, was an already accomplished scholar in religious & positive sciences.

In about 1244 A.D., a Sufi dervish Shamsuddin Tabrezi, arrived in Konya & paid a visit to Rumi, who happened to be sitting near a tank with several books near him. Hazrat Shams asked him about the books, Rumi replied that they were called "Kail wa Kaal", he said, "What have you to do with them?" and threw them all into the water. Rumi exclaimed with a sigh, "O Dervish, what have you done? Some of these were my father's compositions, which cannot be replaced!" Hereupon Hazrat Shams put his hand into the water and pulled out all the books, one after the other, and none one of them was wet. Rumi was much astonished. Hazrat Shams said: "This is joy and ecstasy, what do you know of these spiritual matters?" Their intimacy began from that day, and Rumi became his desciple.

In one of his couplets, Rumi says:

Maulvi Har Giz Na Shud Maula-e-Rum

Ta Ghulam-e-Shams Tabrezi Na Shud

Meaning:

Rumi hadn't become a scholar

Until he hadn't become the desciple of Shams Tabrezi

Hazrat Shams Tabrezi was constantly roaming about. He wore a robe of coarse black cloth, and took lodgings in the caravanserai at whatever place he happened to arrive. He came to Konya 1244 A.D., but could not remain there on that occasion longer than one year, as an attempt was made on his life. At that time Rumi saw his friend for the last time, and was so grieved at the separation that he withdrew himself entirely from the world, became a dervish, and founded the order of dervishes called after his name, and at present still well known in the Turkish empire.

Rumi's major work is "Masnavi-e Ma'nvi " (Spiritual Couplets), a six-volume poem, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest works of mystical poetry. Rumi's other major work is the "Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrezi" (The Works of Shams of Tabrez), comprising some 40,000 verses. Both works are among the most significant in all of Persian literature.

Maulana Rumi died on December 16, 1273 A.D. (5th Jamadi-u-l-Akhir 672 A.H.) at the age of 66 in Konya.