Yunus Emre, The Sufi Poet of Turkey

Yunus Emre (ca. 1240 – ca. 1321 C.E.), a contemporary of Mevlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, is considered to be one of the greatest Turkish poets. His poetry, written in old Turkish language of the common people of the day, expresses a deep personal devotion to Islam, mysticism (Sufism), humanity and love for God, His Last Prophet Muhammad (S) and mankind. He lived at a time of great tribulation following the Mongol invasion and political bickering and unrest that resulted in Anatolia. Yunus traveled among the local rulers as a volunteer for peace, sowing the seeds of love, compassion and unity. Who can deny the need of such an intellectual in the post-9/11 era of world-disorder? His poetry has been honored by the UNESCO), which proclaimed 1991 the International Yunus Emre Year, recognizing his poetry as a quintessential representation of humanistic values. Despite his enormous popularity among the Turkish people, most westerners are unaware of Yunus Emre.In this book, after introducing the poet and his time, Habib Siddiqui shares some of Yunus Emre’s translated poems, whose messages of love and freeing oneself from the prison of the self are very relevant to bringing about peace and harmony in our time. —- ISBN: 9798401936523