Rumi: How a 13th-century poet still relevant to Gen Z and Social media

Asif Mahmud, a 20-year-old, had a good picture on a sea beach. Soon, he is going to share it on Facebook. Thinking for a while he has come up with a good caption for the picture- "You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop." This is a famous quote by Persian poet and philosopher Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi.

Uploading photos on Facebook is important to the youth. But finding a proper caption for the picture is a tough job. Without an appropriate caption, a photo is like syrup without sugar. Here comes our saviour, the great Rumi.

It doesn't matter how much Gen Z (1997 to 2012) loves philosophy and spirituality, but they surely love Rumi. Rumi saved them from Facebook caption-centric depression. 

On our Facebook newsfeed, no doubt Rumi is a common name. His quotes are used as photo captions and to describe a situation, thoughts or spiritual beliefs. 

For instance, someone who is struggling with anxiety, trauma or any mental pressure- may come up with Rumi's famous quote, "The wound is the place where the light enters you."

To share a picture with a great smile, one might use - "I smile like a flower not only with my lips but with my whole being." To share a message of acceptance and resilience, "Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes around in another form." Gen Z commonly uses this quote to caption a sunset picture.

To resonate with the situation of letting go of someone, "Life is a balance between holding on and letting go." To explain the love for the dearest, "At the end of my life, with just one breath left, if you come then, I'll sit up and sing." or "Out beyond the wrongdoings and the right doings there is a field I will meet you there."   

To Gen Z, Rumi is a standard of aestheticism. A photo or a post seems cooler with a Rumi's quote. Rumi took the 'love' to an artistic level. To connect with love, Rumi has been helping the youth. No matter how today's youth think about love, no matter what Rumi described as love- the youth is manifesting Rumi's artistic love. 

However, Rumi is wider than our social media captions. His contribution to the world of poetry is unparalleled. He was a devotee; his writings and thoughts are the reflection of his devotion to the almighty.  

And that is why, Gen Z cherishes Rumi's quotes because of their timeless significance. You'll find Rumi's quote on almost anything and everything. His writings on self-love and the soul's journey connect with today's youth so easily.

On 30th September 1207, Rumi was born in the city of Balkh, which is in present-day Afghanistan. His father, Baha ud-Din Walad, was also a theologian and preacher. He was titled Sultan al-Ulama (King of Scholars).

In which area did Rumi never step? He wrote for the people who could not have food as the sound of empty dishes is dislikable to god compared with the music. Divine love, philosophy of loving your almighty, right and wrongs Rumi gave us an area where we all could belong regardless of our caste, colour, nation, gender and age. From the boomers to the millennials to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, everyone relates to Rumi.  

And so, after 800 years, Rumi is still relevant, and people talk about him. According to the New York Times, he was once the most-read poet in the US. We know Rumi is highly appreciated for his spiritual works known as Sufism. We describe Gen Z as digitally native. Yet, they can connect with Rumi somehow for their Facebook-based hunger for spirituality.