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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Rumi became joyous, and then died, and then became a fool, according to his writing, and then became scattered _________.

2. Rumi asks the reader to make a __________, abhorring spiritual windowshoppers who are not giving fully of themselves.

3. The poet describes himself as being someone who wants little and who needs only a _____________.

4. The robe of the teacher creates _________, according to Rumi, and the teacher also creates new life.

5. Rumi describes a field, beyond right and wrong, where the ________ goes and loses ideas and language.

Short Essay Questions

1. When Shams asks about if the drop stays still in the ocean, what does he tell Rumi to do?

2. What does Rumi tell the reader to do in order to start their own spiritual journey, like Moses or Joseph did?

3. What happens as the result of surrendering to love, according to the writings of Rumi?

4. Why does the poet say that it is not necessary to grieve, according to the writings of Rumi?

5. What happened as a result of Zuleikha loving Joseph so much that he became everything to her?

6. What does Rumi have to say about the gamble of love and what does he urge the reader to do?

7. What does the teacher say about speaking scripture, according to the writings of Rumi?

8. What do the Sufis think about love and about its ability to help people, according to the book?

9. What happened to his crying when the poet was brought to life, according to the writings of Rumi?

10. What does the fragrance bring back to Rumi, when he's lost a connection to a loved one, according to the poem?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rumi tells the reader they must work as hard in the spiritual world as they do in the material world.

Part 1: Why do you think Rumi feels the spiritual world is so important in the life of the reader?

Part 2: How can one work as hard in the spiritual world as they do in the physical world?

Part 3: Do you think that you are working as hard in the spiritual world as you do in the material world?

Essay Topic 2

Rumi refers to God as a human being in the first section of his writing, which might seem to be a strange concept to many readers.

Part 1: Why do you think that Rumi decided that God was a human being?

Part 2: Do you agree that God should be compared to a human being, with all of their flaws and failings?

Part 3: How do you think Rumi should address the idea of God? Is there another way which would work better?

Essay Topic 3

Rumi compares himself to a seeker who thinks he needs to get into somewhere special, only to realize that he is actually trying to get out.

Part 1: Why do you think Rumi uses the metaphors of animals so often in his poems?

Part 2: How do you interpret the idea of knocking on a door, only to realize one needs to be let out, not let in?

Part 3: How do you think a person can begin to release themselves from the inside of their journey?

(see the answer keys)

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