“God has a great regard for the Roman people. In answer to a prayer of the first Caliph, Abū-Bekr, God made the Romans a chief receptacle of His mercy; and the land of the Romans (Asia Minor) is the most beautiful on the face of the earth. But the people of the land were utterly void of all idea of the riches of a love towards God, and of the remotest shade of a taste for the delights of the inner, spiritual life. The great Causer of all causes caused a source of affection to arise, and out of the wilderness of causelessness raised a means by which I was attracted away from the land of Khurāsān to the country of the Romans. That country He made a home for my children and posterity, in order that, with the elixir of His grace, the copper of their existences might be transmuted into gold and into philosopher-stone, they themselves being received into the communion of saints. When I perceived that they had no inclination for the practice of religious austerities, and no knowledge of the divine mysteries, I imagined to arrange metrical exhortations and musical services, as being captivating for men’s minds, and more especially so for the Romans, who are naturally of a lively disposition, and fond of incisive expositions. Even as a sick child is coaxed into taking a salutary, though nauseous medicine, so, in like manner, were the Romans led by art to acquire a taste for spiritual truth.” 14. As an instance of the great value attached to the poetry of Jelāl, the following anecdote is related:— Shemsu-’d-Dīn Hindī, (Prince of Shīrāz in the province of Fars, Southern Persia), wrote a flattering letter to the renowned poet, Sheykh Sa’dī, of Shīrāz (who lived A.H. 571-691, A.D. 1175-1291, and was consequently a contemporary of Jelāl’s), begging him to select the best ode, with the most sublime thoughts, that he knew of as existing in Persian, and to send it to him, for presentation to the great Khān of the Moguls (who then ruled over nearly all Asia). It so happened that the ode by Jelāl had just become known at Shīrāz, which commences:— “Divine love’s voice each instant left and right is heard to sound, We’re bound for heaven. To witness our departure who’ll be found?” This ode had captivated the minds of all the men of culture in the city; and this ode Sa’dī selected, wrote it out, and sent it to the prince, with the remark: “A monarch, of auspicious advent, has sprung up in the land of Rome, from whose privacy these are some of the breathings. Never have more beautiful words been uttered, and never will be. Would that I could go to Rome, and rub my face in the dust under his feet!” The prince thanked Sa’dī exceedingly, and sent him valuable presents in return. Eventually, Sa’dī did go to “Rome,” arrived in Qonya, and had the gratification to kiss the hand of Jelāl. He was well received in that city by the dervish circle.