Neither Christian, Jew, Muslim or Hindu — A Deep Rumi Poem on Discovering Your True Identity

Click Here to Watch the Inspirational Video of the Rumi Poem and Commentary

What can I do my friends, if I do not know?
I am neither Christian nor Jew, neither Muslim nor Hindu.
What can I do? What can I do?

Not of the East, nor of the West,
Not of the land, nor of the sea,
Not of nature’s essence, nor of circling heavens.
What could I be?

Not of earth, nor of water,
Nor of fire, nor of air,
Not of the land, nor of the sky,
Not of being, nor of existence.

My place is the placeless.
My trace is the traceless.
I have no body or soul,
Cause I belong to my Beloved
Entire whole.

~ Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi

You are not a religion, nationality, ideology, gender or any other external identity. You are simply Essence. Photo by Gareth Davies

This is arguably one of Rumi’s most famous poems. And although I’ve taken some liberty to cut back on its original full length, I think the essence is still there.