Because Life is Too Short – Shams Tabrizi
Shams-i-Tabrīzī (Persian: شمس تبریزی), also known as ‘Shams al-Din Mohammad’ (1185–1248), was a Persian poet and is revered as the spiritual guide of Mewlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhi, famously known as Rumi. Shams is held in great reverence within Rumi’s poetic works, especially in the Diwan-i Shams-i Tabrīzī (The Works of Shams of Tabriz). According to tradition, Shams instructed Rumi in seclusion for forty days in Konya before departing for Damascus.
The wisdom of Shams Tabrizi, centred around themes such as love, compassion, patience, and self-awareness, continues to resonate today. His insights and teachings are timeless, offering guidance for modern life by encouraging us to embrace change rather than resist it, navigate personal challenges, recognize and nurture inner beauty, foster personal growth, and build meaningful relationships.
Shams Tabrizi is also known for his many profound quotes that deeply resonate with the transient nature of life. One of his famous sayings is: “Instead of resisting changes, surrender. Let life be with you, not against you. If you think ‘My life will be upside down,’ don’t worry. How do you know down is not better than upside?”
Shams Tabrizi’s poem “Life is Too Short” beautifully encapsulates his philosophy, emphasizing the fleeting nature of life and the importance of living fully and authentically in the present moment. His words remind us to cherish every moment and mend our relationships while we can. The brevity of life makes it all the more important to seek forgiveness, offer apologies, and focus on what truly matters—love, compassion, and self-discovery.
Below is a reflection from Shams Tabrizi: contemplating life’s impermanence can bring clarity and perspective.
Because life is too short – Shams Tabrizi
Just wait a while, turn your back and
remember what you have forgotten.
Try to find if you’ve lost,
apologize if you’ve hurt,
forgive if you have been hurt.
Because life is too short.
📌Blog Excerpt
Shams Tabrizi, the spiritual guide of Rumi, emphasized love, compassion, and self-awareness. His teachings advocate embracing change, nurturing inner beauty, and fostering meaningful relationships. His poem “Life is Too Short” urges us to focus on what truly matters, highlighting the fleeting nature of life and the importance of living authentically and fully.
In what kind of world do we wish to live 
Rumi is absolutely timeless, so thank you for the poem. And because he is often short and sweet, his writings/sayings seem made for the 21st century, for people who don’t have much time ironically. There is so much consolation in his words. Whenever I am faced with a great difficult, something painful, I write down his words: The wound is the place where the Light enters you…It is simple, so human. When our cat died, the ginger cat who had been with my daughter ever since her birth, and she said, she would never get over the saqdness, I remember telling her, without even thinking about Rumi, but now knowing that his teaching had changed my feelings: “Your sadness makes you human and compassionate, when you feel sadness, you will remember other people’s sadness.
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Dear Marton, thank you and indeed, Rumi is timeless, and his message is universal and is communicating truth in the language of simple metaphor from shared human experience. Although it’s fair to say there is a tale of two Rumi’s to tell, one in the West and one in the East. Rumi is like the sun that warms and transforms hearts in both worlds, attracting people from all walks of life. His funeral in 1273 was attended by thousands. Rumi calls death a wedding with eternity “Do not weep for me … Do not say how sad.. To you death may seen a setting… But really it is a dawn.”
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