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Wikipedia's first sentence called it "six book collection of texts". Today it says "extensive persian masnavi". We saved the article's opening at 6 moments between 2005 and 2025, and every claim links the exact revision.

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The opening as it read in 2005

Masnavi or Masnavi I Ma'navi (مثنوی معنوی in Persian), also written Mathnawi or Mesnevi , is a six book collection of texts, poems, teaching stories and prayers written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi , the well known Persian Sufi saint and poet . The word Masnavi I Ma'navi means "Rhyming Couplets of Deep Spiritual Meaning." It is considered by some to be the most important work of literature in the Muslim world outside the Qur'an . In fact the Masnavi has often been called 'Quran-i-Farsi' i.e., "The Persian Koran". The Masnavi is indeed massive in scope and contains over 25,000 verses. Rumi referred to the Masnavi as "the roots of the roots of the roots of the (Islamic) Religion." Different versions of the Masnavi with a few hundred editions exist in Iran, India and Pakistan. However the original version is also in existence. Parts of the Masnavi were first translated into English by James Redhouse. Many passages were translated into Latin , as the passages would have been scandalous in the conservative Victorian England due to the seemingly salacious nature of some of the verses, a common practice in the writing of many Muslim and Christian mystics who used such allusions to describe their love of God. Nicholson was the first person to translate the whole Masnavi into english. v t e¹

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The opening as it stood in 2010 9 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

The Masnavi or Masnavi-I Ma'navi ( ), also written Mathnawi , Ma'navi , Mathnavi or Mesnevi , is an extensive poem written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi , the celebrated Persian Sufi saint and poet . It is one of the best known and most influential works of both Sufism and Persian literature . The Masnavi is a series of six books of poetry that amount to about 25,000 verses or 50,000 lines. It is a spiritual writing that teaches Sufis how to reach their goal of being in union with God.

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The opening as it stood in 2015

( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Double-page illuminated frontispiece, 1st book (daftar) of the Collection of poems (Masnavi-i ma'navi), 1461 CE manuscript The Masnavi , or Masnavi-I Ma'navi ( ), also written Mathnawi , Ma'navi , or Mathnavi , is an extensive poem written in Persian , پهلوی by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi also known as Rumi, the celebrated Persian Sufi saint and poet. It is one of the best known and most influential works of both Sufism and Dari literature . The Masnavi is a series of six books of poetry that together amount to around 25,000 verses or 50,000 lines. It is a spiritual writing that teaches Sufis how to reach their goal of being in true love with God.

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The opening as it stood in 2020 2 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear

Masnavi , a calligraphic specimen from 1490, Mevlana Museum , Konya , Turkey . The Masnavi , or Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi ( ), also written Mathnawi , or Mathnavi , is an extensive poem written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi . The Masnavi is one of the most influential works of Sufism , commonly called "the Quran in Persian". It has been viewed by many commentators as the greatest mystical poem in world literature. The Masnavi is a series of six books of poetry that together amount to around 25,000 verses or 50,000 lines. It is a spiritual text that teaches Sufis how to reach their goal of being truly in love with God. The Masnavi, Book One . The Masnavi, Book One . Oxford University Press (Kindle Edition). pp. xii– xiii. Towards the end of his life he presented the fruit of his experience of Sufism in the form of the Masnavi, which has been judged by many commentators, both within the Sufi tradition and outside it, to be the greatest mystical poem ever written.

Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 953099865.

The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023

Persian poetic work on Sufism by Rumi This article is about the Sufi poem by Rumi . Masnavi , a calligraphic specimen from 1490, Mevlana Museum , Konya , Turkey . The Masnavi , or Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi ( DMG Mas̲navī-e maʻnavī), also written Mathnawi , or Mathnavi , is an extensive poem written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi, also known as Rumi . The Masnavi is one of the most influential works of Sufism , ascribed to be like a "Quran in Persian". Some Muslims regard the Masnavi as one of the most important of Islamic literature, falling behind only the Quran. It has been viewed by many commentators as the greatest mystical poem in world literature. The Masnavi is a series of six books of poetry that together amount to around 25,000 verses or 50,000 lines. It is a spiritual text that teaches Sufis how to reach their goal of being truly in love with God. The Masnavi, Book One . The Masnavi, Book One . Oxford University Press (Kindle Edition). pp. xii– xiii. Towards the end of his life he presented the fruit of his experience of Sufism in the form of the Masnavi, which has been judged by many commentators, both within the Sufi tradition and outside it, to be the greatest mystical poem ever written.

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The opening as it stood in 2025

Persian poetic work on Sufism by Rumi This article is about the Sufi poem by Rumi. Masnavi , a calligraphic specimen from 1490, Mevlana Museum , Konya , Turkey The Masnavi-e-Ma'navi , or Mathnawi-e-Ma'navi ( Persian : مثنوی معنوی , DMG : Mas̲navī-e maʻnavī ), also written Mathnawi , or Mathnavi , is an extensive Mathnawi (a poetic form), written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, also known as Rumi . It is a series of six books of poetry that together amount to around 25,000 verses or 50,000 lines. The Masnavi is one of the most influential works of Sufism , ascribed to be like a " Quran in Persian". Some Muslims regard the Masnavi as one of the most important works of Islamic literature, falling behind only the Quran. It has been viewed by many commentators as the greatest mystical poem in world literature. It is a spiritual text that teaches Sufis how to reach their goal of being truly in love with God. The Masnavi, Book One . The Masnavi, Book One . Oxford University Press (Kindle Edition). pp. xii– xiii. Towards the end of his life he presented the fruit of his experience of Sufism in the form of the Masnavi, which has been judged by many commentators, both within the Sufi tradition and outside it, to be the greatest mystical poem ever written.

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