Shams al-Din or Shams Tabrizi was a Persian Sufi poet and mystic who was the spiritual guru of the famous poet Rumi. While Jalaluddin Rumi is known all over the world, not many have heard of Shams, the person who inspired Rumi to write his most beautiful lines. Shams was born in Tabriz in Iran. He was spiritually inclined even as a child and had a passionate Sufi mystic as his master. He was also highly educated in other subjects. When he grew up, he traveled from place to place seeking a spiritual companion. He hid his erudition well and pretended to be a traveling salesman, making a living by weaving baskets and teaching children. Towards the end of his life, he met Rumi and found the companionship that he had been seeking all his life. Shams transformed Rumi’s outlook on Sufism and showed him the path to the divine majesty. Their closeness became the reason for the animosity of Rumi’s followers towards Shams. Rumi named one of his major works ‘Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi’ after his spiritual guide.