It is December 1273; Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi (Mevlana) feels ill. He conceives that he is going to meet his Beloved. He has a mixed feeling of a human being not joyous of leaving the earth, and composure of a pious not being afraid of the death. By predicting the death he composes his well-known poem (ghazal), which begins with the verse:

How doest thou know what sort of king I have within me as companion?

Do not cast thy glance upon my golden face, for I have iron legs.

He demises on the sunset of December 16th, 1273 in a state of peace, surrounded by his spiritual progeny, which also included his closest family. At his funeral those who believe in his manifest from Muslims, Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists cry and mourn in a manner that one thinks Mevlana belongs to each one of them, as he says:

Why think thus O men of piety

I have returned to sobriety

I am neither a Muslim nor a Hindu

I am not Christian, Zoroastrian, nor Jew

I am neither of the West nor the East

Not of the ocean, nor an earthly beast

I am neither a natural wonder

Nor from the stars yonder

Neither flesh of dust, nor wind inspire

Nor water in veins, nor made of fire

I am neither an earthly carpet, nor gems terrestrial

Nor am I confined to Creation, nor the Throne Celestial

Not of ancient promises, nor of future prophecy

Not of hellish anguish, nor of paradisaic ecstasy

Neither the progeny of Adam, nor Eve

Nor of the world of heavenly make-believe

My place is the no-place

My image is without face

Neither of body nor the soul

I am of the Divine Whole

December 17th is the anniversary of Melana's celestials journey. His followers come to his tomb and an annual festival is held every year in Konya (Turkey) in December. It starts at the beginning of December and lasts for two weeks and its culminating point is the 17th of December called Sheb-i Arus meaning 'Nuptial Night', the night of the union of Mevlana with his Beloved.

UNESCO has declared 2007 'The Year of Mevlana'.