The Masnavi, or Masnavi-I Ma'navi (Persian: مثنوی معنوی‎‎), also written Mathnawi, Ma'navi, or Mathnavi, is an extensive poem written in Persian 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 Farsi 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.