How do I interpret Rumi's poetry if I'm not Muslim or religiously trained?

You don't need permission or credentials to enter Rumi's work—that's partly what he'd tell you. His poems speak in the language of longing itself, which is universal. What matters is your willingness to sit with the ache of a line until it opens something in you. Start by reading a poem aloud, slowly. Notice which images stick—the beloved, the mirror, the wound. These aren't obscure symbols; they're his way of naming what you already feel. Religious literacy helps, yes, but it's not required. A grieving person understands his poems about separation. Someone in love understands the drunkenness he describes. The Sufism underneath is practical: it's about direct experience of the sacred, not doctrine. When Rumi writes about the soul's thirst, he's describing something you can feel in your body. Let that be your entry point. Read different translations—Coleman Barks, Shahram Shiva, Nader Khalili—because each translator catches different light. Most importantly, don't treat his work as a puzzle to solve. Treat it as an invitation to feel more deeply. That's what he intended. Your own spiritual tradition, or lack of one, doesn't disqualify you—it just means you'll hear his voice differently, and that difference is your gift to bring.