Shems Friedlander is an expert on the mystical traditions of Islam and a member of the Sufi order of dervishes founded by Jalaluddin Rumi. He is the author of numerous books including When You Hear Hoofbeats Think of a Zebra, The Whirling Dervishes, and Submission: Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad . He lives in Cairo and is currently completing a TV documentary on Rumi.