 The profession of the family for several generations was that of Islamic preachers of the liberal [[Hanafi]] rite, and this family tradition was continued by Rumi (see his Fihi Ma Fih and Seven Sermons) and [[Sultan Walad]] (see Ma'rif Waladi for examples of his everyday sermons and lectures).When the [[Mongol]]s invaded [[Central Asia]] sometime between 1215 and 1220, Baha ud-Din Walad, with his whole family and a group of disciples, set out westwards.According to hagiographical account which is not agreed upon by all Rumi scholars, Rumi encountered one of the most famous mystic Persian poets, [[Attar of Nishapur|Attar]], in the Iranian city of [[Nishapur]], located in the province of Khorāsān.