M1:2440 — گفت پیغامبر که زن بر عاقلان / غالب آید سخت و بر صاحب‌دلان

This beyt introduces a profound paradox in Rumi's discussion of gender dynamics, drawing on a prophetic tradition. It suggests that women's influence is particularly strong over those who possess wisdom (ʿāqilān) and spiritual insight (ṣāḥib-dilān). The subsequent couplets (M1:2441–2443) clarify this by contrasting the 'wise' with the 'ignorant' (jāhilān). While the ignorant might try to dominate women through harshness and animalistic urges (anger and lust), the truly wise and spiritually refined are more susceptible to women's sway because they embody 'tenderness, grace, and affection' (M1:2442–2443), which are described as human qualities, unlike the animalistic traits of aggression. Thus, the 'prevailing' here is not about subjugation but about a profound influence rooted in the very human capacity for love and empathy, qualities that women are seen to evoke strongly in the wise.