Read› Daftar 6› Interpretation of the Prophet’s saying (peace be upon him): 'Die before you die.' 'Die, O friend, before death, if you wish for life, for Idris became a resident of paradise through such a death before us.'› beyt 771
M6:771 — از نصیحتهای تو کر بودهام / بتشکن دعوی و بتگر بودهام
M6:771
Meaning · به زبانِ تو — Your language · AI
In a prayer of confession, the speaker admits to God that they have ignored divine guidance while hypocritically posturing as a spiritual person, only to create new idols in their life.
This couplet is the heart of a soul's desperate confession to God. The speaker, having been urged to practice memento mori ("die before you die") to purify their heart, admits their total failure. The first line is a straightforward admission of spiritual deafness: God's advice has been available, but the speaker has ignored it.
The second line deepens the self-indictment with a powerful image of hypocrisy. The speaker has made the daʿvī (claim) of being an "idol-breaker" (bot-shekan), a title evoking the Prophet Abraham, the archetypal destroyer of false gods. This is the posture of a monotheist, a spiritual warrior clearing the world of attachments. But in reality, the speaker confesses, "I have been an idol-maker" (bot-gar). Instead of destroying idols, their actions have created new ones—new attachments, new worldly goals, new illusions of self—that stand between them and God.
In the context of the passage, this is the moment of crisis where the soul realizes its own pretense. It has claimed to be fighting for God while actually serving its own ego. This recognition of profound self-deception is the necessary first step toward the genuine spiritual death Rumi advocates.
- نصیحت
- Nasihat. Counsel, advice, admonition. Here, it refers specifically to divine guidance or the wisdom conveyed through prophets and scripture.
- کر
- Karr. Deaf. Used metaphorically for spiritual deafness or the inability to heed divine wisdom.
- بتشکن
- Bot-shekan. 'Idol-breaker.' A term of high praise, most famously associated with the Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim), who smashed the idols in his father's workshop. It signifies a true monotheist who destroys false objects of worship and attachment.
- دعوی
- Daʿvī. A claim, assertion, or pretense. In Sufi contexts, it often carries a negative connotation of a hollow or boastful spiritual claim that is not backed by one's actual state (hāl).
- بتگر
- Bot-gar. 'Idol-maker' or 'idol-carver.' The direct opposite of an idol-breaker, representing one who creates false objects of worship, whether physical idols or, more subtly, attachments to wealth, status, or the ego.
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