M1:380 — ما درین انبار گندم می‌کنیم / گندم جمع آمده گُم می‌کنیم

Translation: We put wheat into this storehouse; / We lose the gathered wheat. Meaning: We perform good deeds and accumulate spiritual 'wheat' in the storehouse of our being, but due to internal shortcomings, we find this accumulated bounty lost, failing to yield its intended transformative effect.

This couplet, without doubt, stands among Rumi's most pivotal teachings, dissecting with precision our relationship with our devotional acts. Rumi tells us that we cast the 'wheat' of righteous deeds into the 'storehouse' of our own existence. By 'wheat,' he means our acts of devotion, prayer, fasting, kindness to others, and abstinence from sin. Yet, the perplexing truth is that this 'gathered wheat' is lost. In other words, after a lifetime of worship, when we look within, we find no trace of this wheat; we ourselves have not changed, remaining in our former state.

I argue that Rumi here corrects a fundamental misconception. Many of us have assumed that spiritual acts are like money deposited into an 'Afterlife' bank account, to be withdrawn at some future date. Rumi emphatically states that this is not the case. If there is a bank, it is our very own existence. If devotions are effective, they must be stored within us, here and now, leading us to feel a deep 'wealth' and spiritual richness. This richness emanates from within, not from external possessions. As Rumi himself declares:

The true king is one who is king from himself, Not one who becomes king through armies and treasures. True kingship arises from one's own essence, not from reliance on armies or treasures that can be lost at any moment. But what is inherent in you, no one can take away.

What is the secret of this lost wheat? Rumi warns us to be vigilant. We should not imagine that the storehouse is faulty or that a thief enters from outside. Rather, we must ponder: "Is this defect in the wheat due to the mouse's cunning?" A 'mouse' has dug a hole in the storehouse of our being and is stealing this wheat. Who is this mouse? Rumi clarifies elsewhere: "The ego and Satan were both one entity, / They showed themselves in two forms.". This mouse is none other than our commanding ego (nafs-e ammara) and the inner Satan, which, in the guise of self-deception, egoism, and rationalization, pilfers the blessings of our devotions. We possess an immense, masterful capacity for deceiving ourselves; we attribute perfections to ourselves and shortcomings to others.

The remedy? Rumi advises: "First, O soul, fend off the mouse's evil, / Then strive to gather wheat.". This means that before we set about accumulating fresh wheat, we must first fortify the storehouse of our being and repel the evil of this thieving mouse. We must seal the holes and openings through which the ego infiltrates. If we fail to do this, gathering more wheat is merely to waste it.

In this vein, Rumi alludes to the prophetic tradition: "No prayer is complete except with presence of heart (hudur-i qalb).". The Prophet stated that no prayer is complete without a focused heart. If prayer or any other act of worship is performed without presence of heart, it is, in Ghazali's terms, merely a 'juridical prayer'; it fulfills the duty and absolves the religious obligation, but it has no effect on transforming our being or elevating our soul. "Where is the wheat of forty years of deeds?" This is a question we must ask ourselves: if we have worshipped for forty years, why have we not changed? Why have we not transcended our egoism? This question serves as the touchstone for every devotional act; if its effect is not evident in our heart and soul, then undoubtedly, the thieving mouse is at work, and we must pursue it, rather than merely continuing to accumulate fruitless wheat.

Key takeaways

• Devotional acts must be stored in the 'storehouse' of our being, leading to inner richness and transformation, rather than merely being hoarded for the afterlife.
• If our good deeds do not lead to internal change and elevation, it indicates the presence of a 'mouse' that steals their blessings.
• This 'mouse' symbolizes the commanding ego, egoism, and internal self-deception that hollow out our actions.
• Instead of increasing the quantity of deeds, the priority is to 'fend off the mouse' — first, we must remove internal obstacles and egoistic afflictions.
• Worship without 'presence of heart' (like a merely jurisprudential prayer) may fulfill religious obligation but lacks the power to transform and elevate the soul.
• The key question is: If we have worshipped for years, 'where is the wheat of forty years of deeds?' Where is the transformation that should have occurred within us?