M6:1091 — هم‌چو مدح مرد چوپان سلیم / مر خدا را پیش موسی کلیم

Translation: Like the praise of the simple shepherd, to God before Moses the Interlocutor. Meaning: This verse refers to the story of a simple-hearted shepherd who praised God in crude, anthropomorphic terms, which God accepted despite Moses's initial disapproval. Rumi uses it as an example of divine acceptance of pure intentions.

This verse, found in the sixth book of the Masnavi, refers back to a pivotal and profound story from the third book: the tale of the simple and guileless shepherd who praised God with colloquial, unrefined language, yet with utmost sincerity. This shepherd, in his innocent heart, spoke to God, saying, 'Where are You, that I may mend Your shoes, comb Your hair, and give You milk?' Moses, the Interlocutor, was appalled by such words, rebuking the shepherd vehemently, considering his praise blasphemous. However, God revealed to Moses, 'You have separated Me from My servant; the permission is not in your hands, O Moses.' He declared that what Moses considered disparagement, He regarded as praise: 'God accepted his disparagement as praise.'

Rumi employs this rarely-used technique of recalling a past narrative for a higher purpose. I have often emphasized that Rumi was perpetually renewing himself, seldom revisiting his own past compositions. Yet here, embedded within another story—Abu Bakr's dreams and his praise for the Prophet—he abruptly references the shepherd's tale to elucidate a subtle point: just as God accepted the words of that simple-hearted shepherd, which Moses deemed blasphemous and ill-mannered, due to the purity and sincerity of his intention, so too should the Prophet, in his magnanimity, accept Abu Bakr's praise. Although Abu Bakr's words, however grand, might be a 'qadḥ' (blemish) when measured against the Prophet's infinite majesty, they are offered from a place of pure heart.

The essential point is that in the realm of meaning, the sincerity and guilelessness of the heart are far more important than outward forms and ornate words. 'Salīm' here means simple-hearted and unpretentious. This world is full of forms and appearances, but what endures in the presence of God is the formlessness of meaning, which manifests in pure hearts. That shepherd recognized his own nothingness and offered whatever he could to his Beloved out of love, even if that offering was meager and unpolished. This story is an invitation to a gnostic approach to religiosity, one where the external form of worship or praise can never replace its inner depth and sincerity. This is the overarching, tolerant spirit of devotion that Rumi emphasizes throughout the Masnavi, a spirit that transcends the outward boundaries of Shari'ah and reaches the essence of love and devotion.

Key takeaways

• Purity of intention and guilelessness of heart are paramount, superseding ornate words or formal religious expressions.
• Divine judgment prioritizes inner sincerity and pure intention over the outward form and language of praise.
• The term 'salīm' (simple-hearted, unpretentious) denotes a heart that perceives truth directly, unburdened by conventional forms.
• This story exemplifies Rumi's tolerant and expansive view of faith and spirituality, where love transcends apparent limitations.
• Even amidst grand praise, Rumi reminds us of the humility required before the infinite majesty of God and the Prophet.