M6:1906 — این سخن پایان ندارد وآن فقیر / گشته است از زخم درویشی عقیر

Translation: This discourse has no end, and that poor one / Has become barren from the wound of dervishhood. Meaning: Rumi suggests that the spiritual path is endless in its discourse, and a person who embraces spiritual poverty and dervishhood may find themselves rendered barren or sterile from worldly pursuits due to its transformative, often painful, impact.

In this verse, Rumi speaks of the endlessness of mystical discourse and immediately turns to the condition of the faqir—one who has embarked on the path of dervishhood. This 'wound of dervishhood' that renders him aqir (sterile, barren of fruit) seems to refer to a state where the mystic becomes detached from material and worldly gains. This emptying out of worldly fruits is not a defect, but rather a sign of wholeness on the path of poverty and annihilation (fanā). We have seen previously how Rumi speaks of the 'upward aspiration' (sowdā-ye sar-e bālā) and emphasizes how one should seek their 'sustenance' (rizq) according to their 'disposition' (khuy) and 'potential,' whether one is 'a lover of bread' or 'intoxicated by the Beloved.' Therefore, this becoming aqir from the wound of dervishhood can be the result of a conscious choice to tread a path incompatible with outward riches, ultimately leading to that spiritual 'sustenance' linked to the 'Beloved.' The wounds of dervishhood render a person barren of worldly productivity, but in turn, prepare them for fertility in the realm of meaning.

Key takeaways

• The discourse of mystical knowledge and truth is endless.
• Spiritual poverty (faqir) and dervishhood inflict wounds that diminish worldly productivity.
• Becoming empty of worldly manifestations is a sign of perfection on the mystical path.
• Sterility from material pursuits prepares an individual for spiritual fertility.
• One's 'sustenance' (rizq) is proportionate to their disposition and potential.