M6:2290 — خود نگفتم چون درین ناموقنم / زان گره‌زن این گره را حل کنم

Translation: I did not tell myself, since I am uncertain in this matter / From that Knot-tier, I should untie this knot. Meaning: This verse expresses the dervish's regret and self-reproach, realizing that after his fruitless efforts and despair, he should have turned back to the original source of guidance (God) to resolve his predicament, rather than relying on his own flawed understanding.

Let us take the dervish in search of treasure as our example. This verse is spoken by a regretful dervish who, after years of fruitless struggle, has realized the error of his self-reliance. Having received the address of the treasure through a divine dream, he proceeded to interpret and execute it on his own. The result was, as the previous verse states, "blackened hands and a burnt mouth"—disgrace and failure. It is here that Rumi, through his voice, declares: "I did not tell myself, since I am uncertain in this matter / From that Knot-tier, I should untie this knot.

The point is this: the dervish realizes that when he himself does not truly comprehend the matter, when he has not grasped the message and essence of that 'treasure-map' and all his arrows fly astray, why did he not return to the original "Knot-tier" from the outset? Who is this Knot-tier? Undoubtedly, it is God Himself; the One who revealed the dream to him and placed the thread of this discovery in his hands. The dervish confesses his mistake in not turning to God to untie that knot himself, to interpret that dream, and to guide him on the right path. This is a profound admission of the limitations of human understanding when faced with divine speech and mystical allusions.

From this realization, Rumi articulates a pervasive hermeneutical principle: "Seek the interpretation of God's word from God Himself." This rule applies not only to the treasure-seeking dervish but to every seeker and every researcher of divine truth. When a word comes from God, when a mystical message arrives whose meaning is obscure to us, we must not, out of our own conjecture, "babble nonsense." We must humbly return to the original Speaker Himself and ask Him to untie our knot. This is precisely what the Quran itself does, employing its clear verses (muhkamat) to interpret its ambiguous ones (mutashabihat); "The Quran interprets itself."

This teaching delineates the boundary between sincere interpretation and arbitrary reinterpretation. In the face of divine allusions, before existential and spiritual enigmas, the path is to return to the original source, not to wander astray with mere conjecture and self-conceit. This admission of being "uncertain" (namowqan) is the pinnacle of wisdom and humility.

Key takeaways

• When faced with divine speech or mystical inspirations, returning to the original Source for interpretation is the height of wisdom.
• Self-reliance in comprehending hidden matters often leads to futility and regret.
• Human understanding has limits; in spiritual affairs, conjecture must be avoided.
• This verse is a cry of confessing error and returning to humility before the Origin of creation and inspiration.