M6:2327 — دیده را نادیده خود انگاشتم / باز زنبیل دعا برداشتم

Translation: I considered my self-regard as unseen; / Once more, I picked up the basket of prayer. Meaning: This verse signifies the abandonment of ego and spiritual pride. Having set aside the self-centric gaze, one turns to the Divine with humility and a sense of neediness, taking up the act of prayer.

This verse articulates a profound moment of spiritual transformation. In the preceding line, Rumi asks, "O wonder, from whom is this self-admiration in me?" He is probing the source of our ego, our sense of 'I-ness' and self-importance. Rumi's answer, in this beyt, suggests that when we gaze into the depths of our helplessness and lack of ultimate agency, we must deem this 'dīda' (sight) as 'nādīda' (unseen or nullified). 'Dīda' here doesn't refer to the physical eye, but rather to the 'self-regarding vision'—that very self-admiration, conceit, and false sense of independence. To 'consider one's self-regard as unseen' is to consciously set aside this illusion of self-sufficiency, to banish this spiritual pride, and to recognize oneself as 'hīch-nī' (a mere nothing).

This is a deliberate act on the part of the seeker, an expression of profound humility and an admission of existential poverty. As Rumi himself argues elsewhere, prior to creation, we were 'hīch-nī' and possessed no inherent deservingness. Our very existence and all our capacities are a gift of divine 'jūd' (generosity), not His 'adl' (justice based on merit). Once this self-regard is set aside, what action becomes possible? The most natural and indeed the only legitimate path is to 'pick up the basket of prayer.' The 'basket of prayer' is a metaphor for extending one's hand in need towards the Divine, a symbol of supplication and entreaty.

Crucially, Rumi repeatedly emphasizes that prayer itself is not a human invention; it is a divine command and teaching. We do not spontaneously begin to pray; it is God who, from the very beginning, commanded us to pray, otherwise, "what audacity would a mere speck of dust have for this?" Earthly humans would not have the strength to utter a plea. Even the thirst and longing that arise within us and prompt us to pray are themselves blessings from Him. Therefore, when we 'pick up the basket of prayer,' it is, in essence, a divine act manifesting through us. We are instruments for the expression of needs that He Himself has sown within us. This is not fatalism, but the apex of the meaning of 'jabbārī' (divine omnipotence and grandeur)—where a human being is liberated from all self-imposed shackles and allows himself to flow within the current of divine generosity and will. This is why Rumi states elsewhere, "Since You commanded us to pray, O wondrous One, grant this prayer of Yours." It is Your own prayer that flows from our lips; therefore, O Wondrous One, grant Your own prayer. This station of absolute neediness is the ultimate expression of servitude and the pinnacle of the Oneness of Divine Acts.

Key takeaways

• Here, 'dīda' (sight) refers to 'self-regard' and 'spiritual pride,' and 'considering it unseen' is the first step on the spiritual path.
• Releasing self-regard leads one to the station of 'hīch-nī' (nothingness), which is the foundation for 'expressing helplessness' and 'spiritual poverty.'
• 'Picking up the basket of prayer' symbolizes supplication, which is only possible after abandoning egoistic pride.
• For Rumi, prayer is a divine command and teaching; God Himself instills the desire for prayer in humans and orchestrates its utterance.
• Human existence and capacities are gifts of Divine 'Jūd' (generosity), not earned merit, and this understanding is the true basis of prayer and spiritual neediness.