M6:2379 — در قفس افتند زاغ و جغد و باز / جفت شد در حبس پاک و بی‌نماز

Translation: The raven, the owl, and the falcon fall into one cage; In this prison, the pure and the prayer-less are joined.

Meaning: This verse illustrates the forced co-existence and mingling of diverse beings, both good and bad, within this world, which is portrayed as a temporary prison. This superficial mixture reflects the transient and interwoven nature of our earthly existence.

This verse is embedded within the narrative of the 'Three Travelers'—a tale Rumi borrows from Shams-e Tabrizi to extract profound ontological and epistemological insights. Rumi, with his characteristic certainty, posits that this world functions as a cage or a prison where diverse beings—the pure and the impure, the devout and the wayward—are brought together. This mingling and admixture we observe in society and existence is not accidental; rather, it is a matter of divine decree.

Consider how 'the raven, the owl, and the falcon'—creatures naturally disparate, even antagonistic—might at times be forced together in a single cage. Or how, in a prison, individuals of pure heart and devout practice might be confined alongside the prayer-less and corrupt. This serves as a precise analogy for our condition in this world, an realm where 'the pure and the prayer-less' are joined. However, this commingling does not imply essential equality or unity; it is merely a compulsory and transient co-existence.

Rumi envisions this world as a caravanserai where travelers from the East and West and beyond are temporarily gathered during a stormy, snowy night. Outwardly, they share a table and a path, but their inner realities and ultimate destinations are not the same. As Rumi elucidates elsewhere: "People walk uniformly in the bazaar / Half are in joy and half are in pain." Outwardly, we may appear alike, but our inner states and motivations diverge. When the cages are opened, each bird will fly towards its true nest and ultimate destination.

This is a fundamental lesson in the pluralism of salvation, a concept Rumi repeatedly emphasizes: that the outward appearance of individuals, whether Jew, Christian, or Muslim, should not lead us to final judgment. For this worldly cage is a place of temporary mixtures, not ultimate distinctions. As he states: "Do not scorn any infidel / For there is hope that they might die a Muslim."

Key takeaways

• This world is a temporary cage where diverse beings, both good and bad, are brought together.
• The apparent co-existence in this world reflects divine decree and is inherently transient.
• The mixtures of this world do not signify essential unity or inner equality.
• Outward appearances should not form the basis of our ultimate judgments, as inner states and destinies vary.
• Rumi emphasizes the pluralism of salvation, suggesting no one should be deemed beyond divine mercy.