M6:3019 — با درش بود آن غریب آموخته / وام بی‌حد از عطایش توخته

Translation: That stranger had grown accustomed to his door / And had repaid boundless debts from his generosity. Meaning: This verse speaks of a indebted dervish's boundless trust in a generous official, through which he remains carefree and joyful about his numerous debts.

This verse, embedded within the tale of the indebted dervish and the magnanimous Muhtasib of Tabriz, Badr al-Din Omar, vividly portrays the state of the indebted stranger. The term āmukhte here signifies familiarity and accustomization; it means this wandering dervish was well-acquainted with the threshold of the Muhtasib's generosity and knew precisely which door to approach for succor. Tukhte, another key word, means to repay a debt, as Ferdowsi elegantly states: 'When you say, 'I have repaid the debt of reason / And learned all that was needed to be learned.''

Under the protection of such a benefactor, this dervish, heedless and lā'ubālī, took loans from all quarters, for he was secure in the boundless generosity of the Muhtasib, whom Rumi calls a qulzum-e ikrām-khū (a sea whose very nature is generosity) and rawz-ul-kirām (a garden of the generous). This profound reliance (pusht-garmī) is the secret to his ease and joy; unlike other debtors, who are usually frowning (rū-tursh) and sorrowful, this dervish is 'like a laughing rose.' This joy amidst debt stems not from ignorant carelessness, but from a deep conviction in a sublime support.

Throughout the Masnavi, Rumi emphasizes this kind of trust and reliance. This verse is, in essence, an allegory for the seeker whose back is warm with divine grace, fearing neither blame nor worldly hardship. Just as this stranger fears no creditors or loan-sharks due to the Muhtasib of Tabriz, so too does the believer, relying on the 'Sun of Arabia' (the Prophet of Islam), fear not the 'beard of Abu Lahab' (the wrath and threats of enemies). This is an existential state where the seeker is aware of their connection to their 'original root' (asl-e khwish) and knows that, though a 'guest' (mehmān) in the physical world and far from their true homeland, they are never alone or abandoned. This separation is from a Beloved who is ever-present, not the forsaken loneliness we find in existentialist philosophy. It is this hope and certainty that transforms sorrow into ecstasy, and an indebted soul into a laughing rose.

Key takeaways

• Trust in divine generosity frees the seeker from worldly anxieties.
• True joy lies not in being debt-free, but in having infinite support.
• The verse is an allegory of reliance: leaning on the 'sea of generosity' brings peace.
• The state of the indebted dervish exemplifies Rumi's joy that transforms sorrow into exhilaration.
• Familiarity with the threshold of generosity is a gateway to repaying existential debts.