M6:363 — این چنین آتش‌کشی اندر دلش / دیدهٔ کافر نبیند از عمش

Translation: Such a fire-extinguisher within his heart, The infidel's eye sees not, due to its blindness. Meaning: Rumi states that whenever a spark of truth or a good intention arises in the human heart, a hidden thief (a stranger to the true self) extinguishes it; yet, those unaware of their inner workings fail to perceive this inner reality due to their spiritual blindness.

In this verse and the preceding narrative, Rumi offers a profound image of humanity's inner struggle. He recounts the story of a man attempting to light a lamp in the dark, striking a flint to produce sparks for his wick. However, a hidden thief, unseen in the gloom, repeatedly places his finger on the sparks, extinguishing them. The householder assumes the flame dies naturally due to a damp wick, oblivious to the thief's sabotage. Rumi then draws a powerful conclusion, directly addressing our inner state:

Such a fire-extinguisher within his heart, / The infidel's eye sees not, due to its blindness.

This 'fire-extinguisher' (ātash-kash) in the heart is precisely that hidden thief; it is the 'stranger' (bīgāne) that has made its lair in the sanctuary of our soul. This element is what quenches the sparks of sincerity (ṣidq) and firm resolve (ʿazm) before they can grow into a steady flame. This unawareness or forgetfulness, in Rumi's terms, stems from either an insufficiently planted 'seed of sincerity' or a lack of firm resolve within the individual (here, he alludes to Adam's lapse: "we found no firm resolve in him").

The word 'kāfar' here transcends its typical meaning of 'unbeliever in God.' Rumi defines the 'kāfar' as one afflicted by 'amash,' which denotes a spiritual or inner weak-sightedness. This diminished inner sight prevents them from perceiving their own internal truths, from recognizing this hidden thief and fire-extinguisher in their heart. They fail to see that recurrent failures of will and resolve stem from an active internal agent, rather than mere dampness of the wick or external circumstances. This is what Rumi refers to as 'khod rā ʿavaẓī gereftan' (mistaking oneself for another), a form of alienation where one identifies with inner 'strangers' and thus fails to know one's true self.

I am convinced that Rumi here points to the invisible forces constantly impacting human will and action: satanic temptation and angelic affirmation. When an individual resolves to do good but fails, it indicates a force like that 'thief' impeding them. Conversely, when good deeds are accomplished with ease, it suggests angels have affirmed and assisted them on their path. Humanity is not left to its own devices; rather, it is constantly caught in this interplay of affirmations and deceptions.

Therefore, one who fails to see this 'fire-extinguisher' is incapable of grasping their own existential architecture. They do not comprehend that just as the external world's order necessitates an Orderer (Rumi here briefly alludes to the argument from design, though I am not unaware of its criticisms elsewhere), so too in the inner world, every persistent failure or success has its roots in a hidden agent. Until these 'strangers' are expelled from the heart's dwelling, the sparks of light will repeatedly be extinguished, and the human being will never achieve unity and oneness with their true self.

Key takeaways

• Within the human heart, hidden forces (strangers to the self) exist that obstruct good intentions and spiritual insights.
• The term 'infidel' (kāfar) here denotes spiritual weak-sightedness, preventing one from perceiving these internal agents.
• Repeated failures of resolve are not merely due to individual weakness but stem from the active 'fire-extinguisher' within.
• Rumi's insight underscores the necessity of self-knowledge and identifying these internal 'strangers' to achieve unity and purity with one's true self.