M6:995 — آن‌چنان مهتاب پیماید به سحر / کز خسان صد کیسه برباید به سحر

Translation: So does he measure out moonlight with sorcery (sahar) That from the foolish (khasān) he steals a hundred purses with the same sorcery. Meaning: This verse speaks to the deceptive tricks of sorcerers or the devil, who, by making false things appear as truth, rob the naive of their wealth. Rumi likens this to a magician using illusions to transform moonlight into a measurable commodity and selling it at a great price.

In this verse, I discern a vivid depiction of deceit and cunning, at play not merely in the tangible world, but crucially, in the spiritual and ethical realms of human existence. Rumi, with his eloquent and profound expression, unravels the mechanism of deception, demonstrating how worthless matters, through the magic of adornment and falsehood, are transmuted into what appears to be the most precious of commodities.

The word sahar here carries a crucial duality of meaning: it signifies both magic and trickery, and also dawn or early morning. This linguistic ambiguity itself underscores the nature of deception; for sahar (magic) can occur at sahar (dawn), implying that even in the light of day, tricksters can be at work, distorting perception. Rumi alludes to a well-known tale where sorcerers would magically transform moonlight into plain cloth, selling it to the gullible. This is a brilliant metaphor: moonlight, a symbol of something ubiquitous, beautiful, and beyond price, is by illusion turned into a material, measurable commodity. This illustrates how intangible spiritual realities, through deception, are offered in the guise of material goods, to extract "a hundred purses"—vast wealth—from the khasān, or the foolish.

This verse extends the perspective Rumi previously established in the story of Abu Bakr and Bilal. There, the 'div-i ghūl' (devil) so "adorns a carcass that he buys two hundred rose gardens." Here, too, valueless moonlight (from a commercial perspective) is through sahar and illusion transformed into a highly valued commodity, robbing the senseless of their countless treasures. This is a serious warning about the world's allure and the devil's work, which, under the cloak of beauty and attraction, distorts truths and sells precious souls for a meager price.

In contrast to these sorcerers and tricksters, the prophets emerge to teach people "trade" (tājerī). It is here that Rumi refers to the commercial discourse within the Quran, which presents religion as a beneficial transaction. Prophets are true merchants who offer genuine and enduring goods, not "moonlight-turned-cloth." They teach that soul, faith, and salvation are commodities far more valuable than any worldly "purse" of gold. The prophets' trade promises salvation from a "painful torment," while the magical trade of sorcerers empties pockets and depletes souls.

Therefore, this verse is not merely a critique of fraud; it is an invitation to insight and discernment between truth and falsehood, between true treasure and deceptive moonlight. In a world where devils and ghouls adorn the moonlight of divine knowledge into the worthless cloth of desires and self-interest, the mission of prophets and mystics is to teach the 'real trade'—a trade in which soul and faith are the primary bargain, not moonlight measured and sold by sahar.

Key takeaways

• Deceivers exploit the foolish by presenting worthless matters as precious commodities.
• The term sahar simultaneously refers to magic/deception and dawn, symbolizing the potential for deceit even in clarity.
• Rumi compares worldly deceptions to sorcery that transforms moonlight into salable cloth.
• In contrast to tricksters, prophets teach people the 'real trade' where soul and faith are the primary capital.
• This verse serves as a warning against the allure of material things and an invitation to discernment for recognizing true values.