M1:322 — حرفِ درویشان بدزدد مَردِ دون / تا بخواند بر سلیمی زان فسون

Translation: The lowly man steals the words of dervishes, So that he may recite enchantments from them to a simpleton. Meaning: Rumi warns that base and deceitful individuals appropriate the profound wisdom of true mystics to charm and mislead the gullible, using spiritual language for their own manipulative ends.

Here, Rumi, in a continuation of his warning against the 'devil in human form,' exposes the charlatans and false claimants to spiritual authority. He says: 'The lowly man steals the words of dervishes.' These individuals, base and devoid of true spiritual substance, are not originators of wisdom; rather, they pilfer the sayings, truths, and experiences of genuine mystics. This is not mere copying, but a theft of meaning, a larceny of the spirit of the word. They snatch these profound utterances from the mouths and pens of real dervishes to achieve their nefarious ends.

What is this end? 'So that he may recite enchantments from them to a simpleton.' By 'simpleton' (salīm), as Rumi himself implies in his ghazals and as I have always emphasized, he means the naive, innocent, and easily deceived person – the 'fool of the people' (sar-e mardom). While 'salīm' in Arabic has various meanings, including 'sound' (as in the Quranic 'qalb-e salīm' – a sound heart) or even 'snake-bitten,' here, without doubt, it refers to the gullible individual. This 'lowly man' recites 'incantations' (fosūn) to these simpletons, meaning he enchants, casts spells, and with seemingly wise but ultimately empty words, he captivates their hearts and garners their devotion.

I refer to this as the 'deception and delusion of the claimants to the spiritual path.' With these stolen words, they create cults, establish sects, and secure 'dominion' (riyāsat) for themselves. Rumi immediately contrasts this with the work of true men: 'The work of true men is illumination and warmth; the work of the lowly is deceit and shamelessness.' This statement provides the criterion for distinction: Does someone's word and deed bring you light and warmth, or does it only lead to deceit and shamelessness?

Rumi offers vivid analogies to illustrate this deception: the hunter who mimics a bird's call to lure others into a trap; or 'they make a woolen lion for begging.' These claimants are like stuffed lions, made of wool and straw, used only for mendicancy and gaining false material advantage or spiritual power. They are not lions; they are 'the display of a lion.' The pinnacle of these analogies is the comparison of 'Bu Musaylim' (Musaylima the Liar) with 'Ahmad.' Just as Musaylima falsely claimed prophethood and called himself 'Ahmad,' these base individuals disguise themselves as saints. However, the ultimate outcome reveals their true nature: 'The wine of truth, its seal is pure musk; the wine of deceit, its end is stench and torment.' The wine of truth smells of musk and awakens the intellect, while the wine of falsehood brings headaches and a foul odor. It is this fruit and result that exposes the root, leading the wise listener to discernment.

Key takeaways

• False spiritual claimants steal the wisdom of true dervishes to deceive simple-minded individuals.
• Spiritual deception is a form of 'enchantment' (fosūn), a linguistic sorcery that uses truthful words to draw hearts towards falsehood.
• The work of true men is to provide illumination and warmth; conversely, the work of the lowly is deceit and shamelessness.
• The inauthenticity of a claimant is revealed by the fruits and consequences of their words and actions, not by the grandiosity of their discourse.
• Rumi's verse serves as a direct warning, urging alertness and discernment against spiritual charlatans.