M1:327 — بود شاهی در جُهودان ظلم‌ساز / دشمنِ عیسی و نصرانی گُداز

Translation: There was a king among the Jews, a maker of oppression, A foe to Jesus, a melter-away of Nazarenes.

Meaning: This verse introduces an allegorical tale that Rumi uses to initiate a profound discussion on the unity of religions and the inner roots of polytheism and division.

This verse marks the beginning of an allegorical tale that Rumi employs, not merely to recount a historical event, but to unveil deeper truths. It speaks of a tyrannical king among the Jews who was an enemy of Jesus and sought to torment and destroy his followers. However, from Rumi's perspective, this animosity springs from an internal root, not merely an external or historical one.

Immediately after this verse, Rumi introduces a pivotal concept: that Jesus and Moses were inwardly one. In truth, a single light shone from a single source through them. These prophets are like a hundred lamps, yet their light is one. The Quran, too, affirms this unity by stating, "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." Why, then, did this king and his minister harbor such animosity?

Rumi's answer is that they were aḥwal, meaning they suffered from an inner squint or spiritual double-vision. This aḥwal-vision signifies an inability to perceive the unity hidden beneath apparent multiplicities. Shirk – whether theological polytheism or practical duality – is, in fact, the product of this crooked inner perception. A person who is internally fragmented, or, as I would say, "schizophrenic," and whose being is torn apart, will inevitably perceive the outer world as fragmented and multitudinous, leading to conflict and strife.

What causes this squint and distorted vision? Rumi explicitly states: "Anger and lust make a man cross-eyed; they distort the eye from straightness." These angers and lusts, these inner vices and corrupt dispositions, prevent a person from seeing the truth as it is. They do not only lead to bad conduct but also produce bad and false thoughts. They repel truth and even deny the unity of God.

For this reason, Rumi advises: "Melt the outer form through toil, that you may see the unity like a treasure beneath." It is only by purifying and melting away outer forms and multiplicities through inner struggle and spiritual discipline that one can access the treasure of unity hidden beneath them. And if one does not succeed in this task oneself, His "graces" will melt it away. This verse, from the very outset, guides us toward a central insight in the Mathnawi: that shirk has ethical and psychological roots, not merely theological or philosophical ones. Bad ethics not only corrupt our actions but also distort and deviate our vision, depriving us of seeing the truth.

Key takeaways

• The story of the Jewish king serves as an allegory for the roots of polytheism and distorted perception.
• For Rumi, divine prophets like Moses and Jesus are a single light from one source.
• Enmity and conflict among followers of religions stem from 'aḥwal-vision'—the inability to see underlying unity.
• Anger and lust are primary causes of inner crookedness and a false understanding of truth.
• Polytheism (shirk) is not merely an intellectual error but a consequence of moral flaws and inner fragmentation.
• Inner purification and melting away outward forms are the path to discovering the treasure of unity.