M6:2604 — شق باید ریش را مرهم کنی / چرک را در ریش مستحکم کنی

Translation: If a wound needs to be lanced, you must not apply ointment to it; otherwise, you will strengthen the pus within the wound. Meaning: Sometimes, to truly heal a wound, one must take the seemingly harsh step of lancing it to release infection, rather than merely applying gentle ointments which only drive the ailment deeper. Misplaced kindness can be a form of cruelty.

This couplet powerfully illustrates a core principle Rumi articulated earlier: “What is justice? Placing everything in its proper place. What is oppression? Placing it out of its proper place.” This profound understanding of justice does not equate it with rigid equality, but rather with the precise and apt positioning of every element within its context. At times, an action that appears harsh or unpleasant is, in truth, the very essence of good and expediency. Conversely, a seemingly gentle and kind act can ultimately lead to ruin.

Rumi's example here is strikingly vivid: a wound or abscess that is infected and filled with pus. If such a wound "needs to be lanced" (shaqq bāyad)—meaning it must be cut open, incised, and its pus extracted—and instead, we opt for mere tenderness and gentleness, simply applying "ointment" (marham) or salves, what happens? Rumi declares: "you will strengthen the pus within the wound" (chark rā dar rīsh mostaḥkam koni). Through this apparently kind action, you drive the pus deeper into the wound, embedding it further into the flesh and bone, thus empowering the disease rather than healing it.

Ignoring the true nature of the ailment has dire consequences: "So that it eats the flesh beneath it / A slight gain it is, but fiftyfold the loss." This misplaced softness might offer temporary relief or lessen immediate discomfort ("a slight gain"), but in the long run, it will inflict "fiftyfold" (a metaphor for immensely greater) damage. The pus, having penetrated deep, will erode the bone, leading to far more intense suffering.

Therefore, this couplet extends beyond physical medicine; it serves as a parable for the governance of the soul and society. In confronting moral ailments, social corruption, or even in human upbringing, it is sometimes imperative to act with decisiveness and a seemingly harsh resolve to uproot the core of the problem, rather than allowing the disease to become more entrenched through a superficial, "ointment-applying" approach. This is the very perspective that discerns true "justice"—ʿadl—not always in softness and gentleness, but occasionally in firmness and even bitterness, provided that every action is placed in its "proper context" (moużeʿ). Knowledge, in this sense, is both essential and beneficial: for one to know the correct place for everything.

Key takeaways

• True justice and wisdom lie in acting appropriately according to the 'situation,' not necessarily in the inherent softness or harshness of the action itself.
• Misplaced kindness or gentleness, like applying ointment to an infected wound, can exacerbate the illness and drive it deeper rather than curing it.
• A seemingly harsh or difficult measure (like lancing a wound) can be an act of profound beneficence and healing, whereas apparent comfort (like applying ointment) can lead to severe, long-term harm.
• One must judiciously weigh both the short-term and long-term consequences of actions; immediate gains should not result in lasting detriments.
• Ignorance in discerning the 'proper context' for an action is itself the greatest injustice and harm.