M6:479 — از ترهب نهی کردست آن رسول / بدعتی چون در گرفتی ای فضول

Translation: That Prophet forbade monasticism; O busybody, why have you adopted such an innovation? Meaning: This verse, spoken by the bird, criticizes monasticism and social reclusion, deeming it an innovation contrary to the tradition of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH).

This verse emerges from a profound story in the Masnavi, where Rumi stages a debate between a bird and a hunter dressed in monastic garb. This dialogue is, in essence, a fundamental critique of rahbāniyat (monasticism or extreme reclusion), a concept that has always been a subject of deep discussion and reflection within the history of Sufism and Islam.

I have emphasized for years that Rumi never lightly bypasses the teachings of the sharīʿah. Here, with remarkable directness, he employs the voice of the bird to recall a clear religious injunction: “Lā rahbāniyya fī al-Islām” (There is no monasticism in Islam). The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) explicitly warned his followers against absolute seclusion and renouncing the world. Yet, as the bird tells the monk-like hunter, this monasticism in the religion of Ahmad is a bidʿat (innovation); it is something that was not originally part of the religion and was later added to it.

The Holy Quran also addresses monasticism in verse 27 of Surah Al-Hadid, but with a very subtle elaboration: “And monasticism, they innovated it—We did not prescribe it for them—except to seek God’s pleasure; but they did not observe it with due observance.” This means that the followers of Jesus (PBUH) themselves invented monasticism—God had not made it obligatory for them—but they did so with good intentions and to seek God's pleasure; nevertheless, they did not observe it as it should have been observed, leading to excesses. This Quranic statement fundamentally views monasticism as an ‘innovation’ which, even if its initial intention was good, deteriorated due to a failure to observe its limits. Rumi follows this same trajectory, considering monasticism a newly introduced practice outside of the established tradition.

The tradition of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH), which Rumi defends, is one of active participation in society. In the continuation of this discussion, the bird points to the virtues of social life: congregational prayers (jumʿah and jamāʿat), enjoining good and forbidding evil (amr bi’l-maʿrūf wa nahy ʿani’l-munkar), enduring hardship from ill-tempered people for the purification of the soul, and benefiting people like a cloud. These are all benefits that can only be realized within the social context. The hunter or monk, who has deprived himself of these blessings by withdrawing from people, is called fażūl; fażūl in Persian refers to someone who does something useless or inappropriate, or meddles in what does not concern them, here implying that he has chosen a pointless innovation instead of following the tradition.

Rumi's critique here is against a lifestyle that chooses evasion and isolation instead of responsible engagement with the world and its people. He believes that one must be among the Ummah Marḥūmah (the blessed community), among people who are recipients of divine mercy and who follow the tradition of their Prophet. This prohibition of monasticism emphasizes the importance of serving creation and living within the community, not fleeing from it. However, it should be noted that this critique does not mean an absolute negation of solitude and remembrance, but rather a rejection of tarahhub in the sense of renouncing the world and escaping social responsibilities.

Key takeaways

• Monasticism and withdrawal from society are condemned innovations in Islam, explicitly forbidden by the Prophet (PBUH).
• Islam emphasizes active participation in society, fulfilling the rights of others, and benefiting people.
• The Quranic verse in Surah Al-Hadid describes Christian monasticism as an innovation, albeit one initiated with good intentions, but which fell into excess.
• Rumi uses the term fażūl (busybody/meddler) for someone who chooses monasticism, thereby opting for a pointless path outside of tradition.
• The aim of Islam is to cultivate human beings within the social fabric, through engagement with social challenges, not by escaping them.