M6:3697 — این سخن پایان ندارد آن فریق / بر گرفتند از پی آن دز طریق

Translation: This discourse has no end; that faction / Took the path of that thief. Meaning: Rumi notes that the discussion of spiritual wayfarers and divine truth is endless. He then describes a specific group who, instead of following the right path, chose a deceptive and destructive route.

Rumi, in the rich tapestry of the Masnavi, presents this verse within a narrative that vividly portrays the bewilderment and misguidance of certain spiritual aspirants. The discussion centers on those who, despite clear warnings, choose an erroneous path. Preceding this verse, Rumi alludes to Quranic verses where the inhabitants of hell declare, “Had we but listened or reasoned, we would not have been among the dwellers of the Blazing Fire.” This failure to listen and to reason is precisely the predicament that befalls the group mentioned in this couplet.

The phrase “that faction” (ān farīq) refers to those whose intellect, in Rumi’s terms, has become suspended, and whose desires have been aroused. They have departed from the “dwelling of the mukhlaṣān.” Here, we must pause to consider the terminology: ṭawīla (dwelling, tribe) refers to the abode or community of those dedicated to sincerity, rather than its contemporary common meaning. More critically, there is a distinction between mukhliṣ (one who strives for sincerity) and mukhlaṣ (one who has been made sincere). A mukhliṣ is someone who, through personal effort and spiritual discipline, endeavors to purify themselves and detach from worldly attachments. Conversely, a mukhlaṣ, according to the explicit text of the Holy Quran (where Satan declares, “Except for Your chosen servants among them—the mukhlaṣīn”), is someone purified and made sincere not by their own striving, but by divine grace and selection. These are like pure gold, refined by divine decree and cleansed of all impurities. Rumi here most likely speaks of the mukhlaṣān, those who are inherently pure and lucid by divine favor; yet, “that faction” has separated itself from such a pristine community.

The action of “that faction” is to have “taken the path of that thief” (az pay-e ān doz ṭarīq). This “thief” symbolizes egoistic deceptions, satanic allurements, or any misleading path that diverts one from the highway of truth. They have deliberately acted against the “word of the chosen king” (qawl-e shāh-e mujtabā)—meaning the chosen spiritual guide—and in defiance of the “admonishing intellect” (ʿaql-e pandtūz), the faculty of reason that constantly advises and guides humanity. By turning their backs on the light of reason and clear guidance, this group has cast themselves into a “dark night, turned from day” (shab-e tārīk bargashte ze rūz); in other words, they have plunged into the gloom of ignorance and desire, even though they could have walked in the daylight of intellect and gnosis. This verse, therefore, serves as a profound warning to all seekers to constantly be mindful of their path and guide, and to guard against the traps of deception and bewilderment.

Key takeaways

• Human misguidance stems from a failure to listen to truth and to engage one's faculty of reason.
• "That faction" represents those who chose the path of deception and self-desire, rather than following the guiding intellect.
• Rumi distinguishes between mukhliṣ (one striving for sincerity) and mukhlaṣ (one purified by divine will); "that faction" departed from the community of the mukhlaṣān.
• Choosing the “thief’s path” symbolizes false and deceptive spiritual routes that lead one into an intellectual “dark night.”