M6:437 — خویشتن پیچیده در برگ و گیاه / تا در افتد صید بیچاره ز راه

Translation: He wrapped himself in leaf and plant, So the wretched prey might stray and fall into his trap. Meaning:* This verse describes a hunter hiding amidst foliage, employing this stratagem to deceive and ensnare an unsuspecting bird.

This verse depicts a scene from the tale of the bird and the hunter, yet as is customary in the Masnavi, every anecdote is a window to a deeper gnosis. Here, Rumi begins with the hunter's deceit to address the issue of false poverty and counterfeit asceticism – a point he repeatedly raises in his critiques of the Sufism of his era.

The hunter, having “wrapped himself in leaf and plant,” assumes the guise of vegetation to trick unsuspecting birds. This is an allegory for hypocrisy and outward show; for those who wear the garb of piety but inwardly pursue gain and avarice. The clever bird initially discerns a whiff of truth, but ultimately, “fell prey to his charm.” Why? Rumi answers: “Man is most often deceived when greed and covetousness are at play, especially when one is in dire need and poverty.”

This is where Rumi shifts from the narrative to a critique of faqr (poverty), not the genuine faqr-e haqq (poverty for truth), but faqr-e loqme (poverty of mere sustenance) which leads one to abjection and greed. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stated: “Poverty almost leads to disbelief.” Rumi contends that many “pretending Sufis and ascetics” only possess faqr-e loqme; that is, they are in pursuit of worldly bread, status, and gain, not faqr-e haqq, which is the thirst for truth and self-sufficiency from creation.

Rumi’s critique of monastic Sufism and its superficial adherents is remarkably unequivocal and frank. He explicitly states that “a minimum level of livelihood is necessary for the health of the soul, for its purity, to avoid falling into greed, to prevent misperceiving reality, and to escape the snares of deceivers.” This is the very lesson Saʿdi also beautifully articulates in his “Debate with a Pretender on the Virtue of the Wealthy,” where he praises the charitable rich over the distressed, hungry dervish who performs “even two rakʿats with a hundred regrets.” For Rumi, the true ascetic is not one who turns to vegetarianism and solitude merely out of destitution, but rather one who has “eaten his fill from God’s sustenance” and is “free from reproach and asking” – meaning, free from greed and demand. He considers such genuine Sufis to be very few, seeing most monastic dwellers entangled in faqr-e loqme, avarice, and covetousness. This verse, seemingly a simple hunting story, is in essence a profound critique of hypocrisy and susceptibility to deceit, rooted in greed and poverty, both material and spiritual.

Key takeaways

• Outward pretense and hypocrisy trap the unsuspecting; the hunter's disguise symbolizes false asceticism.
• Greed and covetousness, especially when in need, are the primary causes of being deceived and ensnared.
• Rumi distinguishes between faqr-e loqme (material need) and faqr-e haqq (the genuine longing for truth).
• Extreme material poverty can lead to spiritual peril, pushing one towards 'disbelief' and hindering spiritual health.
• Rumi is a sharp critic of monastic Sufism and the era's pseudo-ascetics who sought worldly gain rather than truth.