M6:1000 — این گهر از هر دو عالم برترست / هین بخر زین طفل جاهل کو خرست

Translation: This gem is superior to both worlds; / Hurry, buy it from this ignorant child, for he is a donkey. Meaning: This couplet asserts the supreme value of a spiritual truth or insight, urging the perceptive to acquire it from those ignorant individuals who, like donkeys, cannot discern its worth from trifles.

As I have often reiterated, Rumi in the Masnavi employs a 'mercantile discourse' to expound upon religion; he portrays prophets as merchants bringing genuine and profitable goods to humanity. The Quran itself alludes to this spiritual commerce: 'Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a painful torment?' Prophets arrive to teach people true 'tradecraft,' showing them which 'commodity' is real and beneficial, and which is false and harmful. Countering these divine merchants, 'devils and sorcerers' (div-o ghoul-e saher), through magic and illusion, strive to make the true commodity appear ugly and the false one beautiful. They 'sewed up people's eyes with magic, so they sold such a jewel for straw,' trading a precious gem for mere worthlessness.

It is in this context that our couplet declares: 'This gem is superior to both worlds.' The 'this gem' (in gohar) refers to that pure truth and genuine commodity brought by the prophets. Its value surpasses not only everything in this material world but also the rewards of the hereafter. This is the gem offered by divine merchants, which sorcerers attempt to devalue in people's eyes.

Rumi then commands: 'Hurry, buy it from this ignorant child, for he is a donkey.' This is not merely an insult but a profound epistemological diagnosis. The 'child' is ignorant, and, as Rumi explicitly states, a 'donkey' (khar) because he does not comprehend the gem's worth. In subsequent verses, Rumi elaborates: 'To a donkey, a worthless bead and a gem are one.' Animals, particularly the donkey, symbolize ignorance and unawareness; they cannot differentiate between a trivial glass bead and a precious jewel. An animal 'denies the ocean and its jewels,' for 'when would an animal seek pearls and adornments?' Animals do not adorn themselves nor do they recognize the value of rubies or pearls.

The crucial point here lies in the human capacity for iʿtibār – 'attributing value' or 'counting something as something else' – a faculty absent in animals. As philosophers like Max Weber have observed, animals lack this ability to grant significance. A piece of paper is just paper to an animal, not a 'vote.' A shell is merely a shell, not a 'pearl.' Humans, however, can imbue things with meaning and value; they can consider a stone a 'ruby' and use it for adornment. This capacity for attributing meaning and value is what distinguishes the human world from the animal kingdom.

Thus, the 'gem' that Rumi speaks of is a truth whose value has been obscured by the enchanted eyes of the 'ignorant child.' This gem is that divine truth and profound insight that only awakened souls, possessing the faculty of discernment and iʿtibār, can truly appreciate. It must be rescued from those who, in their ignorance, do not understand its priceless worth.

Key takeaways

• Spiritual truth holds unparalleled value, surpassing both earthly and heavenly realms.
• Prophets are merchants of truth, guiding humanity towards 'true trade' and genuine commodities.
• The ignorant, due to their lack of discernment, cannot distinguish spiritual gems from worthless trifles.
• A fundamental distinction between humans and animals lies in the capacity for 'attributing value' (iʿtibār) and imbuing things with meaning.
• To grasp spiritual truths, one must transcend the perspective of those who fail to recognize their profound worth.