M6:1033 — یک نصاب نقره هم بر وی فزود / تا که راضی گشت حرص آن جهود

Translation: And he (Abu Bakr) added a standard amount of silver to it (the slave's price), Until the greed of that Jew (Bilal's owner) was finally satisfied. Meaning: To appease Bilal's owner, Abu Bakr paid an additional sum of silver, thereby finally satiating the owner's avarice and completing the transaction.

Here, in this verse, Rumi points to a subtle yet profound truth: how avarice and greed, even after a fleeting moment of being touched by beauty, regain their dominion over the human soul. In the narrative of Bilal the Ethiopian and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, we witness Abu Bakr's endeavor to liberate Bilal from his stone-hearted, 'form-worshipping' owner. This slave owner, upon seeing Abu Bakr's fair-skinned and beautiful slave, experiences a momentary softening of heart; his human instincts are stirred. Rumi beautifully illustrates this, stating: 'Such was the state of the form-worshippers / Their stone (hearts) turn to wax before a form.' This means that those who are beholden to outward appearances, upon encountering a beautiful face, will find their hearts soften like wax, even if they are otherwise cold-hearted.

However, this effect is neither deep nor lasting. This temporary malleability does not signify an inner transformation. Greed and avarice have deeper roots that cannot be eradicated by superficial appearances. It is precisely at this point that Rumi shows how, after this 'waxen' moment, the slave owner reverts to his true nature, increasing the price of the transaction, acting with 'stubborn greed.' Thus, Abu Bakr is compelled to 'add a standard amount of silver' to satisfy his endless avarice.

Herein lies the stark difference between Abu Bakr's perspective and the slave owner's: Abu Bakr gazes upon Bilal's 'soul,' his human essence and faith; whereas the owner looks to his 'color,' his outward appearance, and, of course, the material gain of the transaction. This verse teaches us that superficial inclinations and the worship of forms, while capable of momentarily stirring the heart, lack the power to uproot greed and attachment to the material world. Freedom from the shackles of avarice demands a different kind of endeavor, one that is only possible through attention to the essence and meaning of existence, not by clinging to its outward forms and appearances.

Key takeaways

• Even transient aesthetic appreciation cannot entirely remove deep-seated avarice; the heart may soften, but greed persists.
• This verse symbolizes the contrast between material valuation (the owner's perspective) and spiritual valuation (Abu Bakr's perspective).
• Rumi emphasizes that superficial perception, or 'form-worship,' never reaches the depth of the inner being and only deals with external appearances.
• Freedom from the shackles of greed requires a transformation deeper than fleeting impressions and depends on a spiritual worldview.