M6:1338 — ای زننده بی‌گناهان را قفا / در قفای خود نمی‌بینی جزا

Translation: O you who strike the innocent on the nape, Do you not see the recompense on your own nape? Meaning: This verse addresses those who harm or backbite others, warning them that the consequences of their actions will inevitably return to them.

This verse directly addresses us, humankind, exposing our weaknesses and blind spots. Rumi pauses the tale of the dervish and the sick man to reveal profound truths about human nature. He asserts that most people are “rancid-e daqq (afflicted with consumption/malady) and helpless,” implying not just a physical ailment but a deep, internal melancholia and desperation. Consequently, they are “sīlī-bāra (prone to slapping) from the devil’s deceit.” This “sīlī-bāra” tendency means they are always ready to harm others, whether out of anger, a lack of self-restraint, or simply the perverse pleasure of tormenting others. All these actions, Rumi contends, are the machinations of Satan, who incites humans to such deeds.

These sick individuals are “ardent in harming the innocent” and “seeking fault in each other’s backs.” They are eager to inflict pain on the blameless and constantly searching for and broadcasting each other’s flaws. Rumi equates backbiting and fault-finding from behind to slapping someone on the nape of the neck. It is here that the core question of the verse arises: “O you who strike the innocent on the nape, / Do you not see the recompense on your own nape?” O you who thus strike others from behind, why do you not perceive the consequences and retribution of this act returning upon your own destiny, your own ‘back’? This is precisely the “khvishtan-shenāsī (self-knowledge)” that Rumi terms the “uṣūl-uṣūl-uṣūl al-dīn (root of the root of the root of religion).” How is it that “we are blind to ourselves, yet sharp-sighted for others’ flaws”?

Rumi continues, “O you who have considered desire your physician / And assigned slaps to the weak.” Whoever mistakes their carnal desires (hawā-yi nafs) for their physician, and whose task becomes the torment of the weak, must realize that “He who told you this is your cure, laughed at you / He is the one who guided Adam to the wheat.” The one who presented desire as your remedy merely mocked you; he is the very Satan who misguided Adam towards the forbidden fruit, causing his downfall. It was this Satan who struck Adam’s nape, making him stumble. Yet, that ‘slap’ returned upon Satan himself as retribution, and he was cast out from divine presence. This is the inescapable fate of all who oppress others.

However, Rumi issues a grave warning here: we must not compare ourselves to Adam, Abraham (Khalīl), or Moses (Kalīm). “Adam was like a mountain, even if full of snakes / He became a source of antidote and harmless.” Adam was like a mountain, and even if infested with snakes, he would transform into an antidote, causing no harm. But “You, who do not possess a speck of antidote, / Why are you arrogant about your own salvation?” You, who lack that divine station and backing, why are you so conceited and content with your own deliverance? Do not measure the deeds of the pure against yourself. You are not Abraham, who, with unwavering trust, led his son to the altar, only for his blade to refuse to cut. You are not Moses, for whom the sea parted, nor are you Pharaoh, destined to drown in the depths of the Nile. These great figures were divinely supported and had special missions, but we ordinary mortals are not.

The world is full of “hundreds of thousands of snares and baits,” and “we are like weak, unfaithful ants,” constantly susceptible to stumbling. The traps are not merely external; lust and wrath, desires and passions – these are our very snares, and Satan is our own commanding self (nafs-e ammāra). God has created us in a world where Satan is active, but He has also provided external guides (prophets and sages) and an internal guide (intellect, ʿaql). We must exercise utmost vigilance and insight, and not cast ourselves into severe trials and difficult judgments. Rumi states, “Do not test me, O Lord, / Grant me one path, not ten paths.” We lack the vision and capacity to discern the correct path when confronted with dozens of choices. Therefore, let us cultivate humility and acknowledge our weaknesses, lest we fall into perdition.

Key takeaways

• Fault-finding and backbiting are akin to striking others on the nape; an act whose retribution inevitably returns to the perpetrator.
• People are afflicted by an internal malady, stemming from Satan's deceit, which compels them to harm others.
• Self-reflection and acknowledging one's own faults are fundamental principles of religion and liberation from criticizing others.
• Obedience to carnal desires (hawā-yi nafs) is the same satanic deceit that expelled Adam from Paradise and leads us to ruin.
• One must not compare oneself to prophets and divine saints; they had special divine support, whereas we are prone to error.
• Satan's traps are internal (lust, wrath, passions), and vigilance and humility in the face of our weaknesses are the only path to salvation.