M6:2894 — من نکردم لا ابالی در روش / تو مکن هم لاابالی در خلش

Translation: I did not act with recklessness in my conduct, So do not You also act with recklessness in afflicting me.

Meaning: With audacious devotion, Rumi asserts that he has shown no carelessness or disregard in his spiritual path, and therefore he appeals to the Beloved to likewise refrain from afflicting or tormenting him.

This verse follows Rumi's fervent prayers where he implores God not to withdraw the blessing of waṣl (union) and not to embitter his sweetened heart with renewed separation. In this context, Rumi addresses the Beloved with a firm and direct tone, as if entering into an unreserved dialogue where he expresses a reciprocal expectation from the Divine.

“Man nakardam lā-ubālī dar ravesh / To makon ham lā-ubālī dar khalash.” The term lā-ubālī here signifies recklessness, carelessness, heedlessness, or impertinence. Ravesh, in older Persian usage, denotes conduct or path, not merely a method. Khalash, as noted by scholars like Dr. Zarrinkoub, originally means itching or stinging, but here implies tormenting, hurting, or wounding. Rumi is saying: “In my spiritual journey, in my conduct and steps, I have not shown even a speck of recklessness or disregard for discipline; therefore, O Beloved, do not You also act with recklessness in tormenting or afflicting me.”

This verse, despite its audacious and unreserved expression of love, contains a subtle and yet paradoxical point within Rumi's thought. In many other instances, Rumi explicitly states that “the etiquette of love is entirely lack of etiquette” (adab-e eshq jomle bi-adabi’st), and that the lover is free from all rules. Yet, in this verse, he speaks from the position of a faithful and ethical servant, as if expecting a reciprocal response from the Divine based on his own disciplined behavior. This illustrates the complex dimensions of the mystic’s loving relationship with the Beloved; at times, it is pure fervor and rule-breaking, and at others, it relies on covenant and faithfulness.

I believe that this khalash (torment) that Rumi fears is precisely the renewed separation (hejran) after union, for which he had prayed earlier. That is, there is no greater torment than to return to the valley of separation after having tasted the sweet flavor of union. This recklessness in affliction could also encompass abandoning the servant to the snares of bāṭil (falsehood). Where Rumi states, “Bāṭil-and-o mi-namāyan-dam roshd / Z-ān ke bāṭil bāṭilān-rā mi-keshad” (They are false, yet they appear as truth to me / because the false attracts the false), he refers to deceptions that masquerade as truth and draw people towards them. In essence, this verse is not merely a request for direct cessation of torment but an earnest plea for the grace to remain on the path and avoid slipping towards falsehoods, for such a lapse would constitute the greatest khalash.

Key takeaways

• Rumi, with audacious love, appeals to the Beloved for reciprocal consideration, implicitly setting his own disciplined conduct as a basis for expectation.
• Lā-ubālī signifies recklessness in conduct, while khalash denotes affliction or torment.
• This verse reveals a distinct aspect of the mystic's relationship with the Beloved, where the lover speaks from the position of a faithful servant, contrasting with his usual stance that 'the etiquette of love is entirely lack of etiquette.'
• The 'affliction' (khalash) feared by Rumi primarily refers to renewed separation after union, and being abandoned to the deceptions of falsehoods.