M6:3462 — وان خیالی باشد و ابریق نی / قصد آن دلال جز تخریق نی

Translation: That is but a mere fancy, and no ewer exists; The intent of that dallāl (tempter) is naught but to tear apart (your faith). Meaning: Rumi conveys that the alluring promises of the devil during moments of weakness are akin to a mirage lacking any substance, and the ultimate aim of the tempter is solely to destroy one's faith and shatter the truth.

This couplet is situated within a larger narrative where Rumi recounts the devil's temptation of a pious ascetic at the moment of his death. The ascetic, in his final breaths, saw Satan offering him an ewer of water or a sweet drink in exchange for prostration, promising eternal life. Though the ascetic resisted, Rumi portrays this incident as an allegory for the insidious temptations that target human faith at critical junctures, particularly at the separation of soul and body.

I find that Rumi, in these verses, imparts a fundamentally important lesson: 'That is but a mere fancy, and no ewer exists.' This means that what Satan promises you – that refreshing ewer of water, that life-giving goblet – is nothing but 'fancy' (khayāl), utterly devoid of reality. It's a grand deception, one that constantly plays out in our lives: the dazzling promises of the world whose interiors are hollow and brainless, much like a rotten walnut that has an attractive exterior but no kernel within.

The verse continues: 'The intent of that dallāl is naught but to tear apart.' Here, 'dallāl' should not be understood in its literal sense (a matchmaker), but rather as the insidious devil, driven by hidden motives. The term 'takhreeq' (تخریق) stems from the root 'kharq,' meaning to tear apart, and here implies cunning and trickery aimed at annihilating truth and replacing it with falsehood. Satan's goal is not to give you anything; his sole purpose is to 'tear apart' and dismantle your firm faith and convictions.

Rumi emphasizes that these deceptions are not limited to moments of weakness or death. Even 'at this time when you are healthy and robust,' in the peak of your well-being and intellectual strength, one might 'give truth for a mere fancy.' We are like children who trade 'pearls' (durr, gems) for 'walnuts' (gardakān) – sacrificing high values for illusions and superficial trivialities. Rumi's worldview here calls us to 'foresight' (dūr-andīshī), to be a 'man of the end' (mard-i ākhir-bīn), not one who merely looks at the 'stable' (ākhūr-bīn) and sees only the surface. Anyone who fails to weigh consequences and falls for mere appearances is not truly wise. It is the 'eye of outcome' (chashm-i ma'āl) that saves a person from 'fāter' (weak) deception, guarding against superficiality. This serves as a warning for all of us to perceive the allure of worldly appearances with deep insight, not with the superficial gaze of the 'eye of the present' (chashm-i ḥāl).

Key takeaways

• The allure of superficial promises and hollow appearances is a constant danger in life.
• The primary goal of the tempter is to destroy faith and truth, not to offer genuine benefits.
• Human vulnerability to deceptive temptations peaks during moments of weakness and vulnerability, such as at death.
• Discerning truth from illusion requires foresight (chashm-i ma'āl), not superficiality (chashm-i ḥāl).
• Trading the precious gem of faith and values for worthless illusions indicates a lack of true insight.