M6:3871 — تو اگر صد قفل بنهی بر دری / بر کند آن جمله را خیره‌سری

Translation: If you place a hundred locks upon a door, / A a reckless one will break them all. Meaning: This verse asserts that human efforts and material protections, no matter how numerous or robust, are vulnerable to a destructive force or a stronger will, and can be easily overcome.

This verse, situated within the profound discussion of "bricks of effort versus hair of divine grace," offers one of the most penetrating lessons in the Masnavi concerning the relationship between human will and divine favor. I firmly believe that Rumi here speaks not merely of the futility of material safeguards but subtly points to the inadequacy of "piety-driven striving"—that is, those devotional efforts or spiritual protections that rely solely on the servant's own action and exertion, rather than on God's grace and bounty.

In this simile, Rumi sees numerous locks as a metaphor for human endeavors; no matter how much one plans or how many fortresses one builds, there is always a "reckless hand" capable of breaking them down. This "reckless one" (khīra-sarī) is, without doubt, a symbol for Satan, whom Rumi—following the Quran—identifies as an enemy capable of breaching any human effort devoid of divine grace. Satan, as the Quran states, can reach everyone except "Your sincere servants among them" (illah ʿibādaka minhum al-mukhlaṣīn); meaning, the sincere are those whom the fortress of divine grace protects from Satan's onslaught.

This is a deep lesson for the spiritual seeker: relying solely on one's own deeds and devotions is like placing locks on a door. These locks might resist an ordinary thief, but they will not stand against a "reckless one" like Satan, who enters through temptation and guile. What truly builds a fortress and becomes a letter of immunity is not the multitude of devotions, but that "hair of grace" (mūy-i ʿināyat); that is, a favor and bounty from the Lord that reaches those who have relied not on their own efforts, but on their sincerity and truthfulness. The small seal of the magistrate or prosecutor that Rumi mentions, though made of wax, is more effective than a hundred iron locks, because its backing is a power and will beyond our own. This is the "divine letter of immunity" (amān-nāma-yi ilāhī) that only the sincere acquire.

This is a point the Masnavi emphasizes repeatedly: true salvation and steadfastness on the spiritual path originate from "grace" (ʿināyat), not from mere "effort" (kūshish). Effort is necessary, but not sufficient. Rather, it is sincerity in effort that attracts grace and obtains that "letter of immunity." We must realize that our steadfastness against temptations and afflictions is possible only by relying on the "hair of grace"; otherwise, even "a hundred locks" will not deliver us from the "reckless one."

Key takeaways

• Human efforts (a hundred locks) are ultimately powerless against destructive forces (the reckless one).
• True protection comes from divine grace and sincerity (ikhlas), not mere material or spiritual exertion.
• Rumi interprets the 'reckless one' as a symbol of Satan, capable of breaching human-built defenses.
• The 'hair of grace' and 'divine letter of immunity' signify a bounty and favor reserved for the sincere.
• Sincerity in action, rather than its quantity, is crucial for attracting divine favor and protection.