M6:3891 — از حشم هر که به ما کردی گله / از بلا و فقر و خوف و زلزله

Translation: Every one of our dependents who came to us complaining / Of calamity and poverty, of fear and earthquake. Meaning: This verse, spoken by the eldest prince, recalls a time when they would advise their retinue, who complained of various afflictions and hardships.

This verse, spoken by the eldest prince in the tale of the three brothers, brings forth a reflective, almost ironic, point about the chasm between knowledge and capacity. The prince recollects how, in their former station as nobles and mentors, when any of their dependents (ḥasham) approached them complaining of calamity (balā), poverty (faqr), fear (khowf), or earthquake (zelzele), they would immediately and authoritatively advise them: “Lament less in hardship; be patient, for patience is the key to relief.” In essence, they preached resilience and endurance, presenting patience as the master key to unlocking any closed door.

Here, through the voice of the prince, Rumi directs a profound critique at scholars who preach without practice and admonishers who remain un-admonished by their own words. Those who see themselves as counselors, pointing the way for others, find themselves, when ensnared by the sowdā (melancholy) and mālikholiyā (love-sickness), just as helpless and bewildered as their own dependents. This echoes the Quranic verse, “Most hateful it is with Allah that you say what you do not do” (61:3), which deems words divorced from action as worthless and ineffective.

Patience, in Rumi's view, is not mere passive waiting but active resistance, perseverance, and diligent pursuit in the face of difficulties. As he states elsewhere: “God created a hundred thousand elixirs / But man has not seen an elixir like patience.” This patience, like gold in fire, not only purifies impurities but refines and illuminates the essence of being. The prince, with these words, rebukes himself and his brothers: Why has the key of patience they offered to others now fallen from their own hands? This question is a fundamental inquiry into the nature of faith and action, demonstrating that lived experience is an indispensable condition for truly comprehending and applying wisdom. This is not merely a critique of others but a form of self-critique, illustrating how one can be strong and advising in the face of others’ problems, yet vulnerable and helpless in the face of one’s own afflictions.

Key takeaways

• A critique of the gap between giving advice and practicing it, especially among the learned and the elite.
• Rumi's concept of sabr (patience) is not passive resignation, but active resistance, perseverance, and diligent pursuit in the face of challenges.
• Life's afflictions (calamity, poverty, fear, earthquake) are universal experiences affecting both commoners and princes.
• True wisdom is revealed not merely in words, but in lived experience and its application during difficult moments.