M6:4108 — می‌گریزی از جفاهای پدر / در میان لوطیان و شور و شر

Translation: You flee from the father's harshness; You fall amidst ruffians and their turmoil and mischief.

Meaning: This verse warns that shunning the guidance (even if demanding) of a spiritual master or father figure leads to straying into corruption and chaos among the ignorant masses.

One must first emphasize that this verse, along with the ones preceding and following it, represents one of Rumi's most crucial statements regarding the necessity of a master and guide in spiritual quest. His assertion here is absolute, leaving no room for doubt. Rumi explicitly states that if you flee from wise guidance, even if it appears strict and seemingly harsh (jafā-kār), your fate will be nothing but a fall into the trap of ruffians and the ensuing chaos and evil of an unguided society.

The term "father" (pedar) here symbolizes the "master of growth" (Pīr-e Rashād) that Rumi describes in earlier verses; not merely old age due to years, but a sagacity achieved through a journey of spiritual growth and guidance. The harshness (jafā) of this father is not born of ill-will, but of nurturing and purification. It is precisely like a father who, for his child's well-being, prevents them from certain actions or pushes them towards difficult tasks, which might appear as harshness to the child but are, in essence, pure kindness. This jafā represents the discipline and difficulties of the spiritual path, the surrender and submission to the master's hand, the suffering of which must be embraced wholeheartedly. Indeed, this verse and the subsequent parables Rumi offers are like a surgical operation where the patient completely surrenders to the surgeon; they become unconscious under the knife, knowing that the surgeon will cut and remove for their health. Such surrender is essential in spiritual journey as well.

In contrast to this "father's harshness," Rumi places "ruffians and their turmoil and mischief" (lūṭiyān va shūr-o shar). Lūṭiyān in Persian literature often refers to thugs, hooligans, or those who lack a clear ethos or path, their lives based on superficial pleasures and stirring up trouble. Shūr-o shar denotes uproar, disorder, and mischief. Rumi warns that abandoning the spiritual path and letting go of the master's hand will lead you to aimless wandering and falling into the clutches of those who not only lack guidance themselves but are steeped in delusion and obstruct the path for others. These are the very people who, in our time, under various guises—from fashion and trends to baseless philosophical schools—call humanity to conformity with the crowd, leading to a loss of independent thought. Without a guide, as I would put it, a person becomes like a straw on water, tossed in every direction by the waves.

In essence, this verse answers the question of why one must follow a leader and what guarantee exists that this following will not lead to blind imitation. Rumi states, "A blind person with a guide is better than a lonely 'certainty'" (Kūr bā rahbar beh ast tanhā yaqīn). This means that even if following a master initially seems blind, it is far superior to the delusive and individualistic "certainties" achieved without guidance, which ensnare a person in hundreds of "disgraces." This "lonely certainty" that Rumi cautions against is the intellectual self-sufficiency that keeps one stagnant, never reaching the destination. If one disgrace is fleeing the father, a hundred disgraces lie in falling among these ruffians and their turmoil.

Rumi further strengthens this analogy with other examples: fleeing from a "gnat" to a "scorpion" (pashsheh dar kazhdomī), or from a "drop of water" (namī) to the "sea" (yammī) where you will drown. He also alludes to the story of Prophet Joseph, whose brothers threw him into a well under the pretext of playing. "You flee from the land from which Joseph fled, but you lack Joseph's divine favor." Though Joseph fell into the well, divine favor and his father's permission led to his rescue. But for you, who lack such favor, this flight from the father and surrender to deceivers will lead to nothing but remaining in the well until eternity. This is the ultimate warning Rumi gives to the seeker to appreciate the master and guide, and not to turn away from them for any reason.

Key takeaways

• Fleeing the (even strict) guidance of a spiritual master leads to falling into societal delusion and corruption.
• The 'harshness of the father' (master's strictness) in spiritual seeking is necessary for purification and growth, akin to surgical rigor.
• The 'ruffians and their turmoil and mischief' symbolize those who lack clear principles and lead one astray instead of guiding them.
• Relying on 'lonely certainty' (intellectual self-sufficiency without a guide) is far more dangerous than following a master, even if it initially feels blind.
• Rumi argues that an unguided, conformist life leads to a loss of identity and aimless wandering.