M6:3625 — کای خداتان وا خریده از غرور / نک ریاض فضل و نک رب غفور

Translation: O you whose God has bought you back from pride/deception, Now [enter] the gardens of grace, and [approach] the forgiving Lord. Meaning: This verse addresses repentant souls, proclaiming that God has redeemed them from the snares of self-deception and pride, inviting them into the boundless realms of divine grace and forgiveness.

In this profound verse, Rumi addresses those who have been liberated from the grip of ghurūr (pride/deception). Ghurūr here signifies gullibility, being misled, and ensnared by naivety — a state that delivers a person into the clutches of a ghūl (a deceiver or highwayman). Rumi, earlier in his discourse, meticulously delineates the distinction between gool (the deceived) and ghūl (the deceiver); ghurūr and being gool oneself constitutes a form of servitude that deprives an individual of khalāṣ va fawz (salvation and felicity), plunging them into the 'mud' of heedlessness.

However, the glad tidings of this verse are for those who have embraced tawba (repentance) and returned to the Divine. These are the ones who have transitioned from the 'autumn of misfortune and wretchedness' to the 'spring of felicity.' Repentance is not merely accepted by God; rather, God Himself grants the grace for it, instilling remorse in hearts. The lament of repentant sinners is so profound that it shakes the Divine Throne, as if all of creation partakes in this celestial commotion. This trembling of the Throne, or, in more human terms, God's 'heart trembling,' is a metaphor for the universe's joy and exuberance at the servant's return, akin to a mother pulling her child from a deep well, taking their hand.

It is in such an atmosphere of welcome that the divine call reaches these penitents: “Kay Khudātān vā kharīd az ghurūr” (O you whose God has bought you back from pride/deception). God, like an eager buyer repurchasing a valuable item from thieves, has rescued and 'bought you back' from the clutches of pride and the deceptions of the ego. This expression, 'buying back' (vā kharīdan), has Quranic roots, as in the verse: "Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties in exchange for Paradise." This salvation is synonymous with liberation from the bondage of the ego and self-imprisonment; "Bāz khar mā rā az în nafs-i palīd" (Buy us back from this wicked ego), as Rumi himself intones elsewhere.

And now that this divine repurchase has taken place, the grand invitation is extended: “Nak riyāż faẓl u nak rabb-i ghafūr” (Now [enter] the gardens of grace, and [approach] the forgiving Lord). This means, without any delay and with one's whole being, hasten to the flourishing gardens of divine grace and draw near to the forgiving Lord. This invitation alludes to the Quranic station of ʿindiyyat (proximity), as it speaks of "fī maqʿad-i ṣidqin ʿinda malīkin muqtadir" (in a seat of honor near an Omnipotent Sovereign). This is the supreme reward and the highest paradise, before which even conventional paradises are mere intermediaries.

Rumi further elucidates this point with the timeless metaphor of the 'spout' (nāvdaan) and the 'sea' (daryā). Sustenance and provision that reach us through intermediaries (like water from a spout) are limited and sometimes even lead to conflict. However, when "chūn ke daryā bar vasāʾiṭ rashk kard" (when the sea of God's generosity envied the intermediaries), meaning God Himself disapproved of the intermediaries and wished His servant to receive provision directly and without mediation, then "tishna chūn māhī be tark-i mushk kard" (the thirsty one, like a fish, abandoned the waterskin). That is, the thirsty no longer contents themselves with the limited water from a waterskin or spout but, like a fish, directly immerses themselves in the boundless sea of divine bounty. This is the zenith of an mystic's aspiration: to receive something directly and unveiled from the Divine, "Man nakhāham dāya, mādar khushtar ast" (I do not wish for a wet nurse; the mother is more desirable). This is the ultimate promise and incomparable glad tidings for those liberated from ghurūr and returned to the 'Forgiving Lord': access to the infinite and unmediated source of divine mercy and grace.

Key takeaways

• Here, ghurūr signifies deception and gullibility, which divert humans from the path of truth.
• Repentance and returning to God are the means of liberation from the ego's captivity and self-deception.
• The lament of repentant sinners shakes the Divine Throne, evoking joy throughout creation.
• God, like an eager buyer, 'repurchases' the servant's soul from the clutches of deception.
• The divine invitation after repentance is for direct entry into the 'gardens of grace' and proximity to the 'Forgiving Lord.'
• Receiving provision and grace directly from God (not from a spout, but from the sea itself) is the mystic's highest aspiration.