M6:1025 — گفت رحمت گر همی‌آید برو / زر بده بستانش ای اکرام‌خو

Translation: He said, "If mercy comes upon him, / Give gold, buy him, O generous one." Meaning:* Bilal's owner tells Abu Bakr that if he truly feels compassion for Bilal, he must pay the material price for his freedom and purchase him out of slavery.

This verse emerges within the profound narrative of Bilal of Abyssinia and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. Abu Bakr, witnessing Bilal's torment for the sake of his faith and monotheism, is moved by compassion and seeks to liberate him. Bilal's owner, an idol-worshipper or, as Rumi terms him, a stony-hearted Jew, cruelly challenges Abu Bakr.

My reading of this beyt is as follows: The owner, with a cynical tone, tells Abu Bakr that if he is truly so 'generous-natured' (ekrām-khū) and filled with 'mercy,' then he must pay the price for Bilal's freedom. This is precisely the mercantile and materialistic perspective applied to spiritual matters. The owner asserts, "Without expense, your problem shall not be solved." That is, if Bilal's plight and suffering genuinely concern you, you must bear the cost. This is where spirituality is put to the test of material sacrifice.

Abu Bakr, in response to this transaction, demonstrates his clear understanding of true value. He not only agrees but offers in exchange for Bilal, the 'dark-skinned with a luminous heart,' a slave who is 'white-skinned and a Jew'—a slave far more valuable from a worldly perspective. It is here that Rumi immediately draws a conclusion, arriving at the core message: "Such was the state of the form-worshippers, / Their stone hearts turned to wax by a form." This hard-hearted and avaricious man, immersed in the forms and appearances of the world, softens upon seeing the outwardly beautiful and seemingly more valuable white-skinned slave. This softening is not for Bilal's sake, but due to superficial and material allure. That is to say, human instincts and the desire for beauty or material gain can melt even the hardest hearts, but not towards spiritual transformation; rather, merely to facilitate a shrewd bargain.

His greed, however, remains unquenched, and he demands "an additional measure of silver" to be fully satisfied. This illustrates that for form-worshippers, human worth is determined by color and price, not by the essence of faith and an illuminated heart. This story serves as one of Masnavi's key lessons on the conflict between outward appearance and inner reality, and the differing perspectives of men of God and men of the world. Abu Bakr symbolizes one who perceives the essence, while Bilal's owner remains captive to the shell and color.

Key takeaways

• Engagement with spiritual truth often necessitates paying a material price and sacrificing worldly interests.
• Rumi illuminates the profound distinction between valuing based on outward form and based on inner meaning through this example.
• Obsession with outward appearances (ṣūrat-parastī) can soften even hardened, greedy hearts for the sake of instinct and material gain, not genuine spiritual transformation.
• The story of Bilal teaches that humans should not be judged by skin color or appearance, but by the light of their hearts.