M1:363 — دور دورِ عیسیَست ای مردمان / بشنوید اسرارِ کیش او بجان

Translation: O people, this is the age of Jesus; with your very souls, listen to the secrets of his faith. Meaning: This verse, spoken by a cunning minister in the Masnavi's narrative, serves as an invitation to embrace Christian teachings, claiming that the era now belongs to the ascendance and influence of Jesus's creed.

This verse is uttered by a cunning minister in a Masnavi tale where a Jewish king grows suspicious of him. To save his life, the minister first feigns Judaism and then Christianity, ultimately aiming to sow discord among religions. However, as Rumi subtly points out, and we must not overlook, this minister, despite all his trickery, simultaneously considered himself a 'Christian scholar.' He states, 'It grieed me that such a pure faith / Should perish amidst the ignorant.' He was concerned that the secrets and trusts of the Christian religion might be lost among the people of that era. He believed he possessed a deep understanding of Jesus's creed and wished to preserve these secrets. This is why, in this verse, he speaks with a decisive and inviting tone: 'O people, this is the age of Jesus; with your very souls, listen to the secrets of his faith.' He invites people to listen to the secrets and teachings of Jesus's faith, for he believes the time is ripe for the emergence and spread of this religion. In essence, this cunning minister, deep down, holds a certain belief in the authenticity and depth of Christian teachings and is committed to their preservation and dissemination, even if he performs this task under the guise of trickery and for his own hidden agendas.

Rumi clearly shows us that the outward facade the minister adopted was that of a preacher of Christian laws, but inwardly, he was a 'saviour and a trap.' That is, while ostensibly inviting people to salvation, he was in fact ensnaring them. 'Savir,' in its older sense, means whistling to lure birds, and a 'trap' is a device for catching them. This duality of the minister's outer appearance and inner reality opens a door to a deeper point Rumi addresses: the hidden traps laid by the ghoul-like ego. Here, the minister is like someone who 'secretly revealed the Gospel, the cincture, and the prayer.' 'Engelioun' is the Greek word for 'Gospel,' meaning glad tidings or good news, and 'Tarsā' (less commonly used today) in classical Persian literature referred to a Christian or a monk. Monks were prominent figures in Christianity who, out of 'rahbat' (awe and fear of God), sought solitude. Rumi, by mentioning these points, addresses both the historical and cultural context of the story and lays the groundwork for discussing the 'trickery of the ghoul-like ego.'

I have repeatedly stated that 'makr' (cunning or stratagem) is not inherently blameworthy. Makr means the utilization of complex and hidden means to achieve an end. What makes makr good or bad is the 'end' itself. Here, the minister uses makr for an end that is ultimately misleading. Rumi draws from this story the conclusion that in the world, 'There are a hundred thousand traps and snares, O God / We are like hapless birds caught in them.' And it is for this reason that the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) always asked him to reveal the hidden traps and pitfalls of the ego, not merely the rewards and acts of worship. This approach, emphasizing the recognition and avoidance of the ego's traps, is one of the most important teachings of the Masnavi, which begins in this story from the mouth of the cunning minister and leads to a deeper understanding of the 'trickery of the ghoul-like ego.' Thus, this verse is not merely an inviting statement from a fictional character, but a vehicle and a bridge for understanding the complexities of makr, the ego, and the truths hidden behind appearances.

Key takeaways

• This verse is spoken by a cunning minister who, to save his life, invites people to the faith of Jesus.
• Despite his cunning, the minister considered himself a 'Christian scholar' and feared the 'pure faith's secrets' would be lost.
• Rumi highlights the minister's duality: 'outwardly a preacher of laws' but 'inwardly a siren and a trap'.
• The minister's story serves as a springboard for Rumi's deeper discussion on the 'trickery of the ghoul-like ego' and its hidden snares.
• Makr (cunning/stratagem) is not inherently good or bad; its moral value depends on the 'purpose' it serves.