M6:1580 — ز امر حق وابکوا کثیرا خوانده‌ای / چون سر بریان چه خندان مانده‌ای

Translation: Did you not read God's command: 'Weep much'? Why do you remain smiling like a roasted head?

Meaning: This verse questions humanity, asking why we persist in ignorant laughter, reminiscent of a roasted sacrificial head with bared teeth appearing to smile, when we are aware of the divine command to weep abundantly. It serves as an invitation to reflect on the virtue and function of tears.

This verse, at first glance, is an explicit and decisive call to weep. However, beneath its surface lies a subtle critique that Rumi, perhaps, directs at himself or his reader. Here, Rumi refers to verse 82 of Surah At-Tawbah: "Then let them laugh a little and weep much." Yet, I must state with certainty that he has "misinterpreted" this verse. This particular verse is addressed to the hypocrites and sinners; it states that due to their vile deeds, a day will come when they will laugh little and weep much. It is not a general command for all believers to constantly be sorrowful and weep profusely; rather, it is a warning to those engrossed in heedlessness and sin. Rumi, with his interpretation, invites the reader to weep and cautions against "heedless laughter."

He employs a potent, perhaps even gruesome, analogy, comparing reckless laughter to a "roasted head." Those familiar with sacrificial rituals know that after roasting a sheep's head to remove the wool, the lips retract, exposing the teeth, making it appear as if the head is smiling. This laughter is involuntary, born of insensibility, and devoid of any true meaning or inner joy. Rumi condemns this kind of laughter, seeing it as a sign of heedlessness and unawareness.

I strongly believe that throughout the Mathnawi, Rumi views weeping as a cloud whose rain refreshes and makes the garden of the heart smile: "When the cloud weeps, the garden laughs, joyful and fresh." He likens tears to the melting wax of a candle that illuminates the house: "You shall be the light of the house, like a candle / If you shed tears like a candle's dew." This weeping is constructive and purifying, not born of despair or weakness. This is the "taste of weeping" that Rumi calls a "mine of sugar," contrasting it with superficial "laughter's taste": "You've tasted laughter, oh heedless laugher / Now taste weeping, for it is a sugar mine."

Our contemporary society has excessively turned to artificial laughter; comedy shows, countless jokes, all to escape ennui and depression. But these laughs are often superficial and do not cleanse the heart's rust. Rumi and true mystics attributed their daily cheerfulness to their nocturnal tears. These tears, born of heartfelt supplication and need, are, in my view, a form of "cry-therapy" that can wash the human psyche clean of impurities and bring genuine lightness and joy. This weeping holds "laughter hidden within tears," like a treasure found in ruins: "Laughters are hidden within tears, / Seek the treasure in ruins, O pure one." These tears find real delight and savor in sorrows, sorrows that are a path to true happiness.

Key takeaways

• Rumi misinterprets the Quranic verse 'Laugh little and weep much,' generalizing it to all humans when it specifically addresses hypocrites and sinners.
• Heedless laughter, like the insensate grin of a 'roasted head,' is devoid of true joy.
• Authentic, heartfelt weeping, akin to a candle's tears, brings inner illumination, purifies the soul, and dispels depression.
• Constructive weeping, like a rain-bearing cloud, rejuvenates the heart and leads to genuine inner joy.
• True happiness and profound sweetness (a 'sugar mine') are hidden within sorrows and sincere tears, not in superficial laughter.
• Modern society over-relies on artificial laughter, whereas spiritual cry-therapy is a path to lasting inner peace and vitality.