M6:2842 — پس کمند انداخت استاد کمند / تا شدند آن سوی دیوار بلند

Translation: Then the master of the lasso cast his rope, So that the group (of thieves) might cross that high wall. Meaning: This verse describes a scene where one of the thieves, skilled in throwing a lasso, uses his rope to enable his companions to scale a tall castle wall.

This verse, at first glance, appears to be a mundane account of thieves' actions; yet, in Rumi's Masnavi, nothing remains merely mundane. The ustād-e kamand (master of the lasso) here symbolizes the soaring faculty and the ambitious spirit of humanity, which ceaselessly seeks to overcome high walls and material impediments. The 'high wall' is a metaphor for the confines and limitations of the corporeal world, the veils of nature that separate us from the celestial realm.

I interpret this 'casting of the lasso,' without doubt, as akin to the 'spiritual ascension' (miʿrāj-e jānī) experienced by the revered Prophet of Islam. As Rumi himself says elsewhere:

Like Ahmad, whose soul cast its lasso, So that his lasso carried him towards his heaven.

This is an ascension not of the body, but of the soul and spirit. The Prophet, by casting the lasso of his soul, flew towards the heavens and ascended to the malakūt (spiritual realm). This symbolizes humanity's sublime quest to reconnect with the source of existence. But the more precise point is that Rumi immediately links this action to divine will, recalling God's address to the Prophet:

God told him, 'O thrower of the lasso to the Bait (Kaaba/Heavens), Know that it is from Me: 'You threw not when you threw, but God threw.'

mā ramayt idh ramayt presents an evident paradox that distinguishes the language of gnosis from that of philosophy. Philosophy shuns paradox, viewing it as a blemish; yet, gnosis swims within contradictions, extracting truths that ordinary language is incapable of expressing. Here, Rumi implies that even though humans cast the lasso with their own resolve and effort, this success and capability are ultimately divine gifts. The action is ours, but its power and direction originate from God. This is not sheer determinism, but rather the unity of divine actions (tawhīd-e afʿāl); it shows that our hand, despite its apparent independence, is guided by another.

Therefore, this simple verse, in its profound depth, addresses one of the most fundamental ontological and gnostic questions: how human resolve and will, illuminated by divine grace, can overcome obstacles and find its way to the threshold of Truth. The high wall of existence can only be scaled with the lasso of a prepared soul and the aid of the Divine.

Key takeaways

• The 'master of the lasso' symbolizes human aspiration and the ambitious spirit striving to escape material confines.
• The 'high wall' is a metaphor for the obstacles and limits of the physical world that the soul must transcend.
• Casting the lasso refers to 'spiritual ascension' (miʿrāj-e jānī), akin to the Prophet's soul soaring to the malakūt.
• The paradox of 'You threw not when you threw, but God threw' indicates that while the action is human, its power and success are divine.
• Unlike philosophy, gnosis discovers truths within paradoxes that ordinary language cannot express.
• Human will, in conjunction with divine grace, is the sole path to overcoming obstacles and reaching ultimate Truth.