M6:529 — هین به دستوری ازین گندم خورم / ای امین و پارسا و محترم

Translation: So, by your leave, I shall eat of this grain, O trustworthy, pious, and revered one! Meaning: The bird, employing a deceptive religious argument, sarcastically addresses the fowler with exaggerated respect, claiming necessity to consume the forbidden grain.

This particular verse from the Masnavi holds a special significance as it exposes the cunning of religious subterfuge and hypocrisy. Here, the bird engages in a dialogue with the fowler, who symbolizes the realm of religious law and jurisprudence. The bird addresses the fowler with a tone laced with sarcasm and mockery, calling him "trustworthy, pious, and revered." This address is not born of genuine respect; rather, it is intended to undermine the fowler's authority and question his outward piety, as if to say: "If you are truly trustworthy and pious, then you must condone my clever ploy!"

Central to this verse is the misuse of the jurisprudential concept of iḍṭirār (necessity). The bird claims to be in a state of dire necessity, thereby legitimizing its consumption of forbidden grain – a symbol here for illicit wealth, such as orphans' property. This is precisely the kind of abuse that certain religious scholars throughout history have employed to justify actions contrary to both religious law and ethics. The principle al-ḍarūrāt tubīḥu al-maḥẓūrāt (necessities render prohibitions permissible) is a valid one in Islamic jurisprudence, yet the bird twists it to serve its own greed and self-interest. Through this narrative, Rumi seeks to illustrate how religious knowledge and an understanding of sacred laws can, instead of guiding, become instruments of deception and justification for sin.

As I have frequently asserted, Rumi is not alone in critiquing such hypocrisies. Hafez, too, in his poetry, alludes to jurists who issue fatwas declaring that "wine is forbidden, but better than consuming endowment property." The late Dehkhoda, in his sharp satires, recounts the tale of a cat and a cleric who deliberately places himself in a remote desert to feign necessity, thereby making the consumption of the otherwise forbidden cat permissible. These examples collectively bear witness to a bitter historical and social reality: the extent to which religion can be exploited for personal and worldly ends. This verse, with its artistic and poignant critique, lifts the veil on such hypocrisies, inviting us to a profound contemplation of the essence of faith and ethics.

Key takeaways

• The bird’s words exemplify the pinnacle of hypocrisy and the exploitation of religious concepts to justify illicit acts.
• Addressing the fowler as 'trustworthy, pious, and revered' carries a sarcastic tone, questioning his apparent integrity.
• The concept of iḍṭirār (necessity) is distorted here to legitimize the consumption of forbidden wealth.
• This verse critiques a jurisprudence that becomes detached from ethics, transforming into a tool for legalistic trickery (ḥīleh-yi sharʿī).
• Rumi uses this narrative to expose the internal corruption of those who, armed with superficial knowledge, deceive themselves and others.