M6:2416 — روی شستند و دهان و هر یکی / داشت اندر ورد راه و مسلکی

Translation: They washed their faces and mouths, and each one had a daily devotional practice, a specific path and creed. Meaning: This verse describes the three travelers – a Muslim, a Jew, and a Christian – preparing for sleep, each maintaining their distinct religious observances and spiritual paths despite their temporary companionship.

This verse appears in the middle of the 'Story of the Three Travelers' in the Sixth Book of the Masnavi—a narrative Rumi drew from Shams Tabrizi's Maqalat and profoundly expanded into a mirror reflecting the differences and commonalities of human beings. The phrase 'They washed their faces and mouths' refers to an outward purification, perhaps wudu, an act typically performed before sleep or to prepare for devotional practices. This act symbolizes an inner readiness to enter one's spiritual domain, even if these domains are distinct.

'Vird' (wird) here denotes the daily or nightly litanies and invocations that every devout individual recites to draw closer to their Beloved. This vird is the spiritual thread connecting each traveler to their specific worldview and tradition. 'Maslak' (path or creed) refers to their distinctive way, method, and doctrine; in other words, each of these three travelers—Muslim, Jew, and Christian—walked a particular religious path and adhered to their unique customs. This verse vividly illustrates these fundamental differences amidst their apparent companionship.

As I have often emphasized, Rumi's approach to the multiplicity of religions and creeds is layered. From the perspective of Shari'a (religious law), a believer might consider others 'misguided,' as Rumi does at the beginning of this very story, referring to the other two as 'a believer journeyed with two misguided ones.' However, from the higher vantage point of Tariqa (the spiritual path) and Haqiqa (ultimate truth), these differences often reduce to 'varying perspectives and viewpoints.' Each prophet, Rumi suggests, has gazed upon the transcendent from a unique angle, conveying a distinct perception to their people. Rumi himself, while occasionally employing harsh terms for Jews, beautifully concludes in this same Sixth Book after narrating the Jew's dream: 'Despise no infidel, for it is hoped that he may die a Muslim.' This, in itself, signifies a profound pluralism of salvation that must never be detached from Rumi's discourse.

This world, in Rumi's words, is a 'caravanserai' or a 'cage' where the 'pure and the prayerless,' 'people of the East and people of the West,' and those from 'Marv and Ray' are placed together by necessity or divine decree. Outwardly, they share a table and a journey, yet inwardly, each one 'had a daily devotional practice, a specific path and creed.' These mixtures are part of divine wisdom in this world—the wisdom that each soul will ultimately fly 'towards that which its longing yearned for.' This verse, in essence, sets the stage for demonstrating that even in the closest of companionships, the inner worlds of individuals can remain profoundly distant, each engrossed in their own 'state' and 'sigh.'

Key takeaways

• Despite outward companionship, each individual's spiritual journey remains distinct and rooted in their unique creed.
• The act of washing symbolizes purification and inner readiness for spiritual and devotional engagement.
• Vird (daily litany) is the embodiment of an individual's continuous inner connection to their worldview and the Divine.
• This world is a caravanserai where humans, with their deeply diverse beliefs and spiritual states, are temporarily brought together.
• From Rumi's perspective, differences in religious paths can signify either doctrinal deviation or varying perspectives on ultimate truth.