M6:488 — هر که با این قوم باشد راهبست / که کلوخ و سنگ او را صاحبست

Translation: Whoever keeps company with this folk is a hermit, For clod and stone are his companions. Meaning: Spoken by a hypocritical hunter, this verse claims that associating with base, spiritless individuals is a form of monasticism, as such people are as inert and harmful as mere clods and stones.

One must bear in mind that this couplet is uttered by a hunter who, in Rumi's narrative, is a 'liar' and a 'pseudo-hermit.' He presents this argument to deceive the bird and to justify his own reclusion and withdrawal from society. His claim is that associating with certain ill-natured and spiritless people is, in itself, a form of monasticism and an involuntary retreat from human society. From the perspective of this deceptive hunter, 'this folk' refers to individuals whose 'bread is their appetite;' meaning their entire concern and ambition is solely directed towards their stomachs and carnal desires. Such people, in his view, are donkey-like, 'dead-hearted,' and 'clod-like' — fruitless, useless, and even harmful. He further argues that even the company of inanimate clods and stones in solitude is preferable to the company of these stone-like humans, because, as he states, 'A clod and stone, from which no harm arose / From these clod-like humans, a hundred thousand ills impose.' That is, a real stone at least causes no harm, but these spiritless humans inflict 'a hundred thousand afflictions' upon one's soul. These words from the hunter reflect a pessimistic view of society and a false justification for withdrawal, a view that Rumi, of course, does not endorse. On the contrary, in the continuation of the story, through the bird, Rumi demonstrates that these 'clod-like' and 'brigand-like' individuals are themselves the reason and necessity for social 'jihad' (struggle) and combat to purify the path of guidance. The bird, seizing upon the hunter's own words, emphasizes that 'Then indeed is jihad necessary, / When such a brigand is amidst the path.' Thus, what the hunter uses to justify isolation becomes, from Rumi's perspective, an argument for active presence and striving within society.

Key takeaways

• This verse is spoken by a negative, deceitful character (the hunter) and should not be taken as Rumi's primary viewpoint.
• The hunter's argument: associating with base, purely physical individuals is worse than solitude, as they are harmful.
• Rumi condemns this type of reclusion, demonstrating through the bird that the presence of evil people is precisely a reason for social engagement and jihad.
• “Clod and stone” here symbolize spiritless, ineffectual, and harmful individuals who are merely trapped by worldly desires.