M6:3461 — پس فروشد ابله ایمان را شتاب / اندر آن تنگی به یک ابریق آب

Translation: Then the fool hastily sold his faith / In that distress for a single jug of water. Meaning: In moments of extreme duress or temptation, the ignorant person swiftly trades their precious faith for a trivial, deceptive offering.

This verse articulates a harsh, yet regrettably common, human predicament that Rumi portrays with profound and unsettling imagery. Prior to this line, Rumi speaks of the 'devil as a matchmaker' (dīv-i dallāl) who appears at the moment of 'separation from the soul' (farāq-i jān), meaning during instants of extreme vulnerability, death throes, or intense egoic temptations. This 'jug of water' (abrīq-i āb) is a metaphor for a trivial, paltry temptation, a deceptive worldly promise utterly devoid of worth when compared to the essence of faith. As Rumi clarifies in the subsequent verse (M6:3462), this jug is nothing more than an 'illusion' (khyāl), a sheer mirage whose sole purpose is to 'tear asunder' (takhriq) faith and truth.

I have observed this narrative repeatedly in the works of mystics like Shams-e Tabrizi. Shams recounts an ascetic on his deathbed who, each time the testimony of faith was offered, turned his face away. Those present were astonished and alarmed, wondering how a lifetime of piety could end this way. The ascetic, after a brief recovery, revealed that Satan had approached him with a jug of delightful water, promising eternal life or immense rewards in exchange for a brief prostration. He resisted, but Rumi implies that many, facing such an impasse, would readily surrender their entire faith and spiritual savings for a paltry promise like a jug of water.

Rumi likens this 'jug of water' to the deceptive allurements of the world. He asks, "Now that you are healthy and robust, will you exchange truth for an illusion?" (M6:3463). If one is susceptible to such temptations in a state of clear mind and health, how much more so in the throws of death? The ignorant person is like a child who trades 'pearls' (durr, implying precious things) for 'walnuts' (gardukān, trivialities). This imagery recalls the story of Joseph, sold for a 'meager price' (thamanin bakhs), the value of 'three cubits of coarse cloth.'

Subsequent verses elaborate on this meaning: "In your imagination, a stirring image has arisen, like a walnut that is rotten when cracked" (M6:3466). What appears beautiful and full like the moon on its fourteenth night, ultimately fades into a thin, unstable crescent. This signifies the depth of insight and 'foresight' (durandīshī). Rumi emphasizes that 'farsighted intellect' is what saves a person from 'weak' (fātar) deceptions. This world, in Rumi's view, is a 'rotten walnut'; it has a deceptive exterior but a hollow, decaying core. Many worldly sciences, positions, and reputations also fall under this judgment.

Here, I once again underscore the distinction between the 'eye of the present' (chashm-i hāl) and the 'eye of the future' (chashm-i maʾāl). Khwarazmshah saw the horse with the 'eye of the present,' while Emad-ol-Molk saw it with the 'eye of the future.' The 'eye of the present' is superficial, seeing only two paces ahead. The 'eye of the future,' however, is farsighted, discerning fifty paces and beyond, considering the consequences. Those whose eyes God has graced with kohl see righteousness and truth through a hundred veils. This is the perspective of the prophets, who view the world as 'carrion' (jīfa), whose seekers are but dogs. It is precisely at this point that Rumi warns us not to abandon our own sight for the vision of 'base individuals' (khassān), for "these vultures will drag you to carrion." We must open our own eyes and not allow the blind to lead us, especially those who are blinder than ourselves.

Key takeaways

• Faith is an invaluable jewel that humans, in moments of duress and weakness, lose for the price of the world's most trivial and deceptive promises.
• The temptations of Satan and the world often appear disguised as urgent, superficial needs (like a jug of water), yet they are pure deception and mirage.
• The ignorant person, in the moment of temptation, exchanges true values (pearls) for worthless illusions (walnuts).
• Rumi emphasizes 'foresight' (durandīshī) as the essence of intellect: the ability to discern the ultimate consequences of actions, not just their alluring initial appearances.
• The world is a 'rotten walnut' with an appealing exterior but an empty core; one must view it with the 'eye of the future' and from a distance to avoid being deceived.