M6:4503 — زین سبب که علم ضالهٔ مؤمنست / عارف ضالهٔ خودست و موقنست

This beyt appears in a section where Rumi is discussing the human soul's entrapment within the 'box' of the body and worldly forms. He laments that few realize they are imprisoned, let alone desire freedom. The preceding verses talk about those who have seen the world before this physical existence, thus understanding their current state by contrast.

Here, Rumi uses a well-known Prophetic Tradition: "Wisdom (or knowledge, ḥikma / ʿilm) is the lost treasure of the believer; wherever he finds it, he has a greater right to it." Rumi twists this tradition beautifully. While ordinary believers seek external knowledge as their lost treasure, the true gnostic (ʿārif) has progressed beyond this. Their 'lost treasure' is not something external, but their own essential self, their true spiritual identity, which has been obscured by the veils of existence. The gnostic's journey is one of self-discovery and self-realization, and they are 'certain' (mūqin) in this pursuit because they intuitively know the value of this inner quest. This certainty distinguishes the gnostic from those who merely seek external truths or remain unaware of their spiritual imprisonment.