M6:476 — او یکی دزدست فتنه‌سیرتی / چون خیال او را بهر دم صورتی

Translation: He is a thief of a seditious nature, for his illusion takes a new form every moment. Meaning: This verse describes an inner thief, representing temptation or heedlessness, whose nature is to sow discord and whose guises constantly change, making it exceedingly difficult to recognize and overcome.

Mowlana, in this verse, speaks of a thief that is neither corporeal nor solely concerned with material possessions. Rather, it is an inner entity, sedition-natured and cunning, constantly altering its guise and form. This thief can be greed (ṭamaʿ), heedlessness (ghaflat), or any temptation that leads one astray from the path of truth. It lies in wait to steal our 'steed of repentance' (markab-i towba), thereby depriving us of the grace to repent and return to ourselves and to God.

I have frequently stated in my lectures that this thief employs a specific mechanism: it magnifies sins to such an extent that one loses the courage to confess them. Without confession, there is no remorse, and thus no repentance. Instead, justification and rationalization begin, and the individual evades the truth of their fault and deficiency. This is where the 'seditious nature' of the thief manifests; it creates a false sense of peace, keeping us in heedlessness.

Mowlana illustrates this cunning thief with the story of a man whose ram is stolen. As the owner pursues the thief, the thief takes on a new 'form' – he sits by a well, wailing and pretending that his purse of gold has fallen into it. With this new 'form' and the promise of a fifth of the gold, he deceives the owner into removing his clothes to enter the well, thus stealing his garments as well. This allegory clearly demonstrates how greed (the man's greed for a fifth of the gold) caused him to lose not only his ram but also his clothes. The thief, at every moment, ensnares individuals with a fresh guise and a deceptive illusion.

The phrase, 'None knows his cunning save God,' underscores the profound subtlety and concealment of this thief. Discerning its trickery is beyond human capability and only through divine aid and grace can one escape its clutches. Hence, Mowlana clearly offers the solution in the next verse: 'Flee to God and be free from that trickster.' Taking refuge in the Divine is the sole path to salvation from this seditious and deceitful thief, who continually assumes new forms to lead us astray. This precisely echoes the call for 'formlessness' (bi-sūratī) that recurs throughout the Masnavi; the thief, though formless in essence, constantly takes on new forms to deceive us.

Key takeaways

• The 'thief' symbolizes inner temptations, heedlessness, or greed that steal spiritual assets, particularly the capacity for repentance.
• The thief's nature is 'seditious,' constantly employing cunning and changing guises to lead humans astray.
• This thief exploits human weaknesses like avarice, as illustrated in the story of the ram thief.
• The ultimate goal of this thief is to prevent the confession of sins, thereby blocking the path to repentance and return.
• Due to its profound cunning and countless transformations, recognizing the thief's deceit is impossible without divine aid.
• The only way to escape this deceptive thief is to seek refuge and trust in the Divine essence.