M6:955 — باز سلطانست زان جغدان برنج / در حدث مدفون شدست آن زفت‌گنج

Translation: That falcon is still sovereign, but suffers from those owls; that great treasure is buried in filth. Meaning: This verse describes Bilal's spiritual eminence, yet his suffering at the hands of oppressors, implying his profound love and faith are concealed and imprisoned within a world of baseness and cruelty.

This beyt by Rumi vividly portrays the opposition between a noble spirit and a base one. These words are spoken by Abu Bakr Siddiq (May God be pleased with him) to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), describing Bilal the Abyssinian, a devout slave tormented by idolaters. Abu Bakr says, “That falcon is still sovereign, but suffers from those owls.” Here, the 'falcon' (باز) is a symbol for Bilal, and by extension, for saints, lovers of truth, and every elevated soul whose 'auspicious, nimble wings' (میمون‌بال چست) carry him to higher realms. The falcon is a royal bird, soaring high and hunting nobly; even in captivity and distress, it remains 'sovereign' (سلطان), its inherent nobility and honor undiminished by external suffering. This is a crucial point Rumi emphasizes: true dignity and honor depend on inner status, not outward conditions.

In contrast, the 'owls' (جغدان) symbolize the ignoble, the dark-minded, and the materialists who have made their abode in the 'ruins' (ویرانه) of the sensory world. These are those for whom a life of baseness and impurity has become accustomed, and any mention of a higher realm or transcendent truth shatters their false peace. Therefore, the falcon's 'suffering' (رنج) at the hands of the owls stems not from the falcon's weakness, but from the malice and resentment of the owls, who cannot bear the falcon's radiance and perceive its presence as a disturbance to their comfort.

The second half of the beyt, “that great treasure is buried in filth,” refers to Bilal's immense treasure of love, faith, and gnosis, which is 'buried' (مدفون) amidst 'filth' (حدث)—the impurity of the material world and the oppression of the idolaters. 'Great treasure' (زفت‌گنج) alludes to the extraordinary value of this inner gem. Rumi implies that this spiritual treasure of Bilal, despite its brilliance and authenticity, is not visible in this chaotic and oppressive world; it is trapped by the forces of darkness. This 'burial' signifies the estrangement of truth in a world that seeks no truth, but it never implies its destruction.

Rumi states elsewhere that the falcon's 'crime' is nothing but its inherent goodness, just as Joseph's crime was nothing but his beauty. These owls are those of whom Rumi says, “You call our abode, which is the envy of the ether, a ruin and a despised place.” That is, those who cling to the fleeting world and consider it the sum of their aspirations cannot bear to hear of higher realms and authentic truth. Prophets and saints, by bringing news from another abode, strip away the false peace born of heedlessness, and are thus met with hostility and persecution. This beyt, in essence, describes the condition of many prophets and saints who, among a vulgar and truth-avoiding populace, carried divine treasures within their hearts and suffered at the hands of the owls of ignorance and malice, yet never fell from their 'sovereign' status. For the true essence of religion, as Rumi says, is love—not miracles or argumentation—and this love reigns supreme, even amidst filth and suffering.

Key takeaways

• True nobility and honor are internal, unaffected by external suffering or oppression.
• The 'owls' symbolize base, materialistic individuals who are disturbed by the light of truth and perceive it as a threat to their comfort.
• The treasure of love and faith (Bilal's inner wealth) may be 'buried' in the material and oppressive world, but it is never destroyed.
• Opposition to prophets and saints often stems not from their weakness, but from the disturbance they cause to the false peace of ignorance.
• The essence of religion, primarily, is love, which continues to reign even amidst impurity and suffering.