M6:234 — پوستین و چارق آمد از نیاز / در طریق عشق محراب ایاز

Translation: The fur coat and the worn-out sandal arose from necessity; In the path of love, such was Ayaz's mihrab. Meaning: This verse asserts that on the path of love, all things and actions, whether seemingly humble or sacred, must emerge from a genuine, profound need rather than from pretense or affectation.

In this verse, Rumi elucidates a profoundly subtle and fundamental point concerning nīyāz (need) and khudī (selfhood). He consistently emphasizes that humans often flee from their free will (ikhtiyār) and awareness (hūshyārī), because they perceive 'existence as a snare' (hastī fakh ast) and 'willed thought as hell' (fikr-o dhikr-e ikhtiyārī dozakh ast). Consequently, they resort to 'intoxication' (mastī) or 'occupation' (shoghl) to transition from 'selfhood' (khudī) to 'selflessness' (bī-khudī). However, in this particular couplet, Rumi points to a different kind of transcendence of self, one that doesn't stem from anxiety and 'heedlessness-creation' (ghaflat-āfarīnī), but rather from 'genuine need' (nīyāz-e rāstīn) which, paradoxically, is the very essence of 'awareness' (hūshyārī) and 'presence' (ḥuḍūr).

I have previously explained that four fundamental anxieties compel humans to 'flee from themselves': the anxiety of death, loneliness, meaninglessness, and the responsibility arising from freedom. To escape the anxiety of responsibility and freedom, one might seek refuge in 'determinism' (jabr) or in 'intoxication and unawareness' (mastī va nā-hūshyārī). Yet, there is another path, which Rumi alludes to here: the 'reduction of one's power' (kāhish-e qudrat-e khvud) and 'simple living' (sāda-zīstī). This is the very meaning of 'contentment' (qanāʿat); having fewer options and needing less in terms of resources and power. It is here that Rumi states: 'The fur coat and the worn-out sandal arose from necessity' (Pūstīn-o chāraq āmad az nīyāz). A fur coat for warmth and sandals for walking are both primary, essential needs. These items are neither for ostentation nor luxury, nor for deception and heedlessness, but solely arise from 'true necessity' (nīyāz-e ḥaqīqī).

This need is the very 'inherent poverty' (faqr-e dhātī) of humanity, which Rumi elsewhere, when comparing 'heedlessness-inducing' music with the music of the rabāb and the ney, said 'leads one to their true world, the place from which we came into this world, and reminds us of our inherent poverty.' Thus, 'need' here is not a weakness, but the very essence of connection to one's origin. It is in this context that Rumi invokes 'Ayaz's mihrab' (meḥrāb-e Ayāz). Ayaz, the slave of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, is the perfect symbol of inherent poverty, humility, and unpretentiousness before the Beloved. Ayaz, with his old clothes, reminded himself of his origins; and now that he has attained proximity, this status too springs from his original poverty and need, not from apparent wealth or power. Ayaz's mihrab, meaning the direction and place of his worship and ultimate devotion, also arises not from showmanship or luxury, but from his profound inner 'need'. This is the true 'self-forgetfulness' and 'selflessness' (bī-khudī) achieved not through fleeing responsibility, but through accepting one's 'inherent need' and 'connection to the origin'. This is the path of lovers, a path where everything emerges from 'true necessity' and not from an 'existence that creates pretension'.

Key takeaways

• On the path of love, every action and object must stem from "genuine need" (nīyāz), not from pretense or anxiety.
• Rumi's concept of "need" is intertwined with humanity's "inherent poverty" (faqr-e dhātī), which connects one to their true essence.
• Simple living and contentment (having fewer options) offer a path to reduce the anxiety of freedom and responsibility, leading to true "selflessness" (bī-khudī).
• Ayaz symbolizes humility, unpretentiousness, and pure devotion, whose actions are rooted in "need" rather than "selfhood" (khudī).