Rumi and Rationality

When from non-existence the beauteous intellect spread its face, He bestowed upon it a robe of honor and a thousand names. (Book IV/2180)

Is Rumi a love-intoxicated, intellect-averse figure in whose storehouse of speech one can find nothing but passion, love, and emotion? Or is he a reason-antagonistic mystic who speaks without proof and expects acceptance without evidence? If this is not the case, why did he deem "the feet of the rationalists to be wooden" and consider "the people of Paradise to be fools"? Fundamentally, what is Rumi's view on the intellect? Are his wisdom and mysticism compatible with reason and argumentation? In the lines that lie before you, we will address these fascinating and contentious questions to the best of our ability.

Foreword

Apart from the painful predicament known as scientific and intellectual weakness and decline, which societies like ours have unfortunately been practically afflicted with for centuries, there are also those who, in word and theory, engage in bashing reason and disparaging rationality. A group of these individuals advises people toward intellect-aversion and the abandonment of thought and reflection, promoting instead a life of laxity, thoughtlessness, and carpe diem. Another group maintains that bringing the caravan of human happiness and transcendence to its destination is neither within the purview of the caravan-leader of reason nor within the power of the faculty of rationality; rather, for this purpose, one must take another path, which they call "beyond reason" and "superior to knowledge." This group of claimants to spirituality encourages people to take refuge in unknown realms, ambiguous methods, and unknowable paths, and from the very obscurity of the path, they conclude that "this is the valley of meaning, and this is the station of love and mysticism, and on this path, the steed of knowledge and reason is not permitted to set foot."

But this is not the whole story; what muddies the waters further is that such individuals promote and justify this approach in the name of the teachers of "mysticism," "love," and "spirituality," and to prove their claim, they cite the words of renowned figures of mysticism and literature... This writing aims to investigate the truth or falsehood of such a claim regarding one of the most important figures of literature and mysticism, namely Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi. In other words, in this article, we intend, through a precise and documented inquiry based on the text of Rumi's own words, to investigate whether he is at odds with knowledge and rationality and whether he recommends intellect-aversion and reason-antagonism. For this purpose, we will search in Rumi's most important didactic and wisdom work, the "Masnavi-ye Ma'navi," and explore the concept of intellect and reason within its text, placing the existing evidence on the scales of assessment to attain, to the best of our ability, a clear and reliable picture of Rumi's view on the phenomenon of the intellect.

The Passion for Wonder

At least two fields, history and psychology, clearly testify that an interest in wonder and astonishment is among the characteristics of human beings. Of course, verifying this point does not really require scientific and historical evidence; a glance at our feelings and inclinations will confirm that supernatural phenomena and mysterious things hold a special attraction for most of us and draw our minds toward them. It is not surprising that humans have long seen mysterious and inexplicable forces in stones, mountains, trees, and lightning, and have assigned strange and enigmatic interpretations to many events known today, such as thunder, floods, and storms. Apart from the inability to scientifically explain these occurrences, the inner human desire for wondrous justifications and mysterious explanations has undoubtedly played a significant role in the prevalence of such interpretations. The fact that even in the twenty-first century, books, films, schools, and claims with content involving secrets, mysteries, fortune-telling, horoscopes, and the like are more popular than scientific, educational, and philosophical productions is clear evidence of this long-standing tendency.

It is natural that humans extend this tendency toward wonder and love of mystery to many people as well. Individuals whom people have considered great and respectable figures have sometimes possessed superhuman capabilities in the public eye, capabilities not attainable for everyone but rather special to a small circle of the "elite" and the "chosen." One of the results of the human tendency toward a mysterious and supernatural view is the fabrication of sanctity. Such a desire has drawn humans to the point where they have often wrapped phenomena larger than their understanding in a halo of sanctity and superhumanity, simply because their reason was unable to explain them (of course, the discussion is not about proving or negating a concept called sanctity; rather, the intent is to draw attention to the excessive human need to turn toward sacred things). How many misguidances have resulted from baseless sanctifications, and how many people have fallen into the chains of captivity and exploitation, bound by the sacred idols they themselves have carved... and this regrettable process continues to this day.

An Old Garment on a New Message

If you grasp a point, fresh and subtle, / After your perception, it becomes tasteless and foul (D. III/2697)

A look at the intellectual and doctrinal state of peoples and societies shows that most humans, when encountering any new message, instead of changing their way of thinking and behavior in accordance with its teachings, have changed that message to conform to their own culture and outlook. In such circumstances, the mindset and ethics of a people do not take the shape of that idea or school; rather, it is that message and school that takes on a form of the morals and culture of that people. A look at the course of developments in Christianity, for example, clearly shows such a tendency. In the Middle Ages, when thought, reflection, and inquiry were struggling in the abyss of stagnation and languor, and science, art, and philosophy had fallen into obscurity, Christianity had a harsh, intolerant, and terrifying face. In that suffocating and dark atmosphere, thinkers and innovators did not dare to express themselves, and if they did dare, their punishment was branding and the awl, and horrific executions at the hands of the churchmen. But with the arrival of the dawn of the Renaissance and the rising sun of the Enlightenment, in which humans turned to inquiry and reflection, and humanist schools emerged from the heart of new ideas and unprecedented questioning, the status of humans as beings possessing thought, reflection, and human rights was suddenly elevated. It was alongside these intellectual and cultural transformations that the church gradually adopted a gentle discourse and a compassionate face, to the point where we see that love, tolerance, and humanism have become the dominant discourse of Christianity today.

What the medieval church did with Christ and Christianity is a sign of this truth that people, when faced with any new word, have often adopted one of two approaches: either they have diminished that word to fit it within the capacity of their own understanding, or they have clothed it in a garment of their own desire and interpretation, to bring it into the color of their own thought and culture^(۱). Rumi himself criticizes this kind of superficial understanding by recounting the story of a hadith from the Prophet. He says: Some transmitters of hadith understood the Prophet's saying,

It is astonishing that sanctification has done to the people who brought new and awakening messages for humanity to free their minds from the chains of superstition and illuminate their lives with the light of science and rationality, the very same thing it did to stones, wood, and trees. When faced with profound messages, instead of striving to understand that message, people have often drawn a halo of sanctity around it and, instead of analysis, have busied themselves with glorification, in order to relieve themselves of the responsibility of understanding and acting upon that great word. The culture of personality worship has always caused the message of reformers and thinkers to be emptied of usefulness and reduced to a decorative object or a means for expressing superficial and fleeting emotions. Examples of such a culture are abundant everywhere: using religious books for wedding ceremonies, mourning, and festivals, or as incantations, talismans, and magic for granting wishes and warding off the evil eye, while not reading these books throughout the year; seeking omens from a book of poetry instead of contemplating its message; and clapping, dancing, and shouting "Hu" with Rumi's ghazals without reflecting on his message, and behaviors of this sort, are characteristic of sanctifying people who have no inclination for contemplation, thought, and action. This is while hanging pompous titles around the neck of a thinker is not only not a sign of respect for him but also causes the squandering of his legacy, because such behavior snatches transformative messages from the reach of human understanding and action and hurls them onto vague and distant peaks, and in this way, the seed that the speaker spent a lifetime planting in the hearts and minds of people is rendered barren and stifled in the bud.

Rumi in a Halo!

It is no wonder that one of the victims of such behavior is a renowned poet like Rumi, a mystic whose face has been wrapped for centuries in a halo of unattainable sanctity, and whose message is considered, by many, far from the reach of public understanding. Of course, fortunately, there is no shortage of profound thinkers who have dived into the depths of Rumi's words, extracted precious gems from the sea of his wisdom, and shared them with everyone. Nevertheless, many people, without having properly read his works or taken the trouble to understand and analyze his message, speak of the greatness and miraculous deeds of "His Lordship Khodavandgar" and refer to him with awe-inspiring and bombastic terms. There are also other people who use Rumi's poems only to excite their own or others' emotions and affective states and have little interest in contemplating what he says. What is interesting and regrettable is that many of those who can barely recite two couplets from among Rumi's roughly 60,000 lines of poetry frown and furrow their brows if the title "His Holiness" and the verb "deigned to say" are not used before and after Rumi's name. Of course, it is not surprising; wherever the essence and truth of something is lost, slogans, titles, and appearances gain importance and sensitivity. Today, the "Qubbat al-Khadra" or the green-domed tomb of Rumi in Konya has turned into a shrine to which a significant number of personality-worshippers and superstitionists from all corners of the world flock every year with the intention of pilgrimage and seeking blessing, and they open their lips in supplication and entreaty for the fulfillment of needs and healing—visiting a cultural and historical heritage is, of course, another matter.

Mysticism and Reason?!

If you speak to those who shun reason about a rationalist approach to Rumi, they ask in amazement: Is Rumi a rational poet?! And can reason and intellect set foot in the realm of mysticism?! The presupposition of these individuals is that Rumi is solely and exclusively a poet of "love," "emotion," and "inspiration," and that reason, intellect, and argumentation have neither a place in his words nor a path into them. Not to mention that many do not even go beyond repeating these few general and vague words and never clearly address the question of what exactly words like "love," "spirituality," "reason," "proof," and the like mean, and what place they hold in Rumi's method and outlook?

That mysticism possesses intuitive and amorous dimensions is beyond doubt, but the notion that mysticism—and especially Rumi’s mysticism—has only one domain, and that this domain lies entirely beyond the reach of reason and intellect, is very much open to debate and skepticism. The word irfan (mysticism) means “knowing.” It shares its root with words like urf (custom), ta‘rif (definition), ma‘rifat (knowledge), and mu‘arafa (acquaintance), all of which imply the concept of knowing and recognition. In this sense, mysticism means knowledge, and knowledge, of course, has its own tools and types. What proponents of the unknowability of mysticism to reason claim is that Rumi was neither a philosopher nor a rationalist thinker; on the contrary, his message is anti-rational, and he himself opposed all forms of reasoning and intellection. And, as we shall see, few notions are as erroneous and far from the truth as this one.

 “The Grain and the Measure”

In the Divan-e Shams, which is a colorful tableau of Rumi’s amorous devotions, his spiritual states, and his love affairs with the Beloved, amorous messages and subtle experiences abound. And this is no surprise, for the Ghazaliyat-e Shams is a vehicle for recording passionate spiritual experiences and delicate ecstasies of love. But a glance at Rumi’s teachings in the Masnavi immediately reveals that this book is an educational and didactic collection, replete with ethical, spiritual, philosophical, and even psychological instruction. It goes without saying that in the Masnavi, Rumi presented a significant portion of his message in the colorful vessel of stories, tales, and allegories, to grasp whose meaning one must, by his own advice, set aside the outward “measure” and take up the “grain” of meaning. At times, the import of his words is so interpretable and multi-layered that a different understanding may be derived from each layer, and every diver, depending on the power of their perception and the depth of their gaze, may descend to a lower depth and reach more precious pearls.

   O brother, the tale is like a measure,    The meaning within it is like a grain.

      The man of reason takes the grain of meaning,           He pays no heed to the measure, even if it is passed around.     (Bk. II/3438-9)

 

As we will demonstrate, and as others have, Rumi was never in conflict with reason and thought; rather, he considered them a necessary vehicle for material livelihood and spiritual growth, and an essential guide for humanity’s deliverance from error. Contrary to what many propagate and many believe, the message of the Masnavi is entirely comprehensible and interpretable in a rational manner, and, of course, practically applicable, and the clarifications within the text itself bear witness to this.

“The Spiritual Masnavi”

It is very interesting that as soon as one takes up the Masnavi, one is confronted with Rumi’s emphasis on reason and intellect! Rumi titled his most important philosophical and reason-centered work “Spiritual” (Ma‘navi), and in doing so, he placed the seal of emphasis on reason and intellect upon the forehead of his most significant work. He did not even bestow such a title upon the beautiful book recording his own mystical states, known as the Divan-e Shams. And this is a point worthy of deep reflection: although the Divan-e Shams is generally recognized as Rumi’s mystical and spiritual work, he himself does not recommend reading the Divan-e Shams to his devotees; rather, he advises those thirsting for spirituality to set foot on the “island of the Masnavi” and quench their thirst from its limpid springs. Obviously, this does not mean that Rumi forbade his audience from reading the Divan-e Shams! Rather, the point is that with this emphasis and recommendation, he wished to underscore that, in his view, the path of ethics and spirituality passes through reason, logic, and thought.

If you have become thirsty for the spiritual ocean,    take a promenade on the island of the Masnavi.

  Take a promenade such that at every moment,    you see the Masnavi as spiritual, and nothing else.

(M. Bk. VI/67-68)

Thought within Rumi’s Thought

  Knowledge is the seal of Solomon’s kingdom,    The whole world is form, and knowledge is its soul.     (Bk. I/1034)

 

As we know, Rumi was a learned man with higher education and very extensive studies, the son of a virtuous scholar and preacher and a learned, eloquent father. In his youth, he spent years studying jurisprudence, theology, astronomy, philosophy, prosody and rhyme, the Arabic language, and various branches of knowledge at the great universities of Baghdad and Damascus. It is no wonder that such a learned and educated person would accord an immensely significant and lofty place to knowledge and thought. Rumi holds that the happiness or misery of every person is determined by the goodness or badness of their thoughts. A good, rose-like thought brings joy and flourishing to the individual, while a base, thorn-like thought causes them to burn and suffer:

O brother, you are that very thought; / The rest of you is but bone and root. If your thought is a rose, you are a rose garden; / And if it is a thorn, you are fuel for the furnace. (D. II/278-9)

In the fourth book of the Masnavi (where the subject of intellect and reason is addressed more than in the other five books), we read in praise of the lofty station of reason: On the day God unveiled reason like a beautiful bride, He bestowed gifts upon her and gave her beautiful names. The least of reason's precious qualities is that it is independent in its work and needs the guidance and direction of nothing. And then he says: Reason is like a radiant lamp before whose light the bright day is dark. In contrast, stupidity and irrationality are so full of darkness that the dark night seems bright in comparison:

When from non-existence, beautiful reason unveiled its face, / He bestowed upon it a robe of honor and gave it a thousand names.

The least of those sweet-breathing names / Is this, that it is never in need of anyone.

If reason were to show its face in form, / The day would be dark before its light.

And if the likeness of folly were to appear, / The darkness of night would be bright before it. (D. IV/2180-3)

A. "Reason, the Chain of the Carnal Soul"

The unbelief and pharaonic nature of every remote infidel / All came into being from the deficiency of reason. (D. II/1544)

Reason is like a rope on the body of the evil carnal soul, a guardian that delivers the individual from the clutches of egoism and preserves them from misguidance and deviation. In the fourth book, a man goes to his enemy for counsel. That person asks the man in astonishment: "How is it you seek counsel from me, who am your enemy? You should seek counsel from your friend, not from someone like me who is your foe!"

He said: "O man of good name, seek someone other than me; / Tell the tale of your consultation to him.

I am your enemy; do not entangle yourself with me. / No victory can ever come from the counsel of an enemy."

The first person replies: "It is true that you are my enemy at heart, but this enmity will not cause you to deviate from the path of justice and fairness, because within you there is an iron chain called reason that will bind the demon of your carnal soul and, like a guardian, watch over your good and bad behavior." The interesting point is that Rumi says human spirituality is fundamentally dependent on their rationality:

He said: "I know you, O Bu'l-Hasan, / That you are my long-standing enemy.

But you are a man of reason and spirituality; / Your reason will not allow you to go astray.

Nature would seek vengeance on a foe, / But reason is an iron chain upon the carnal soul.

It comes and forbids it, and restrains it; / Reason is like a magistrate over its good and bad.

(D. IV/1970 onwards)

B. "Knowledge and Love"

The enamored mystic who sees the world as entirely born of love, reminds us that love and affection themselves are the fruit of knowledge and wisdom. After enumerating the tremendous capacities of loving-kindness in the transformation of human beings, Rumi concludes by pointing out that human love and affection are the result of his knowledge and wisdom:

From affection, bitter things become sweet;           from affection, coppers become golden.

From affection, dregs become clear;               from affection, pains become healing.

From affection, the dead are brought to life;              from affection, a king is made a slave.

This affection, too, is the result of knowledge;    who ever sat upon such a throne in vain?

    

And in continuation, he points out that if there is lovelessness and unkindness, it is not from reason and knowledge but from a deficiency of knowledge:

How could deficient knowledge give birth to this love?      Love is born, but deficient, only upon the inanimate. (M. D. II/1533)

C. "Reason is superior to prayer"

It is a highly noteworthy point that Rumi, with all his firm faith in religion and the Sharia, emphasizes that "an atom of reason" is better than performing prayers and fasting. Reason is the essence and substance, while fasting and prayer are secondary. He points out, quoting the Prophet, that religious rituals have also come to serve human rationality and wisdom:

 That Messenger of goodly permission spoke so well:       An atom of your reason is better than fasting and prayer.

Because your reason is the substance, these two are accidents;  These two were made obligatory in service of its completion.

    (D. V/455-6)

 

D. Reason and Society

In the social dimension, thought and reflection are the cause of the emergence of societies and civilizations, and the reason great events are brought about. A king who advances and the host of soldiers who follow behind him are all subject to a seemingly subtle and invisible factor called thought. What sets this great flood in motion is solely and exclusively thought. Rumi considers staring at external phenomena and belittling thought and reason merely because they are hidden from sight as a sign of foolishness and stupidity.

From a single thought that enters within,      a hundred worlds are turned upside down in a single moment.

Though the body of the Sultan appears to be one,      a hundred thousand troops follow in his wake.

Again, the form and shape of the pure king               is governed by a single hidden thought.

See endless multitudes, from a single thought,         flowing like a torrent upon the earth.

That thought seems small to the people,    but like a flood, it consumes and sweeps away the world.

So, when you see that from a thought,        every craft in the world is sustained,

Houses and palaces and cities,          mountains and plains and rivers,

Why then, out of folly, are you blind?   The body is Solomon, and thought is as an ant.   (D. II- 1032 onwards)                                          

 

The Station and Function of Reason

  Reason is like the sheriff; when the Sultan arrives,     the poor sheriff creeps into a corner.

 Reason is the shadow of God, God is the sun;    what power has the shadow against the sun?  (D. IV/11-2110)

 

As we shall see again, Rumi repeatedly emphasizes the importance of reason and its lofty place in moral health and human felicity. At the same time, in his teachings there are several major principles concerning the mission of reason and thought and their correct and beneficial application, some of the most important of which we shall examine one by one.

A. "Partial Reason"; "Universal Reason"

Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Rumi's view of reason is its division into two degrees or two levels, which he calls "Partial Reason" and "Universal Reason." "Partial Reason" is the lower level of human understanding. It has a limited and superficial view of the phenomena of the world and is incapable of comprehending the deep truths of existence. Due to its short-sightedness, Partial Reason is unable to correctly discern human good and salvation; rather, it mostly serves the gratification of material needs and carnal desires. In contrast, "Universal Reason" possesses a broad and holistic vision. It is capable of going beyond the surface and appearance and seeing the truth of things. Owing to the depth and breadth of its view, "Universal Reason," like a tether on the neck of the evil-commanding soul, restrains man from the path of ignorance and corruption and keeps him on the path of wisdom and perfection.

Your part, through His whole, becomes universal; Universal Reason becomes like a fetter on the soul. (D. I/2064)

The Truth has given your reason that polish, so that through it the page of the heart may become illumined. (D. IV/2476)

"Universal Reason" has no need of "Partial Reason," yet "Partial Reason" needs to be equipped with the light of "Universal Reason's" insight and to make decisions under its guidance:

Do not take Partial Reason as your vizier; O King, make Universal Reason your vizier. (D. IV/1259)

Partial Reason is sometimes dominant, sometimes overthrown; Universal Reason is secure from the Lord of fates. (D. III/1145)

With the two reasons, you will be freed from so many errors; you will set your foot upon the zenith of the heavens. (D. IV/1265)

Of course, in the application of reason and intellect, man is also not without need of God's guidance and must not become arrogant about his own knowledge and discernment, for without God's grace, human reason will fall into ignorance and misguidance:

He was unaware that that reason and heart, without God's turning, would be inanimate.

If He withdraws His grace from it for a moment, the clever reason commits follies.

(D. IV/3729-30)

In numerous places, Rumi has shown in various ways the necessity of connecting "Partial Reason" to "Universal Reason" and has emphasized that one must join one's small knowledge to a holistic vision so that it may be enriched by it and perceive truths in its light. The two tales of "The Bedouin and the Caliph" and "The Elephant in the Dark" are among the allegories that attempt to illustrate this concept.

B. The Story of the Bedouin and the Caliph

In the story of the Bedouin and the Caliph in the first book, we read that the simple-hearted desert-dweller, at his wife's urging, takes a jug of desert water as a gift to the Caliph of Baghdad in hopes of receiving a reward, unaware that the Caliph has his court on the banks of the roaring Tigris River. But after his eye falls upon the roaring Tigris on his return journey, he becomes aware of the insignificance of what he had considered a great gift and is ashamed.

What is that jug? Our confined body. And within it, the water of our brackish senses.

O Lord, accept this jar and jug of mine, by Your grace, O God the Buyer!

A jug with five spouts, the five senses; keep this water pure from every impurity,

So that from this jug there may be a passage to the sea, so that my jug may take on the nature of the sea.

Then its water will become infinite; from my jug a hundred worlds will be filled. (D. I/2720 ff.)

That jug is the water of our knowledges, and that Caliph is the Tigris of God's knowledge. (Bk. I/2860)

Had he beheld a branch of God's Tigris, he would have annihilated that jug, annihilated it.

What Rumi intends by depicting the Bedouin's situation is that only in the light of a grand scheme of existence can a human being grasp the meaning and place of everything as it truly is. Otherwise, his partial perceptions are nothing but scattered fragments of reality and piecemeal images of the world, which, if they do not lead to delusion and misguidance, will not open a path to insight and vision. And the way to attain such insight is submission to divine guidance.

C. "The Elephant in the Dark"

One day, some Hindus had brought an elephant from Hindustan to Rum for exhibition. In the dark room where the animal was kept, several people who had come to see it began rubbing the palms of their hands over the elephant's body. The result was that each one formed an incomplete and misleading notion of what stood before them. Rumi says: if these people, instead of being content with the sense of the "palm of the hand," had lit a candle to see that phenomenon in light and in its totality, they would have arrived at a correct understanding of it. Once again, his message is that without a holistic view, the human senses or partial knowledge will go astray.

There was an elephant in a dark house; the Hindus had brought it for exhibition.

Since seeing it with the eye was impossible, in that darkness, they were feeling it with the palm of the hand.

One's palm fell upon its trunk; he said: "This creature is like a water-spout."

Another's hand reached its ear; to him it appeared like a fan.

Another's palm, when it rubbed against its leg, said: "I saw the elephant's shape as a column."

Likewise, each one, from whatever part he reached, formed an understanding of it wherever he heard.

If there had been a candle in each one's palm, the difference would have gone from their words.

The eye of sense is just like the palm of the hand, and that is all; the palm does not have access to the whole of it.

The eye of the sea is one thing, and the foam another; leave the foam and gaze with the eye of the sea.

(Bk. III- 1260 onwards)

D. The Steed of Thought

In Rumi's belief, people's suffering stems from being the playthings of their own thoughts. He reminds us that thought should be in the service of the human being, not the human being in the service of thought. A thought that buzzes in one's head like a fly and disrupts one's joy and comfort is a servant that has overstepped its bounds and disturbed its master's peace. For this reason, one of the recurring concepts in the Masnavi is the necessity of mastering thought:

All people are slaves to thought; for that reason, they are heartsore and sorrowful. (Bk. II/2574)

Thought is a heavy and powerful steed: if you mount it, it will carry you to your destination strong and swift, but if it mounts you, it will crush you under its weight. There are many thoughts that bring nothing but suffering, deception, and grief to a person, and if one does not put thought in the service of one's comfort, one may well become the plaything of such a thought:

I am the ruler of thought, not the ruled, for the builder is ruler over the building.

All people are slaves to thought; for that reason, they are heartsore and sorrowful.

I deliberately give myself over to thoughts, when I wish, I leap out from among them.

I am like the bird of the zenith, thought is a fly; how could a fly ever have access to me?

(Bk. II/2573 onwards)

He says: I am like a builder who constructs his edifice as he wishes and tends to it. This is a very interesting statement, for we humans are indeed the permanent inhabitants of the house of our own minds and thoughts, and our thoughts determine our sorrow, joy, suffering, and contentment at every moment.

E. Harmful Thought

On the serene soul, from the body, / It inflicts wounds with the nails of thought

Know evil thought to be a poison-tipped nail / That scratches the face of the soul in deep rumination (Book V/558-9)

One aspect of mastering thought is vigilance regarding the nature of one's own thoughts. Not every thought is beneficial and advantageous for our health and well-being; rather, it may be a futile burden on the shoulders of our mind and life. For this reason, one must tend to the garden of one's mind, keep its soil and air pure, plant pleasant and beautiful flowers and greenery in it, and prevent the growth of delusional and distressing thoughts within it. Somewhere in the second book, in a single couplet, he first defines good and useful thought: A good thought is one that guides a person and opens a path before them, and then he defines the

He seated a beloved before himself, took out a letter and read it before the beloved.

Verses in the letter—praise and eulogy, lamentation, abjectness, and many entreaties.

The beloved said: If this is for me, at the time of union, it is a waste of life.

I am present before you, and you read a letter— this, at least, is no mark of lovers.

(Divan III/1407-10)

G. Reason and the Two Realms of Growth

In a general view, Rumi sees the course of human perfection in two stages: the rational or scholarly stage, and the spiritual or loving stage, and he believes that each level requires its own guide and each valley can be traversed only by a different method. He says:

Until the sea, the journey is with horse and saddle; after this, your mount will be a wooden horse.

A wooden horse is useless on dry land; it is a guide particular to those of the sea.

(Divan VI/4636-7)

Reason is the first teacher and guide of the human being in the course of his growth and transcendence, but at the higher levels of this path, it can be traversed on the wings of love—though, as we shall see, this does not mean the "replacement" of reason by love, but rather the "companionship" of reason and love. In recounting the story of the Prophet Muhammad's Ascension, Rumi says: Gabriel, who is the angel of reason, guided Muhammad as far as the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, and it was only at that stage that he stopped and declared that this was the limit of his flight, and going beyond it was not within his power but would rather cause his destruction:

When Ahmad passed beyond the Lote Tree and his watch-post, and beyond the station of Gabriel and his limit,

He said to him: Come, fly on after me! He said: Go on, go on; I am no match for you.

He said to him again: Come, O burner of veils, I have not yet reached my zenith.

He said: Beyond this limit, O my goodly splendor, if I beat a single wing, my wing will burn.

(Divan VI/3802 ff.)

And elsewhere he says:

Reason, like Gabriel, says: O Ahmad, if I take one more step, it will burn me.

Leave me behind, from now on press ahead; this was my limit, O Sultan of the soul. (Divan I/1074-5)

In explaining this story, the anti-rationalists often pay attention only to the second aspect of the tale, namely Gabriel's stopping, and say: "As you can see, reason failed to ascend to the Throne," and conclude that: "As Rumi also says, reason and intellect have no way into the valley of gnosis...". They—deliberately or inadvertently—overlook the first aspect of the story, namely Muhammad's flight under Gabriel's guidance, and close their eyes to the point that Muhammad's ascent was, in the first instance, by the guidance of the angel of reason and by no other means. In other words, without the guidance of reason, Muhammad would not have begun the movement at all in order to reach the higher levels. And this means that following reason and logic is an undeniable necessity for human growth. In short, reason is a necessary mount for the human spiritual journey and plays the role of guide in it (like Muhammad and Gabriel), but at higher stages, this path can be traversed with the wing of love.

H. The Embrace of Reason and Love

An important point to remember is that a person, even after ascending to the heavenly realm, is not without need of recourse to reason and rationality; rather, in the station of love and perfection, the lamp of reason and knowledge still accompanies the spiritual human being, and it must be so. In other words, after reaching the valley of love, the wayfarer does not abandon the candle of reason and knowledge and is not transformed into a traveler inflamed by the fire of emotion and deprived of the light of reason; rather, in this state, he possesses both reason and love together. The meaning of Rumi's allegory that "Love could not fly wing-to-wing with Muhammad to Sidrat al-Muntaha" is not that Muhammad, by ascending to the heavenly realm, became a human devoid of intellect and reason! Rather, its meaning is that his rational faculty was incapable of comprehending and analyzing his loving faculty. This is obvious, for we know that Muhammad was a rational and wise human being until the end of his life. Moreover, Rumi himself, following the great transformation that came upon him by stepping into the realm of amorous mysticism, never became a person fleeing from reason and devoid of intellect, logic, and argumentation. The most obvious proof of this is precisely the philosophical and reason-based poem of the Masnavi, which he composed after the occurrence of his amorous and mystical transformations. It is interesting to know that Rumi essentially began his poetry after his great spiritual transformation, with the composition of the amorous poems we know today as the "Ghazals of Shams," and later began creating the didactic and allegorical poem of the Masnavi, and thereafter, the composition of both types of poetry continued in parallel until the end of his life. And this is a sign of the companionship and coexistence of reason and love in Rumi's mind and life.

"A Wooden Leg?"

The leg of the rationalists is wooden; a wooden leg is most unsteady. (Book I/2139)

For the vision whose light is shining bright is quite independent of a staff-like proof. (Book I/1518)

Many claim that statements like these indicate that Rumi does not hold a favorable view of logic and argumentation. And even since logic and argumentation are reason-based and rational methods, they take it as proof that Rumi is entirely opposed to reason and rationalism—never mind that the very necessity of providing proof exposes the inevitable contradiction in their speech. But did Rumi speak of logic and proof with weakness and contempt? Does he himself speak without proof, and does he not use logic and argumentation in explaining his claims?

A. What is Argumentation?

In simple terms, argumentation is the process of discovering or proving something based on available evidence. There are three main methods of argumentation: "deduction," "induction," and "analogy." Given that the Masnavi is a philosophical and didactic poem, its creator has abundantly used various forms of deduction and analogy to explain and convey his concepts, and has explicitly stated that "I argue for the understanding of my audience, and I consider this necessary":

Those who have attained have naught but eye and lamp; they are free from proof and path.

If that man of union spoke a proof, he spoke it for the understanding of the disputants. (Book II/3324-5)

It should be noted that Rumi composed the Masnavi-ye Ma'navi not for a specific class of scholars, mystics, or specialists, but for a general audience. He saw and knew that his audience came from all strata of society and all levels of literacy and scholarly rank; therefore, the level of speech had to be adjusted to suit the comprehension of the general audience:

I speak low, according to the measure of intellects; this is no fault, it was the practice of the Prophet. (Book I/3826)

For the new child, the father lisps, even though his intellect may encompass the geometry of the world. (Book II/3326)

This was spoken according to the understanding of the common folk; the rest of the speech was concealed from them. (Book IV/3287)

For this very reason, the vessel of anecdote, allegory, and analogy was more suitable for conveying moral, sapiential, and didactic meanings to Rumi's audience than any other vehicle. Rumi employs captivating and colorful allegories in dozens of instances to elucidate concepts and wisdoms, with which the Masnavi-ye Ma'navi is replete; and as mentioned, "allegory" is one of the three methods of reasoning (another interesting point that logicians have noted is that the couplet "The leg of the rationalists is wooden..." which Rumi brought in refutation of reasoning, itself contains a kind of syllogism. In this couplet, the phrase "the leg of the rationalists is wooden" serves as the "minor premise" of the proposition, and "a wooden leg is sorely unstable" serves as its "major premise," and the conclusion Rumi intended to draw: "the leg of the rationalists is sorely unstable" is the ruling of the proposition).

B. "The Staff of Reasoning"¹

As mentioned, Rumi considers the usefulness of reasoning in speech, expression, and various affairs of life to be established. Beyond this, even on the path of spiritual wayfaring and mysticism, in many instances, he deems the application of reasoning indispensable for distinguishing the way from the pit and has recommended it:

That staff of prudence and reasoning / Since you lack sight, make it your guide

If you have eyes, do not come blindly / And if you lack eyes, take up a staff (Book III/276)

Thus, on the path of wayfaring, reasoning is like a staff that God has gifted to humanity to distinguish the way from the pit, so that if a person cannot find the path through the blessed miracle of a "Pir" (spiritual master), they may lean on the staff of reasoning. But if this "staff" is used as a tool for war, enmity, or denying the Creator (as was common among many theologians and people of disputation and dialectic at that time), it must be shattered and cast aside:

When the staff becomes a tool of war and clamor / Shatter that staff, break it, O blind one

He gave you a staff so that you might advance / Would you then strike that staff against Him in anger? (Book I/2148-49)

C. A Warning!

In general, Rumi's important warning is that we should not become proud of our knowledge and intellect, nor be deceived by our own learning, for human reason, before the radiance of divine guidance, is a negligible glimmer. In expressing this wisdom, he depicts the story of the drowning of Canaan, the son of Prophet Noah, who, had he not been beguiled by his own meager knowledge and skill, would have joined his father's safe ark and saved himself. It is clear that what caused Canaan's destruction was not his knowledge and learning, but his pride in his knowledge:

Like Canaan, do not pull your head away from the ark / For his cunning self gave him pride

Saying: "I shall climb to the top of a lofty mountain / Why should I have to bear an obligation to Noah?"

Would that he had not learned to swim / So he would have pinned his hopes on Noah and the ark

Or had he been less inclined to transmitted knowledge / The knowledge of the heart's revelation would have captivated him from the saint

When you bring a book forth with such a light / Your soul, accustomed to revelation, will rebuke you (Book IV/1410 onward)

D. Become a Fool!

Make yourself a fool, and follow behind / You will find deliverance only from this foolishness (Book IV/1420)

One of Rumi's interesting and, at the same time, provocative paired terms is "cleverness" and "foolishness," which appears several times in the Masnavi. What seems strange is that Rumi, in several places, denounces "cleverness" and refutes the "clever ones," recommending "foolishness" to us, and even states somewhere, quoting the Prophet: "Most of the inhabitants of Paradise are fools"!

How often have knowledge, acumen, and wit / Become like a ghoul and highwayman to the wayfarer

Most of the companions of Paradise are simpletons / So that they escape the evil of philosophizing

Strip yourself bare of learning and idle chatter / So that mercy may descend upon you at every moment

Cleverness is the opposite of brokenness and need / Abandon cleverness and make do with simple-heartedness

Know cleverness to be a snare, a gain, and a bite / What would the pure player want with cleverness?

The clever are content with a craft / The simple-hearted have passed from the artifact to the Artificer (2376-81)

It must be understood that many creative artists in the fields of literature and art have coined new terms or used existing words in unfamiliar meanings unique to themselves. Rumi is also among those thinkers who, in many instances, uses words in a specific and different sense. Among these terms is the pair "cleverness" and "simple-heartedness." The meaning of "cleverness" in contexts like the above is self-conceit or "considering oneself shrewd." The "clever" person is one who relies excessively on their own skill and knowledge, and thus sees themselves as having no need to heed the word and message of the Truth, and this very "shrewdness" becomes the cause of their deception and ruin. In contrast, "simple-heartedness" means purity of heart and humility. Rumi himself notes that by the "simple-hearted" person, he does not mean a stupid or ignorant individual, but rather someone who, despite possessing a store of knowledge and learning, does not see themselves as independent of the guidance and direction of a spiritual master or prophet, and this very humility becomes the means of their access to truths.

Most of the people of Paradise are the simple-hearted, O son / For this reason has the Prince of Humanity said

Since cleverness is your pride and wind-stirring / Become simple-hearted so the heart may remain sound

Not the simple-heartedness that is double-folded in buffoonery / But the simple-heartedness of one bewildered and lost in Him

(Book IV/1421-23)

Final Word

If we look from the perspective of hermeneutics or the science of interpretation, it must be said that every utterance possesses specific semantic potentials or possibilities that sometimes even surpass the original intention of its author or speaker. Therefore, to fully grasp the message a text harbors within, it must be viewed from various angles and possible interpretations must be applied to it, so that the utterance may present all its existing and possible capacities and be fully understood. The text of Rumi's works is no exception to this rule. It seems that instead of closing the door to all thought and reasoning and issuing the definitive judgment that "Rumi's message is incompatible with reason," we should at least allow the text of his words to submit to rational analysis and reveal whatever is hidden within them. And if, in some instance, this proves impossible, then we may judge his word to be inaccessible to reason. In short, this writer believes the time has come to take up the lamp of critique and analysis, step into the realm of literature, mysticism, and knowledge, and derive practical and useful benefits from the immense messages that are the legacy of centuries of experience, teaching, and thought—without claiming to have grasped or identified all the messages hidden in that source.

Thank you for your company

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Rumi and Rationality

Author: Sasan Habibvand

telegram.me/sasanhabibvand email: [email protected]

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