In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, following the mystic's imprisonment, his disciples realize that his apparent insanity is a deliberate state. Rumi explains that Dhu al-Nun retreated into madness to escape the malice of the vulgar masses and the vanity of worldly-wise rationalists. By adopting madness as a veil, the saint protects his sublime spiritual ecstasy from being contaminated or misunderstood by ordinary intellects. This narrative highlight serves as a foundational Sufi lesson on concealing spiritual perfection beneath apparent folly to safeguard divine secrets.

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In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the story of the mystic Dhu al-Nun of Egypt serves as an allegory for the conflict between profound spiritual ecstasy and societal ignorance. Dhu al-Nun is overcome by a new spiritual fervor, often perceived as 'madness' by the uninitiated. Rumi explains that the common people lack the capacity to endure the intensity of his divine state, metaphorically stating that Dhu al-Nun's spiritual fire 'was seizing their beards.' Feeling threatened by a state they cannot comprehend, the masses bind the mystic and place him in an asylum or prison. Rumi uses this imprisonment to illustrate a broader spiritual tragedy: the persecution of enlightened souls by an ignorant and envious public. He parallels Dhu al-Nun's plight with other persecuted figures, such as Joseph being cast into the pit by his envious brothers and the killing of prophets, emphasizing that true spiritual kings are consistently misunderstood and endangered by the spiritually blind.

The Tale of Dhu al-Nun's Divine Madness in the Masnavi

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دوستان در قصهٔ ذاالنون شدند 
سوی زندان و در آن رایی زدند
کین مگر قاصد کند یا حکمتیست 
او درین دین قبله‌ای و آیتیست
دور دور از عقل چون دریای او 
تا جنون باشد سفه‌فرمای او
حاش لله از کمال جاه او 
کابر بیماری بپوشد ماه او
او ز شر عامه اندر خانه شد 
او ز ننگ عاقلان دیوانه شد
او ز عار عقل کند تن‌پرست 
قاصدا رفتست و دیوانه شدست
که ببندیدم قوی وز ساز گاو 
بر سر و پشتم بزن وین را مکاو
تا ز زخم لخت یابم من حیات 
چون قتیل از گاو موسی ای ثقات
تا ز زخم لخت گاوی خوش شوم 
همچو کشته و گاو موسی گش شوم
زنده شد کشته ز زخم دم گاو 
همچو مس از کیمیا شد زر ساو
کشته بر جست و بگفت اسرار را 
وا نمود آن زمرهٔ خون‌خوار را
گفت روشن کین جماعت کشته‌اند 
کین زمان در خصمیم آشفته‌اند
چونک کشته گردد این جسم گران 
زنده گردد هستی اسراردان
جان او بیند بهشت و نار را 
باز داند جملهٔ اسرار را
وا نماید خونیان دیو را 
وا نماید دام خدعه و ریو را
گاو کشتن هست از شرط طریق 
تا شود از زخم دمش جان مفیق
گاو نفس خویش را زوتر بکش 
تا شود روح خفی زنده و بهش

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## English translation
The friends entered into the story of Dhu al-Nun; they went toward the prison and formed this judgment there: “Perhaps he is doing this deliberately, or there is some wisdom in it. In this religion he is a qibla and a sign. Far, far be it from an intellect like his sea that madness should command him with folly. God forbid that, despite the perfection of his rank, a cloud of illness should cover his moon. He has gone into the house because of the evil of the common people; because of the shame of the so-called rational ones he has become mad. Because of the shame of body-worshipping reason, he has gone deliberately and become mad: ‘Bind me tightly, and with the apparatus of the cow strike my head and back, and do not investigate this, so that from the blow of a piece of it I may find life, like the slain man through Moses’ cow, O trustworthy ones; so that from the blow of a piece of cow I may become well, like the slain man and Moses’ cow, and become healed.’” The slain man came to life from the blow of the cow’s tail; like copper through alchemy he became pure gold. The slain man sprang up and told the secrets, and exposed that blood-shedding group. He said plainly, “This group killed me, for now they are agitated in hostility against me.” When this heavy body is slain, the secret-knowing being comes alive. His soul sees paradise and hell and recognizes all the secrets. It exposes the demonic murderers; it exposes the snare of deceit and hypocrisy. Killing the cow is among the conditions of the Path, so that from the blow of its tail the soul may recover. Kill the cow of your own nafs more quickly, so that the hidden spirit may become alive and healthy.

دفتر دوم - بخش ۲۸ - فهم کردن مریدان کی ذاالنون دیوانه نشد قاصد کرده است / Book Two - Section 28 - The Disciples Understanding That Dhu al-Nun Did Not Become Mad, But Acted Deliberately

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In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, as Dhu al-Nun's friends visit him in prison, the narrative introduces a profound spiritual metaphor based on the Quranic story of Moses' cow. In this traditional narrative, a murdered man is momentarily resurrected to name his killers after being struck with a piece of a sacrificed cow. Rumi reinterprets this miracle as an allegory for spiritual awakening, equating the sacrificed "cow" with the *nafs* (the carnal soul, or fleshly ego). Rumi asserts that "killing the cow" is an essential condition of the Sufi path. By mortifying base earthly desires and sacrificing the ego, the hidden, divine spirit is brought back to life. Just as the resurrected man in the story exposed his murderers, the spiritually awakened soul is freed from the "heavy body" and gains the clairvoyance to recognize divine secrets, perceive ultimate realities, and expose the deceptive traps of the ego and the physical world.

The Metaphor of Killing the Cow of the Nafs in the Masnavi

In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the narrative of Dhu al-Nun continues as his supposed friends visit him in the asylum, declaring their unwavering love and loyalty. To test their sincerity, Dhu al-Nun begins shouting, throws stones, and acts violently. Terrified, the friends immediately flee, exposing the superficiality of their devotion. Rumi uses this dramatic encounter to deliver a profound lesson on the true nature of friendship and spiritual love. He asserts that genuine friendship is not defined by shared comfort or cheerfulness, but by the capacity to endure pain, affliction, and hardship for the beloved. Rumi concludes with a striking metaphor: a true friend is like pure gold, and calamity is like fire. Just as pure gold is tested and rejoices in the heart of the fire, true spiritual devotion remains steadfast amidst severe suffering.

Dhu al-Nun's Test of True Friendship in the Masnavi

Dhu al-Nun's Purposeful Madness as a Spiritual Shield in the Masnavi

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چون رسیدند آن نفر نزدیک او 
بانگ بر زد هی کیانید اتقو
با ادب گفتند ما از دوستان 
بهر پرسش آمدیم اینجا بجان
چونی ای دریای عقل ذو فنون 
این چه بهتانست بر عقلت جنون
دود گلخن کی رسد در آفتاب 
چون شود عنقا شکسته از غراب
وا مگیر از ما بیان کن این سخن 
ما محبانیم با ما این مکن
مر محبان را نشاید دور کرد 
یا بروپوش و دغل مغرور کرد
راز را اندر میان آور شها 
رو مکن در ابر پنهانی مها
ما محب و صادق و دل خسته‌ایم 
در دو عالم دل به تو در بسته‌ایم
فحش آغازید و دشنام از گزاف 
گفت او دیوانگانه زی و قاف
بر جهید و سنگ پران کرد و چوب 
جملگی بگریختند از بیم کوب
قهقهه خندید و جنبانید سر 
گفت باد ریش این یاران نگر
دوستان بین کو نشان دوستان 
دوستان را رنج باشد همچو جان
کی کران گیرد ز رنج دوست دوست 
رنج مغز و دوستی آن را چو پوست
نی نشان دوستی شد سرخوشی 
در بلا و آفت و محنت‌کشی
دوست همچون زر بلا چون آتشست 
زر خالص در دل آتش خوشست

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## English translation
When those persons drew near him, he shouted, 'Hey, who are you? Fear God!' Respectfully they said, 'We are among your friends; we have come here with our lives to inquire after you. How are you, O sea of reason, master of many arts? What slander is this, madness laid upon your reason? When can the smoke of a bath-furnace reach the sun? How can the Anqa be broken by a crow? Do not keep back from us; explain this matter. We are lovers; do not do this to us. It is not fitting to drive lovers away, or to delude them with veiling and deceit. Bring the secret into the open, O king; do not hide your face in cloud, O moon. We are loving, sincere, and heartsore; in both worlds we have bound our hearts to you.' He began with abuse and gratuitous insults; he spoke madly, uttering 'zi' and 'qaf.' He leapt up and flung stones and sticks; all of them fled for fear of blows. He laughed aloud and shook his head, saying, 'Look at the wind in the beards of these friends! Look at these friends: where is the sign of friends? For friends, pain is like the soul. When would a friend turn aside from a friend's pain? Pain is the marrow, and friendship is like its skin. No, the sign of friendship is not cheerfulness; it is in bearing calamity, affliction, and hardship. A friend is like gold, calamity like fire; pure gold is happy in the heart of fire.'

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