In Book 2 of the *Masnavi*, Rumi explores the psychological and spiritual state of 'self-worshippers' who reject the guidance of prophets and saints. Driven by worldly desires, envy, and ego, these individuals project their own internal flaws—such as greed, hypocrisy, and deceit—onto these pure spiritual figures. Rumi emphasizes that because their own hearts are darkened, they are fundamentally incapable of recognizing selflessness. Instead, the spiritually blind interpret the divine and altruistic actions of the prophets through the corrupted lens of their own worldly ambition, mistaking genuine guidance for trickery.

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هر که زیشان گفت از عیب و گناه 
وز دل چون سنگ وز جان سیاه
وز سبک‌داری فرمانهای او 
وز فراغت از غم فردای او
وز هوس وز عشق این دنیای دون 
چون زنان مر نفس را بودن زبون
وان فرار از نکته‌های ناصحان 
وان رمیدن از لقای صالحان
با دل و با اهل دل بیگانگی 
با شهان تزویر و روبه‌شانگی
سیر چشمان را گدا پنداشتن 
از حسدشان خفیه دشمن داشتن
گر پذیرد چیز تو گویی گداست 
ورنه گویی زرق و مکرست و دغاست
گر در آمیزد تو گویی طامعست 
ورنی گویی در تکبر مولعست
یا منافق‌وار عذر آری که من 
مانده‌ام در نفقهٔ فرزند و زن
نه مرا پروای سر خاریدنست 
نه مرا پروای دین ورزیدنست
ای فلان ما را بهمت یاد دار 
تا شویم از اولیا پایان کار
این سخن نی هم ز درد و سوز گفت 
خوابناکی هرزه گفت و باز خفت
هیچ چاره نیست از قوت عیال 
از بن دندان کنم کسپ حلال
چه حلال ای گشته از اهل ضلال 
غیر خون تو نمی‌بینم حلال
از خدا چاره‌ستش و از قوت نی 
چاره‌ش است از دین و از طاغوت نی
ای که صبرت نیست از دنیای دون 
صبر چون داری ز نعم الماهدون
ای که صبرت نیست از ناز و نعیم 
صبر چون داری از الله کریم
ای که صبرت نیست از پاک و پلید 
صبر چون داری از آن کین آفرید
کو خلیلی کو برون آمد ز غار 
گفت هذا رب هان کو کردگار
من نخواهم در دو عالم بنگریست 
تا نبینم این دو مجلس آن کیست
بی تماشای صفتهای خدا 
گر خورم نان در گلو ماند مرا
چون گوارد لقمه بی دیدار او 
بی تماشای گل و گلزار او
جز بر اومید خدا زین آب و خور 
کی خورد یک لحظه غیر گاو و خر
آنک کالانعام بد بل هم اضل 
گرچه پر مکرست آن گنده‌بغل
مکر او سرزیر و او سرزیر شد 
روزگارک برد و روزش دیر شد
فکرگاهش کند شد عقلش خرف 
عمر شد چیزی ندارد چون الف
آنچ می‌گوید درین اندیشه‌ام 
آن هم از دستان آن نفسست هم
وآنچ می‌گوید غفورست و رحیم 
نیست آن جز حیلهٔ نفس لیم
ای ز غم مرده که دست از نان تهیست 
چون غفورست و رحیم این ترس چیست

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## English translation
Whoever spoke to them about fault and sin, about a heart like stone and a black soul, about their taking His commands lightly, their freedom from concern for His tomorrow, about desire and love for this low world, about being subdued by the lower self like women, that flight from the subtle points of advisers, that shrinking from meeting the righteous, estrangement from the heart and the people of heart, deceit and fox-like conduct toward the kings of spirit, taking the contented ones for beggars, secretly holding them as enemies out of envy: if he accepts something of yours, you say, 'He is a beggar'; if not, you say, 'It is display, trickery, and fraud.' If he associates with you, you say, 'He is covetous'; if not, you say, 'He is devoted to arrogance.' Or, hypocrite-like, you bring the excuse, 'I am stuck with the expenses of children and wife. I have no leisure to scratch my head; I have no leisure to practice religion. So-and-so, remember us with your spiritual aspiration, so that in the end we may become saints.' This speech too was not spoken from pain and burning; a sleepy one babbled nonsense and slept again. 'There is no way around the household's sustenance; with all my teeth I must earn a lawful living.' What lawful living, you who have become one of the people of error? I see nothing lawful except your blood. His remedy lies in God, not in sustenance; his remedy is in religion, not in the false idol. You who cannot endure separation from this low world, how can you endure separation from the Excellent Spreader/Preparer? You who cannot endure separation from luxury and ease, how can you endure separation from God the Generous? You who cannot endure separation from clean and unclean things, how can you endure separation from the One who created this? Where is a Khalil, who came out of the cave and said, 'This is my Lord'? Look, where is the Creator? 'I do not wish to look at the two worlds until I see whose two assemblies these are. Without beholding God's attributes, if I eat bread it sticks in my throat. How can a morsel go down without seeing Him, without beholding His rose and rose-garden? Except in hope of God, who would eat even a moment of this water and food except an ox or an ass?' The one who was like cattle, rather still more astray, though that stinking-armpitted one is full of guile, his guile was turned upside down and he was turned upside down; his little life passed, and his day grew late. His place of thought grew dull, his intellect became senile; life passed, and he has nothing, like an alif. What he says, 'I am thinking about this,' that too is one of the tricks of that lower self. And what he says, 'He is Forgiving and Merciful,' is nothing but the ruse of the vile lower self. O you dead from grief because your hand is empty of bread: since He is Forgiving and Merciful, what is this fear?

دفتر دوم - بخش ۸۷ - بیان حال خودپرستان و ناشکران در نعمت وجود انبیا و اولیا علیهم السلام / Book Two - Section 87 - Explanation of the State of the Self-Worshippers and the Ungrateful for the Blessing of the Existence of the Prophets and Saints, Peace Be Upon Them

In Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the anecdote of the Prophet Muhammad (referred to as Ahmad) interacting with Abu Jahl and Abu Bakr (Siddiq) serves as a profound allegory for spiritual perception. When the hostile Abu Jahl calls the Prophet ugly, the Prophet agrees; when the devoted Abu Bakr calls him a radiant sun, the Prophet again agrees. When questioned by bystanders about confirming two contradictory statements, the Prophet explains that he is a "mirror polished by the Hand" of God. Rumi employs this narrative to illustrate that divine figures—and ultimate spiritual truths—merely reflect the inner state of the beholder. An individual with a corrupted or envious soul perceives only their own internal ugliness, whereas a pure, enlightened soul perceives divine beauty. Thus, one's perception of the holy is fundamentally a projection of one's own spiritual reality.

The Metaphor of the Prophet as a Divine Mirror in the Masnavi

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Spiritual Blindness and the Projection of Ego onto Prophets in the Masnavi

In Book 1 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the physical seating arrangement of a royal court serves as an allegory for spiritual perception. Rumi explains that while kings position their champions on the left and scribes on the right, they seat the Gnostic Sufis directly in front of them. This prominent placement is because the spiritually purified hearts of the Sufis act as flawless mirrors. By gazing upon them, the king is able to see a clear reflection of his own inner spiritual state and the divine attributes. This narrative establishes the philosophical concept of the spiritually realized person serving as an objective mirror of truth and clarity.

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