In Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, while false spiritual guides are generally condemned for their deceit, Rumi introduces a rare paradox: a profoundly sincere seeker might still achieve spiritual progress even when following a fraudulent guide. Rumi explains that the seeker's pure intentions can transform a deceptive situation into a beneficial one. To illustrate this, he uses the analogy of a Muslim who, in the dark of night, earnestly searches for the qibla (the direction of prayer) but mistakenly prays in the wrong direction. Despite the error in physical direction, the prayer is considered valid because of the worshipper's sincere effort and devotion. Through this, Rumi emphasizes that true spiritual advancement is ultimately rooted in the condition of the seeker's heart and their good intention rather than the legitimacy of the guide, though he clarifies that such instances are extremely rare.