In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, within the tale of the Prophet and the sick man, Rumi explores the spiritual alchemy of transforming the inner "Hell" of the carnal soul (*nafs*) into a divine garden. The Prophet teaches that believers must confront their internal, destructive fires—such as lust, anger, and greed. By consciously struggling against this "Hell-natured self" for the sake of God, these inner fires are quenched and transfigured into profound virtues. Specifically, the blazing fire of lust becomes the verdure of piety, anger turns into forbearance, and greed transforms into self-sacrifice. This metaphor illustrates that by subduing base desires, the believer converts their fiery ego into a rose garden of fidelity, thereby cultivating paradise within their own soul.

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## Original content
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چون پیمبر دید آن بیمار را 
خوش نوازش کرد یار غار را
زنده شد او چون پیمبر را بدید 
گوییا آن دم مر او را آفرید
گفت بیماری مرا این بخت داد 
کآمد این سلطان بر من بامداد
تا مرا صحت رسید و عافیت 
از قدوم این شه بی حاشیت
ای خجسته رنج و بیماری و تب 
ای مبارک درد و بیداری شب
نک مرا در پیری از لطف و کرم 
حق چنین رنجوریی داد و سقم
درد پشتم داد هم تا من ز خواب 
بر جهم هر نیمشب لا بد شتاب
تا نخسپم جمله شب چون گاومیش 
دردها بخشید حق از لطف خویش
زین شکست آن رحم شاهان جوش کرد 
دوزخ از تهدید من خاموش کرد
رنج گنج آمد که رحمتها دروست 
مغز تازه شد چو بخراشید پوست
ای برادر موضع تاریک و سرد 
صبر کردن بر غم و سستی و درد
چشمهٔ حیوان و جام مستی است 
کان بلندیها همه در پستی است
آن بهاران مضمرست اندر خزان 
در بهارست آن خزان مگریز از آن
همره غم باش و با وحشت بساز 
می‌طلب در مرگ خود عمر دراز
آنچ گوید نفس تو کاینجا بدست 
مشنوش چون کار او ضد آمدست
تو خلافش کن که از پیغامبران 
این چنین آمد وصیت در جهان
مشورت در کارها واجب شود 
تا پشیمانی در آخر کم بود
حیله‌ها کردند بسیار انبیا 
تا که گردان شد برین سنگ آسیا
نفس می‌خواهد که تا ویران کند 
خلق را گمراه و سرگردان کند
گفت امت مشورت با کی کنیم 
انبیا گفتند با عقل امام
گفت گر کودک در آید یا زنی 
کو ندارد عقل و رای روشنی
گفت با او مشورت کن وانچ گفت 
تو خلاف آن کن و در راه افت
نفس خود را زن شناس از زن بتر 
زانک زن جزویست نفست کل شر
مشورت با نفس خود گر می‌کنی 
هرچه گوید کن خلاف آن دنی
گر نماز و روزه می‌فرمایدت 
نفس مکارست مکری زایدت
مشورت با نفس خویش اندر فعال 
هرچه گوید عکس آن باشد کمال
برنیایی با وی و استیز او 
رو بر یاری بگیر آمیز او
عقل قوت گیرد از عقل دگر 
نیشکر کامل شود از نیشکر
من ز مکر نفس دیدم چیزها 
کو برد از سحر خود تمییزها
وعده‌ها بدهد ترا تازه به دست 
که هزاران بار آنها را شکست
عمر اگر صد سال خود مهلت دهد 
اوت هر روزی بهانهٔ نو نهد
گرم گوید وعده‌های سرد را 
جادوی مردی ببندد مرد را
ای ضیاء الحق حسام الدین بیا 
که نروید بی تو از شوره گیا
از فلک آویخته شد پرده‌ای 
از پی نفرین دل آزرده‌ای
این قضا را هم قضا داند علاج 
عقل خلقان در قضا گیجست گیج
اژدها گشتست آن مار سیاه 
آنک کرمی بود افتاده به راه
اژدها و مار اندر دست تو 
شد عصا ای جان موسی مست تو
حکم خذها لا تخف دادت خدا 
تا به دستت اژدها گردد عصا
هین ید بیضا نما ای پادشاه 
صبح نو بگشا ز شبهای سیاه
دوزخی افروخت بر وی دم فسون 
ای دم تو از دم دریا فزون
بحر مکارست بنموده کفی 
دوزخست از مکر بنموده تفی
زان نماید مختصر در چشم تو 
تا زبون بینیش جنبد خشم تو
همچنانک لشکر انبوه بود 
مر پیمبر را به چشم اندک نمود
تا بریشان زد پیمبر بی خطر 
ور فزون دیدی از آن کردی حذر
آن عنایت بود و اهل آن بدی 
احمدا ورنه تو بد دل می‌شدی
کم نمود او را و اصحاب ورا 
آن جهاد ظاهر و باطن خدا
تا میسر کرد یسری را برو 
تا ز عسری او بگردانید رو
کم نمودن مر ورا پیروز بود 
که حقش یار و طریق‌آموز بود
آنک حق پشتش نباشد از ظفر 
وای اگر گربه‌ش نماید شیر نر
وای اگر صد را یکی بیند ز دور 
تا به چالش اندر آید از غرور
زان نماید ذوالفقاری حربه‌ای 
زان نماید شیر نر چون گربه‌ای
تا دلیر اندر فتد احمق به جنگ 
واندر آردشان بدین حیلت به چنگ
تا به پای خویش باشند آمده 
آن فلیوان جانب آتشکده
کاه برگی می‌نماید تا تو زود 
پف کنی کو را برانی از وجود
هین که آن که کوهها بر کنده است 
زو جهان گریان و او در خنده است
می‌نماید تا بکعب این آب جو 
صد چو عاج ابن عنق شد غرق او
می‌نماید موج خونش تل مشک 
می‌نماید قعر دریا خاک خشک
خشک دید آن بحر را فرعون کور 
تا درو راند از سر مردی و زور
چون در آید در تک دریا بود 
دیدهٔ فرعون کی بینا بود
دیده بینا از لقای حق شود 
حق کجا همراز هر احمق شود
قند بیند خود شود زهر قتول 
راه بیند خود بود آن بانگ غول
ای فلک در فتنهٔ آخر زمان 
تیز می‌گردی بده آخر زمان
خنجر تیزی تو اندر قصد ما 
نیش زهرآلوده‌ای در فصد ما
ای فلک از رحم حق آموز رحم 
بر دل موران مزن چون مار زخم
حق آنک چرخهٔ چرخ ترا 
کرد گردان بر فراز این سرا
که دگرگون گردی و رحمت کنی 
پیش از آن که بیخ ما را بر کنی
حق آنک دایگی کردی نخست 
تا نهال ما ز آب و خاک رست
حق آن شه که ترا صاف آفرید 
کرد چندان مشعله در تو پدید
آنچنان معمور و باقی داشتت 
تا که دهری از ازل پنداشتت
شکر دانستیم آغاز ترا 
انبیا گفتند آن راز ترا
آدمی داند که خانه حادثست 
عنکبوتی نه که در وی عابشست
پشه کی داند که این باغ از کیست 
کو بهاران زاد و مرگش در دیست
کرم کاندر چوب زاید سست‌حال 
کی بداند چوب را وقت نهال
ور بداند کرم از ماهیتش 
عقل باشد کرم باشد صورتش
عقل خود را می‌نماید رنگها 
چون پری دورست از آن فرسنگها
از ملک بالاست چه جای پری 
تو مگس‌پری بپستی می‌پری
گرچه عقلت سوی بالا می‌پرد 
مرغ تقلیدت بپستی می‌چرد
علم تقلیدی وبال جان ماست 
عاریه‌ست و ما نشسته کان ماست
زین خرد جاهل همی باید شدن 
دست در دیوانگی باید زدن
هرچه بینی سود خود زان می‌گریز 
زهر نوش و آب حیوان را بریز
هر که بستاید ترا دشنام ده 
سود و سرمایه به مفلس وام ده
ایمنی بگذار و جای خوف باش 
بگذر از ناموس و رسوا باش و فاش
آزمودم عقل دور اندیش را 
بعد ازین دیوانه سازم خویش را

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## English translation
When the Prophet saw that sick man,
He gently showed kindness to the Companion of the Cave.
He came alive when he saw the Prophet,
As though in that moment he had created him anew.
He said, "This illness gave me this good fortune,
That this sovereign came to me at dawn,
So that health and well-being reached me
Through the arrival of this king without retinue.
O blessed suffering, illness, and fever,
O blessed pain and night-wakefulness.
See, in my old age, from grace and generosity,
God gave me such sickness and affliction.
He also gave me back pain so that I would leap from sleep
At every midnight, necessarily and in haste,
So that I would not sleep the whole night like a buffalo;
God, from His own grace, bestowed these pains.
Because of this brokenness, the mercy of kings boiled up,
And He silenced hell from threatening me.
Suffering became treasure, for mercies are within it;
The kernel became fresh when the skin was scratched.
O brother, patiently enduring grief, weakness, and pain
In a dark and cold place
Is the spring of life and the cup of intoxication,
For all those heights are in lowness.
That spring is hidden within autumn;
In spring too is that autumn, so do not flee from it.
Keep company with grief and accommodate terror;
Seek long life in your own death.
Whatever your nafs says, "This is bad here,"
Do not listen to it, for its work is contrary.
Do the opposite of it, for from the prophets
Such counsel has come into the world.
Consultation in affairs becomes obligatory,
So that regret at the end may be less.
The prophets used many devices
Until the millstone turned upon this stone.
The nafs wants to destroy,
To mislead and bewilder people.
The community said, "With whom should we consult?"
The prophets said, "With the intellect that is imam."
They said, "If a child or a woman comes in,
One who has no intellect or clear judgment?"
He said, "Consult with that one, and whatever was said,
Do the opposite of it and set out on the path."
Know your own nafs as a woman, worse than a woman,
For woman is a part, while your nafs is total evil.
If you consult with your own nafs,
Whatever that vile one says, do the opposite.
If it commands you to prayer and fasting,
The nafs is cunning; it will produce another trick for you.
In consulting your own nafs about deeds,
Whatever it says, the reverse of that is perfection.
If you cannot overcome it and contend with it,
Go, take hold of a friend and join with him.
Intellect gains strength from another intellect;
Sugarcane is perfected by sugarcane.
I have seen many things from the nafs's cunning,
For by its sorcery it carries away discernment.
It gives you fresh promises into your hand,
Promises it has broken thousands of times.
Even if life itself gives it a hundred years' respite,
It will put a new excuse before you every day.
It speaks warmly of cold promises;
The sorcery of a man binds the man.
O Diya al-Haqq Husam al-Din, come,
For without you no plant grows from salt-marsh soil.
A veil has been hung from the sky
Because of the curse of a wounded heart.
For this decree, decree alone knows the remedy;
People's intellects are utterly bewildered in decree.
That black snake has become a dragon,
That thing which was a worm fallen on the road.
Dragon and snake in your hand
Became a staff, O soul; Moses is drunk with you.
God gave you the command, "Take it and fear not,"
So that in your hand the dragon may become a staff.
Come, show the white hand, O king;
Open a new dawn out of the black nights.
A hellish one has kindled a spell-breath against him;
O you whose breath exceeds the breath of the sea.
The cunning sea has shown only foam;
Hell, from cunning, has shown only heat.
For that reason it appears slight in your eye,
So that, seeing it weak, your anger is stirred.
Just as the numerous army
Was shown as few to the Prophet's eye,
So that the Prophet struck them without danger;
Had he seen them as more, he would have held back.
That was providential care, and you were worthy of it,
O Ahmad; otherwise you would have become faint-hearted.
He made them, and his Companions, appear few to him:
That was God's outer and inner jihad.
Thus He made ease easy for him,
And turned his face away from hardship.
Making them appear few was victory for him,
For God was his helper and path-teacher.
But one whom God does not support in victory,
Woe if a tomcat appears to him as a male lion.
Woe if from afar he sees a hundred as one,
So that from pride he enters the challenge.
For that reason a Dhu'l-Faqar appears as a small spear;
For that reason a male lion appears as a tomcat,
So that the fool falls boldly into battle,
And by this device He brings them into His grasp,
So that those champions come on their own feet
Toward the fire-temple.
It appears as a straw or leaf, so that you quickly
Blow on it to drive it from existence.
Beware, for the thing that has uprooted mountains,
The world weeps because of it while it laughs.
This water of the stream appears ankle-deep;
A hundred like Uj ibn Unuq were drowned in it.
Its wave of blood appears as a mound of musk;
The bottom of the sea appears as dry earth.
Blind Pharaoh saw that sea as dry,
So he drove into it out of manliness and force.
When he entered, he was in the sea's depths;
When was Pharaoh's eye ever seeing?
The seeing eye becomes seeing through meeting the Truth;
When would the Truth become confidant to every fool?
He sees sugar, but it itself becomes deadly poison;
He sees a road, but it itself is the ghoul's call.
O heaven, in the tribulation of the last days,
You turn swiftly; give the last time.
You are a sharp dagger aimed at us,
A poisoned sting in our bloodletting.
O heaven, learn mercy from God's mercy;
Do not strike the hearts of ants with a snake's wound.
By the right of the One who made the wheel of your sphere
Turn above this abode,
May you turn otherwise and show mercy
Before you tear us up by the root.
By the right of your having nursed us at first,
Until our sapling grew from water and soil,
By the right of that King who created you pure
And made so many torches appear in you,
And kept you so flourishing and enduring
That an atheist imagined you eternal from pre-eternity.
We knew your beginning with gratitude;
The prophets told that secret of yours.
A human being knows that the house is originated,
Not a spider that lives within it.
How would a gnat know whose garden this is,
When it was born in spring and its death is in winter?
How would the weak worm born inside wood
Know the wood from the time it was a sapling?
And if the worm knew by its essence,
It would be intellect, though worm in form.
Intellect shows itself in colors;
Like a peri, it is far away by leagues.
It is above the angel; what place is there for a peri?
You fly low like a gnat's wing.
Although your intellect flies upward,
The bird of your imitation grazes low.
Imitative knowledge is a burden on our soul;
It is borrowed, while we sit as though it were our own mine.
From this reason one must become ignorant;
One must lay a hand on madness.
Whatever you see as your profit, flee from it;
Drink poison and pour out the water of life.
Whoever praises you, abuse him;
Lend profit and capital to the bankrupt.
Leave safety and be in the place of fear;
Pass beyond reputation and be disgraced and exposed.
I have tested the farsighted intellect;
From now on I will make myself mad.

دفتر دوم - بخش ۵۴ - دانستن پیغامبر علیه السلام کی سبب رنجوری آن شخص گستاخی بوده است در دعا / Book Two - Section 54 - The Prophet's (peace be upon him) knowing that the cause of that person's illness had been his boldness in prayer

## Original content
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گفت پیغامبر مر آن بیمار را 
این بگو کای سهل‌کن دشوار را
آتنا فی دار دنیانا حسن 
آتنا فی دار عقبانا حسن
راه را بر ما چو بستان کن لطیف 
منزل ما خود تو باشی ای شریف
مؤمنان در حشر گویند ای ملک 
نی که دوزخ بود راه مشترک
مؤمن و کافر برو یابد گذار 
ما ندیدیم اندرین ره دود و نار
نک بهشت و بارگاه آمنی 
پس کجا بود آن گذرگاه دنی
پس ملک گوید که آن روضهٔ خضر 
که فلان جا دیده‌اید اندر گذر
دوزخ آن بود و سیاستگاه سخت 
بر شما شد باغ و بستان و درخت
چون شما این نفس دوزخ‌خوی را 
آتشی گبر فتنه‌جوی را
جهدها کردید و او شد پر صفا 
نار را کشتید از بهر خدا
آتش شهوت که شعله می‌زدی 
سبزهٔ تقوی شد و نور هدی
آتش خشم از شما هم حلم شد 
ظلمت جهل از شما هم علم شد
آتش حرص از شما ایثار شد 
و آن حسد چون خار بد گلزار شد
چون شما این جمله آتشهای خویش 
بهر حق کشتید جمله پیش پیش
نفس ناری را چو باغی ساختید 
اندرو تخم وفا انداختید
بلبلان ذکر و تسبیح اندرو 
خوش سرایان در چمن بر طرف جو
داعی حق را اجابت کرده‌اید 
در جحیم نفس آب آورده‌اید
دوزخ ما نیز در حق شما 
سبزه گشت و گلشن و برگ و نوا
چیست احسان را مکافات ای پسر 
لطف و احسان و ثواب معتبر
نی شما گفتید ما قربانییم 
پیش اوصاف بقا ما فانییم
ما اگر قلاش و گر دیوانه‌ایم 
مست آن ساقی و آن پیمانه‌ایم
بر خط و فرمان او سر می‌نهیم 
جان شیرین را گروگان می‌دهیم
تا خیال دوست در اسرار ماست 
چاکری و جانسپاری کار ماست
هر کجا شمع بلا افروختند 
صد هزاران جان عاشق سوختند
عاشقانی کز درون خانه‌اند 
شمع روی یار را پروانه‌اند
ای دل آنجا رو که با تو روشنند 
وز بلاها مر ترا چون جوشنند
بر جنایاتت مواسا می‌کنند 
در میان جان ترا جا می‌کنند
زان میان جان ترا جا می‌کنند 
تا ترا پر باده چون جا می‌کنند
در میان جان ایشان خانه گیر 
در فلک خانه کن ای بدر منیر
چون عطارد دفتر دل وا کنند 
تا که بر تو سرها پیدا کنند
پیش خویشان باش چون آواره‌ای 
بر مه کامل زن ار مه پاره‌ای
جزو را از کل خود پرهیز چیست 
با مخالف این همه آمیز چیست
جنس را بین نوع گشته در روش 
غیبها بین عین گشته در رهش
تا چو زن عشوه خری ای بی‌خرد 
از دروغ و عشوه کی یابی مدد
چاپلوس و لفظ شیرین و فریب 
می‌ستانی می‌نهی چون زن به جیب
مر ترا دشنام و سیلی شهان 
بهتر آید از ثنای گمرهان
صفع شاهان خور مخور شهد خسان 
تا کسی گردی ز اقبال کسان
زانک ازیشان خلعت و دولت رسد 
در پناه روح جان گردد جسد
هر کجا بینی برهنه و بی‌نوا 
دان که او بگریختست از اوستا
تا چنان گردد که می‌خواهد دلش 
آن دل کور بد بی‌حاصلش
گر چنان گشتی که استا خواستی 
خویش را و خویش را آراستی
هر که از استا گریزد در جهان 
او ز دولت می‌گریزد این بدان
پیشه‌ای آموختی در کسب تن 
چنگ اندر پیشهٔ دینی بزن
در جهان پوشیده گشتی و غنی 
چون برون آیی ازینجا چون کنی
پیشه‌ای آموز کاندر آخرت 
اندر آید دخل کسب مغفرت
آن جهان شهریست پر بازار و کسب 
تا نپنداری که کسب اینجاست حسب
حق تعالی گفت کین کسب جهان 
پیش آن کسبست لعب کودکان
همچو آن طفلی که بر طفلی تند 
شکل صحبت‌کن مساسی می‌کند
کودکان سازند در بازی دکان 
سود نبود جز که تعبیر زمان
شب شود در خانه آید گرسنه 
کودکان رفته بمانده یک تنه
این جهان بازی‌گهست و مرگ شب 
باز گردی کیسه خالی پر تعب
کسب دین عشقست و جذب اندرون 
قابلیت نور حق را ای حرون
کسب فانی خواهدت این نفس خس 
چند کسب خس کنی بگذار بس
نفس خس گر جویدت کسب شریف 
حیله و مکری بود آن را ردیف

</div>

## English translation
The Prophet said to that sick man: "Say this: O You who make the difficult easy,

give us good in the dwelling of our world; give us good in the dwelling of our hereafter.

Make the road for us gentle as a garden; You Yourself be our station, O noble One.

The believers at the resurrection will say, 'O angel, was Hell not the common road?

Believer and unbeliever alike passed over it; we saw no smoke or fire on this road.

Here are Paradise and the court of security; where, then, was that base passageway?'

Then the angel will say, 'That green meadow which you saw at such-and-such a place on the way

was Hell and the harsh place of punishment; for you it became garden, orchard, and trees.

Because you strove against this Hell-natured self, this fire of unbelief and mischief,

and it became pure; you quenched the fire for God's sake.

The fire of lust that blazed became the verdure of piety and the light of guidance.

The fire of anger in you became forbearance; the darkness of ignorance in you became knowledge.

The fire of greed in you became self-giving, and envy, which was a thorn, became a rose-garden.

Since you first quenched all these fires of your own for the sake of the Real,

you made the fiery self into a garden and sowed in it the seed of fidelity.

Within it, nightingales of remembrance and glorification sing sweetly in the meadow beside the stream.

You answered the caller of the Real; you brought water into the Hell of the self.

Our Hell too, with respect to you, became verdure, rose-garden, leaves, and song.

What is the recompense of beneficence, my son? Grace, beneficence, and worthy reward.

Did you not say, We are sacrifices; before the attributes of abiding, we are passing away?

Whether we are rogues or mad, we are drunk on that cupbearer and that cup.

We lay our heads on his written order and command; we give our sweet life as pledge.

As long as the beloved's image is in our inmost secrets, service and surrendering life are our work.

Wherever they kindle the candle of trial, hundreds of thousands of lovers' lives are burned.

The lovers who are within the house are moths to the candle of the Friend's face.

O heart, go where they are bright with you and are like armor for you against trials.

They make allowance for your offenses; they give you a place in the midst of their soul.

They give you a place in the midst of their soul so that, like a cup, they fill you with wine.

Take up a home in the midst of their souls; make your home in the heavens, O radiant full moon.

Like Mercury, they open the book of the heart so that secrets may become clear to you.

Be among your own kin, even if you are a wanderer; if you are a moon-fragment, strike toward the full moon.

Why should the part avoid its own whole? Why so much mixing with the opposite?

See genus become species on the path; see hidden things become manifest on its way.

How long will you buy coquettish allure, witless one? When will lies and coquetry help you?

Flattery, sweet words, and deceit: you take them and put them in your pocket like a woman.

For you, the abuse and slaps of kings are better than the praise of the misguided.

Receive the slaps of kings; do not eat the honey of the base, so that by the fortune of worthy people you may become someone.

For from them come robe of honor and fortune; in the shelter of spirit, the body becomes soul.

Wherever you see someone naked and destitute, know that he has fled from the master,

so that he may become as his heart desires, that blind, bad, fruitless heart.

Had he become as the master wished, he would have adorned himself and his own self.

Whoever flees from the master in this world flees from fortune; know this.

You have learned a craft for earning the body's livelihood; take hold of a craft of religion.

You became clothed and wealthy in this world; when you come out from here, what will you do?

Learn a craft that in the hereafter will bring in the income of the earning of forgiveness.

That world is a city full of market and trade; do not suppose that trade is only here.

God Most High said that the trade of this world, compared with that trade, is children's play,

like a child who runs at another child and makes a play-form of intercourse and touching.

Children make shops in play; there is no profit except the spending of time.

Night comes; he comes home hungry; the children have gone and he remains alone.

This world is a playground and death is night; you return with an empty purse, full of fatigue.

The trade of religion is love and inward attraction: receptivity to the light of God, O obstinate one.

This base self wants for you perishable gain; how long will you earn baseness? Leave it; enough.

If the base self seeks noble trade for you, deception and trickery will be alongside it."

دفتر دوم - بخش ۶۱ - وصیت کردن پیغامبر علیه السلام مر آن بیمار را و دعا آموزانیدنش / Book Two - Section 61 - The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) Advising That Sick Man and Teaching Him a Prayer

In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the struggle against the internal ego (*nafs*) is explicitly characterized as the "greater jihad" (*jihad al-akbar*). Following a victory over external foes (the "lesser jihad"), Rumi warns that a far more dangerous adversary remains within. He metaphorically describes the *nafs* as a "dragon" and a manifestation of "hell"—an insatiable force that swallows entire worlds and constantly demands more, undiminished even by oceans. Rumi emphasizes that conquering this inward enemy cannot be achieved through mere intellect or human cunning. Instead, it requires divine intervention and profound spiritual discipline, as only God can truly "draw its bow." Thus, the ultimate spiritual battle for a seeker is not fought on physical battlefields, but in the arduous, continuous effort to overcome one's own carnal soul.

The Concept of the Greater Jihad and the Nafs in the Masnavi

https://huggingface.co/docs/transformers/model_summary

Huggingface Model Summary

The Transformation of the Fiery Nafs into a Spiritual Garden

In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, within the narrative of the Prophet Muhammad visiting a dying companion, Rumi underscores the absolute necessity of maintaining close proximity to spiritual masters (*awliyā'*). He warns that becoming "distant from the presence of the saints" is tantamount to becoming "distant from God." Rumi elevates these enlightened guides by referring to them metaphorically as "kings," asserting that if separation from ordinary companions causes grief, isolation from the saints brings profound spiritual detriment. Consequently, he issues a direct imperative to "seek the shadow of the kings at every moment." Rumi promises that by dedicating both one's travels and stillness to seeking this transformative presence, the seeker will be elevated to a spiritual state "better than the sun."

The Imperative of Seeking the Presence of Saints in the Masnavi

In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the Prophet Muhammad discovers that his companion's debilitating illness was caused by a misguided prayer. Overwhelmed by the fear of divine retribution for his sins, the sick man had begged God to hasten his punishment in the present world to ensure his ease in the afterlife. Rumi illustrates the catastrophic flaw in this plea: the resulting physical agony completely incapacitated the man, stripping him of his ability to engage in spiritual remembrance (*dhikr*) and his daily litanies (*awrād*). The Prophet strictly forbids him from ever repeating such a prayer, warning that human beings possess neither the strength nor the endurance to bear God's punishment, even in its worldly form. This narrative emphasizes that true spiritual wisdom lies in seeking divine forgiveness, mercy, and well-being, rather than inviting self-destructive suffering that severs one's connection to worship.

The Misguided Prayer for Worldly Punishment in the Masnavi

## Original content
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از صحابه خواجه‌ای بیمار شد 
واندر آن بیماریش چون تار شد
مصطفی آمد عیادت سوی او 
چون همه لطف و کرم بد خوی او
در عیادت رفتن تو فایده‌ست 
فایدهٔ آن باز با تو عایده‌ست
فایدهٔ اول که آن شخص علیل 
بوک قطبی باشد و شاه جلیل
چون دو چشم دل نداری ای عنود 
که نمی‌دانی تو هیزم را ز عود
چونک گنجی هست در عالم مرنج 
هیچ ویران را مدان خالی ز گنج
قصد هر درویش می‌کن از گزاف 
چون نشان یابی بجد می‌کن طواف
چون ترا آن چشم باطن‌بین نبود 
گنج می‌پندار اندر هر وجود
ور نباشد قطب یار ره بود 
شه نباشد فارس اسپه بود
پس صلهٔ یاران ره لازم شمار 
هر که باشد گر پیاده گر سوار
ور عدو باشد همین احسان نکوست 
که باحسان بس عدو گشتست دوست
ور نگردد دوست کینش کم شود 
زانک احسان کینه را مرهم شود
بس فواید هست غیر این ولیک 
از درازی خایفم ای یار نیک
حاصل این آمد که یار جمع باش 
همچو بتگر از حجر یاری تراش
زانک انبوهی و جمع کاروان 
ره‌زنان را بشکند پشت و سنان

</div>

## English translation
Among the Companions a noble man fell ill,
and in that illness he grew thin as a thread.
Mustafa came to visit him,
for his nature was altogether grace and generosity.

In going to visit the sick there is benefit for you,
and that benefit returns to you in turn.
The first benefit is that the sick person
may perhaps be a Pole (Qutb) and a mighty King.

Since you do not have the two eyes of the heart, O obstinate one,
you cannot tell firewood from aloe-wood.
Since there is a treasure in the world, do not be vexed—
know no ruin to be empty of treasure.

Seek out every dervish at random,
and when you find a sign, circumambulate in earnest.
Since you lack that inward-seeing eye,
imagine a treasure in every being.

And if he is not the Pole, he is a companion of the Way;
if not a king, he is a horseman of the army.
So count giving to companions of the Way as obligatory,
whoever they may be, whether foot-soldier or mounted.

And if he is an enemy, this same kindness is good,
for through kindness many an enemy has become a friend.
And if he does not become a friend, his enmity will lessen,
for kindness is a salve for hatred.

There are many benefits beyond these, but
I fear length, O good friend.
The upshot is this: be a companion of the assembly—
like an idol-maker, carve a friend from stone.

For the multitude and the gathering of the caravan
breaks the back and lance of the highway robbers.

دفتر دوم - بخش ۴۸ - رفتن مصطفی علیه السلام به عیادت صحابی و بیان فایدهٔ عیادت / Book Two - Section 48 - The Going of Mustafa, Peace Be Upon Him, to Visit the Companion and the Explanation of the Benefit of Visiting the Sick

## Original content
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گفت پیغامبر مر آن بیمار را 
چون عیادت کرد یار زار را
که مگر نوعی دعایی کرده‌ای 
از جهالت زهربایی خورده‌ای
یاد آور چه دعا می‌گفته‌ای 
چون ز مکر نفس می‌آشفته‌ای
گفت یادم نیست الا همتی 
دار با من یادم آید ساعتی
از حضور نوربخش مصطفی 
پیش خاطر آمد او را آن دعا
تافت زان روزن که از دل تا دلست 
روشنی که فرق حق و باطلست
گفت اینک یادم آمد ای رسول 
آن دعا که گفته‌ام من بوالفضول
چون گرفتار گنه می‌آمدم 
غرقه دست اندر حشایش می‌زدم
از تو تهدید و وعیدی می‌رسید 
مجرمان را از عذاب بس شدید
مضطرب می‌گشتم و چاره نبود 
بند محکم بود و قفل ناگشود
نی مقام صبر و نی راه گریز 
نی امید توبه نی جای ستیز
من چو هاروت و چو ماروت از حزن 
آه می‌کردم که ای خلاق من
از خطر هاروت و ماروت آشکار 
چاه بابل را بکردند اختیار
تا عذاب آخرت اینجا کشند 
گربزند و عاقل و ساحروشند
نیک کردند و بجای خویش بود 
سهل‌تر باشد ز آتش رنج دود
حد ندارد وصف رنج آن جهان 
سهل باشد رنج دنیا پیش آن
ای خنک آن کو جهادی می‌کند 
بر بدن زجری و دادی می‌کند
تا ز رنج آن جهانی وا رهد 
بر خود این رنج عبادت می‌نهد
من همی‌گفتم که یا رب آن عذاب 
هم درین عالم بران بر من شتاب
تا در آن عالم فراغت باشدم 
در چنین درخواست حلقه می‌زدم
این چنین رنجوریی پیدام شد 
جان من از رنج بی آرام شد
مانده‌ام از ذکر و از اوراد خود 
بی‌خبر گشتم ز خویش و نیک و بد
گر نمی‌دیدم کنون من روی تو 
ای خجسته وی مبارک بوی تو
می‌شدم از بند من یکبارگی 
کردیم شاهانه این غمخوارگی
گفت هی هی این دعا دیگر مکن 
بر مکن تو خویش را از بیخ و بن
تو چه طاقت داری ای مور نژند 
که نهد بر تو چنان کوه بلند
گفت توبه کردم ای سلطان که من 
از سر جلدی نلافم هیچ فن
این جهان تیهست و تو موسی و ما 
از گنه در تیه مانده مبتلا
قوم موسی راه می‌پیموده‌اند 
آخر اندر گام اول بوده‌اند
سالها ره می‌رویم و در اخیر 
همچنان در منزل اول اسیر
گر دل موسی ز ما راضی بدی 
تیه را راه و کران پیدا شدی
ور بکل بیزار بودی او ز ما 
کی رسیدی خوانمان هیچ از سما
کی ز سنگی چشمه‌ها جوشان شدی 
در بیابان‌مان امان جان شدی
بل به جای خوان خود آتش آمدی 
اندرین منزل لهب بر ما زدی
چون دو دل شد موسی اندر کار ما 
گاه خصم ماست و گاهی یار ما
خشمش آتش می‌زند در رخت ما 
حلم او رد می‌کند تیر بلا
کی بود که حلم گردد خشم نیز 
نیست این نادر ز لطفت ای عزیز
مدح حاضر وحشتست از بهر این 
نام موسی می‌برم قاصد چنین
ورنه موسی کی روا دارد که من 
پیش تو یاد آورم از هیچ تن
عهد ما بشکست صد بار و هزار 
عهد تو چون کوه ثابت بر قرار
عهد ما کاه و به هر بادی زبون 
عهد تو کوه و ز صد که هم فزون
حق آن قوت که بر تلوین ما 
رحمتی کن ای امیر لونها
خویش را دیدیم و رسوایی خویش 
امتحان ما مکن ای شاه بیش
تا فضیحتهای دیگر را نهان 
کرده باشی ای کریم مستعان
بی‌حدی تو در جمال و در کمال 
در کژی ما بی‌حدیم و در ضلال
بی حدی خویش بگمار ای کریم 
بر کژی بی حد مشتی لئیم
هین که از تقطیع ما یک تار ماند 
مصر بودیم و یکی دیوار ماند
البقیه البقیه ای خدیو 
تا نگردد شاد کلی جان دیو
بهر ما نی بهر آن لطف نخست 
که تو کردی گمرهان را باز جست
چون نمودی قدرتت بنمای رحم 
ای نهاده رحمها در لحم و شحم
این دعا گر خشم افزاید ترا 
تو دعا تعلیم فرما مهترا
آنچنان کادم بیفتاد از بهشت 
رجعتش دادی که رست از دیو زشت
دیو کی بود کو ز آدم بگذرد 
بر چنین نطعی ازو بازی برد
در حقیقت نفع آدم شد همه 
لعنت حاسد شده آن دمدمه
بازیی دید و دو صد بازی ندید 
پس ستون خانهٔ خود را برید
آنشی زد شب بکشت دیگران 
باد آتش را بکشت او بران
چشم‌بندی بود لعنت دیو را 
تا زیان خصم دید آن ریو را
خود زیان جان او شد ریو او 
گویی آدم بود دیو دیو او
لعنت این باشد که کژبینش کند 
حاسد و خودبین و پر کینش کند
تا نداند که هر آنک کرد بد 
عاقبت باز آید و بر وی زند
جمله فرزین‌بندها بیند بعکس 
مات بر وی گردد و نقصان و وکس
زانک گر او هیچ بیند خویش را 
مهلک و ناسور بیند ریش را
درد خیزد زین چنین دیدن درون 
درد او را از حجاب آرد برون
تا نگیرد مادران را درد زه 
طفل در زادن نیابد هیچ ره
این امانت در دل و دل حامله‌ست 
این نصیحتها مثال قابله‌ست
قابله گوید که زن را درد نیست 
درد باید درد کودک را رهیست
آنک او بی‌درد باشد ره‌زنست 
زانک بی‌دردی انا الحق گفتنست
آن انا بی وقت گفتن لعنتست 
آن انا در وقت گفتن رحمتست
آن انا منصور رحمت شد یقین 
آن انا فرعون لعنت شد ببین
لاجرم هر مرغ بی‌هنگام را 
سر بریدن واجبست اعلام را
سر بریدن چیست کشتن نفس را 
در جهاد و ترک گفتن تفس را
آنچنانک نیش کزدم بر کنی 
تا که یابد او ز کشتن ایمنی
بر کنی دندان پر زهری ز مار 
تا رهد مار از بلای سنگسار
هیچ نکشد نفس را جز ظل پیر 
دامن آن نفس‌کش را سخت گیر
چون بگیری سخت آن توفیق هوست 
در تو هر قوت که آید جذب اوست
ما رمیت اذ رمیت راست دان 
هر چه کارد جان بود از جان جان
دست گیرنده ویست و بردبار 
دم بدم آن دم ازو اومید دار
نیست غم گر دیر بی او مانده‌ای 
دیرگیر و سخت‌گیرش خوانده‌ای
دیر گیرد سخت گیرد رحمتش 
یک دمت غایب ندارد حضرتش
ور تو خواهی شرح این وصل و ولا 
از سر اندیشه می‌خوان والضحی
ور تو گویی هم بدیها از ویست 
لیک آن نقصان فضل او کیست
آن بدی دادن کمال اوست هم 
من مثالی گویمت ای محتشم
کرد نقاشی دو گونه نقشها 
نقشهای صاف و نقشی بی صفا
نقش یوسف کرد و حور خوش‌سرشت 
نقش عفریتان و ابلیسان زشت
هر دو گونه نقش استادی اوست 
زشتی او نیست آن رادی اوست
زشت را در غایت زشتی کند 
جمله زشتیها به گردش بر تند
تا کمال دانشش پیدا شود 
منکر استادیش رسوا شود
ور نداند زشت کردن ناقص است 
زین سبب خلاق گبر و مخلص است
پس ازین رو کفر و ایمان شاهدند 
بر خداوندیش و هر دو ساجدند
لیک مؤمن دان که طوعا ساجدست 
زانک جویای رضا و قاصدست
هست کرها گبر هم یزدان‌پرست 
لیک قصد او مرادی دیگرست
قلعهٔ سلطان عمارت می‌کند 
لیک دعوی امارت می‌کند
گشته یاغی تا که ملک او بود 
عاقبت خود قلعه سلطانی شود
مؤمن آن قلعه برای پادشاه 
می‌کند معمور نه از بهر جاه
زشت گوید ای شه زشت‌آفرین 
قادری بر خوب و بر زشت مهین
خوب گوید ای شه حسن و بها 
پاک گردانیدیم از عیبها

</div>

## English translation
The Prophet said to that sick man,
when he visited his wretched companion,

that perhaps you have uttered some kind of prayer
and from ignorance swallowed poison.

Recall what prayer you were saying
when you were troubled by the cunning of the nafs.

He said: "I do not remember; only grant me your himma—
stay with me a moment and it will come to me."

From the light-bestowing presence of Muṣṭafā
that prayer came before his mind.

A radiance shone through that window that runs from heart to heart—
the light that distinguishes truth from falsehood.

He said: "Now I remember, O Messenger,
that prayer which I, the meddlesome one, uttered:

When I was falling into the snare of sin,
drowning, thrashing among the weeds,

from You came threats and warnings
of punishment most severe for sinners.

I grew distressed, and there was no remedy;
the chain was firm and the lock would not open.

No place for patience, no path of escape,
no hope of repentance, no room to resist.

Like Hārūt and Mārūt, I cried out in grief:
'O my Creator!'

Openly, from peril, Hārūt and Mārūt
chose the pit of Babylon,

that they might bear here the punishment of the afterlife—
they are shrewd, wise, and wizard-like.

They did well, and it was fitting for them:
the pain of smoke is easier than the pain of fire.

The suffering of the next world is beyond all description;
the pain of this world is easy beside it.

Happy is he who wages jihad,
who chastises his body and exacts its due,

that he may be freed from the suffering of the next world—
he lays upon himself the hardship of worship.

I kept saying: 'O Lord, hasten that punishment
upon me in this very world,

so that in that world I may have ease.'
I kept knocking at the door with such a plea.

Such an illness appeared to me;
my soul grew restless from the pain.

I have been left without my dhikr and my daily awrād,
grown unaware of myself and of good and evil.

Had I not now seen your face,
O blessed one, O you of auspicious fragrance,

I would have slipped entirely from this bond—
you have shown me this kingly compassion."

He said: "Hush! Hush! Do not utter such a prayer again;
do not uproot yourself from root and foundation!

What endurance have you, O wretched ant,
that such a great mountain should be placed upon you?"

He said: "I repent, O Sultan—I shall not
boast of any skill out of rash boldness.

This world is a tīh, and you are Moses, and we
are left afflicted in the wilderness because of our sins.

The people of Moses kept measuring the road,
yet in the end they were still at the first step.

For years we travel the road, and in the end
we are still captive at the first station.

If Moses's heart had been content with us,
the way out and the edge of the tīh would have appeared.

And if he had been utterly disgusted with us,
how would any heavenly table have reached us?

How would springs have gushed from rock,
becoming the safety of our souls in the wilderness?

Rather, instead of the table, fire would have come;
in this station its flame would have blazed upon us.

Since Moses has become of two hearts regarding us—
sometimes our adversary, sometimes our friend—

his anger sets fire to our goods,
while his forbearance turns back the arrows of affliction.

When will forbearance also turn to anger?
This is not strange from your grace, O Beloved.

Praising the one who is present creates awe—for this reason
I mention the name of Moses as my intermediary.

Otherwise, when would Moses permit me
to mention any other person before you?

Our covenant has broken a hundred times, a thousand times;
your covenant stands firm as a mountain.

Our covenant is straw, overcome by every wind;
your covenant is a mountain, surpassing a hundred mountains.

By the right of that power that endures our inconstancy,
have mercy, O Prince of all hues!

We have seen ourselves and our disgrace;
test us no more, O King!

So that other shames may remain hidden—
O Generous One, sought for help!

You are infinite in beauty and in perfection;
we are infinite in crookedness and in error.

Set your own infinity to work, O Generous One,
against the infinite crookedness of this handful of wretches.

Lo, of our being cut apart, one thread remains—
we were Egypt, and one wall remains.

Al-baqiyya! Al-baqiyya! O Sovereign!
Lest the soul of the devil rejoice utterly.

Not for our sake—but for the sake of that first grace
with which you sought out those who were lost.

Since you have shown your power, now show mercy,
O You who have placed mercies in flesh and fat.

If this prayer increases your anger,
then teach me the prayer, O Master!

Just as when Adam fell from Paradise,
you granted him a return, and he was saved from the ugly devil.

What was the devil that he could surpass Adam
and win a game from him on such a board?

In truth, all the benefit went to Adam;
the whispering of the envious one became a curse upon itself.

He saw one move and did not see two hundred;
then he cut the pillar of his own house.

He set a fire by night to kill others;
the wind blew that fire back upon him.

The curse was a blindfold upon the devil,
so that the deceiver saw only his enemy's loss.

His own deception became the loss of his soul;
one might say Adam became the devil of his devil.

This is the curse: that it makes one crooked-seeing,
envious, self-absorbed, and full of malice,

so that one does not know that whoever does evil,
in the end it returns and strikes him.

He sees all the queen's gambits in reverse;
checkmate and loss and defeat fall upon him.

For if he were ever to see himself at all,
he would see his wound as deadly and festering.

Pain arises from such inner seeing;
pain brings one out from behind the veil.

Until mothers are seized by birth-pangs,
the child finds no way to be born.

This trust is within the heart, and the heart is pregnant;
these counsels are like the midwife.

The midwife says: if the woman feels no pain,
pain is needed—pain is the road out for the child.

One who is without pain is a brigand on the road,
for painlessness is the same as saying "I am the Truth" (anā al-ḥaqq).

Saying "I" at the wrong moment is a curse;
saying "I" at the right moment is a mercy.

The "I" of Manṣūr was certainly mercy;
the "I" of Pharaoh was a curse—behold!

Therefore, every bird that cries out of season—
beheading it is obligatory, as a lesson for all.

What is beheading? It is killing the nafs
in jihad, and abandoning the ego-breath.

Just as you pull out the scorpion's sting
so that it may find safety from being killed,

you pull the venom-filled fang from the snake
so the snake may be saved from the calamity of stoning.

Nothing kills the nafs except the shadow of the Pīr;
hold fast to the hem of that slayer of the nafs.

When you hold fast, that tawfīq is his;
every power that enters you is his attraction.

Know as true: "You did not throw when you threw";
whatever the soul plants comes from the Soul of souls.

He it is who takes hold and is forbearing;
from breath to breath, hope for that breath from him.

Do not grieve if you have long remained without him;
you have called him "slow to seize and firm in holding."

His mercy seizes slowly but holds firm;
his presence is absent from you not a single breath.

If you want the explanation of this union and friendship,
read thoughtfully from the start: By the Morning Brightness (Sūrat al-Ḍuḥā).

And if you say: "Evil too is from Him"—
yet who is it that diminishes His grace?

That giving of evil is also His perfection;
I will give you an example, O honorable one.

A painter painted two kinds of pictures:
pictures of clarity and a picture without clarity.

He painted Joseph and the beautifully-natured ḥūrs;
he painted ugly 'afrīts and loathsome Iblīses.

Both kinds of picture are his mastery;
the ugliness is not his own—it is his generosity.

He makes the ugly to the utmost ugliness,
gathers all ugliness and wheels it about it,

so that the perfection of his knowledge may appear,
and he who denies his mastery may be put to shame.

For if he cannot paint the ugly, he is deficient;
for this reason He is the Creator of the unbeliever and the sincere devotee.

Therefore, in this regard, unbelief and faith are both witnesses
to His lordship, and both prostrate before Him.

But know that the believer prostrates willingly (ṭaw'an),
for he seeks His pleasure and is purposeful.

The unbeliever too is a worshiper of God, though unwillingly (karhan),
but his intention is a different desire.

He builds the Sultan's fortress,
but claims the command for himself.

He has turned rebel so that the kingdom might be his;
in the end the fortress itself becomes the Sultan's.

The believer builds that fortress for the King,
not for the sake of status.

The ugly one says: "O King, Creator of ugliness,
You are capable over both the beautiful and the contemptibly ugly."

The beautiful one says: "O King of beauty and splendor,
You have purified us from all defects."

دفتر دوم - بخش ۶۰ - تتمهٔ نصیحت رسول علیه السلام بیمار را / Book Two - Section 60 - The Remainder of the Counsel of the Messenger, Peace Be Upon Him, to the Sick Man

In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the story of Majnun and his she-camel serves as a profound allegory for the internal struggle between the intellect (*'aql*) and the carnal soul (*nafs*). Majnun, representing the intellect, yearns to move forward toward his beloved Layla. However, his she-camel, representing the *nafs*, yearns to return backward to her foal. Whenever Majnun becomes absorbed in his thoughts of love and loses physical control, the camel turns back toward her worldly attachment. Rumi uses this metaphor to illustrate how the intellect pulls the individual toward spiritual elevation and divine love, while the base nature continuously drags them back toward earthly desires and attachments.

The Allegory of Majnun and the She-Camel as Intellect and Nafs

In Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the domestic dispute in the tale of the Bedouin Arab and his wife is ultimately revealed to be a profound psychological and spiritual allegory. Rumi explicitly instructs the reader to understand the husband and wife as representations of the human intellect and the carnal soul (nafs), respectively. The wife, embodying the nafs, is consumed with worldly needs—seeking reputation, sustenance, and social rank. She constantly pulls the individual toward earthly contrivances and material anxieties. Conversely, the husband represents spiritual reason, whose focus is entirely on the divine, remaining unconcerned with worldly survival. Their ongoing argument symbolizes the perpetual internal battle between worldly desires and spiritual devotion within the earthly body. Rumi emphasizes that this struggle is an inherent feature of earthly existence, as both components interact to navigate the physical world, but the intellect must ultimately remain anchored in God.

The Allegory of Intellect and Nafs in the Tale of the Bedouin and His Wife

### The Deception of the Nafs (Ego) in Sufism

In the *Masnavi*, Rumi explores the highly subtle ways in which the *nafs* (the carnal self or ego) deceives the spiritual seeker. A key manifestation of this deception is the soul's preference for **Jihad al-Asghar** (the lesser, physical warfare) and outward martyrdom over **Jihad al-Akbar** (the greater, spiritual warfare).

### The Illusion of Outward Sacrifice

When a seeker subjects the ego to rigorous self-discipline, asceticism, and solitary retreat (*khalwat*), the ego finds this continuous, slow mortification unbearable. To escape this slow 'spiritual death,' the ego may falsely manifest a zealous desire for physical battle and external martyrdom. The ego reasons that a swift physical death under the sword is easier and accompanied by public honor and reward, whereas the inner battle is hidden, unpraised, and painfully protracted.

### Rumi's Spiritual Principle

As illustrated in the story of 'Ayadi, the true spiritual warrio...

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