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Index
Cover page
Series page
Series page
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication page
Acknowledgements
Contents
Introduction
Rumi and Sufism
Rumi and His Times
The Masnavi Form
Book Four of the Masnavi
Note on the Translation
Select Bibliography
A Chronology of Rumi
The Masnavi: Book Four
Prose Introduction
Exordium
Conclusion of the story about that lover who fled the nightwatchman into an unfamiliar orchard, and, through sheer joy at finding his beloved there, prayed for blessings for the nightwatchman, saying: ‘It may be that you hate something, but it is better for you.’
A denier tells Ali, ‘If you are sure of God’s protection, throw yourself from the top of this building,’ and Ali answers him.
Story about ‘The Furthest Place of Worship in Jerusalem’* and carob brushwood, and David’s resolution before the time of Solomon to build that house of worship.
The story about someone who was consulting another man who then said, ‘Consult someone else because I am your enemy.’
The Prophet Mohammad made a young man of the Hozayl tribe the commander of a brigade which included senior soldiers and experienced fighters.
The mark of the wise and the half-wise one, the complete man and the half-complete man, and the worthless wretch.
Story about the lake, the fishermen, and the three fish—one wise; one half-wise; and one deluded, stupid, heedless, and worthless—and the outcome for all three fish.
Explaining that an imagining is the counterfeit of wisdom and its opposition, and resembles it but is not wisdom, and the story about the replies given to each other by Moses, possessor of wisdom, and Pharaoh, possessor of imaginings.
Explaining that cultivation lies in destroying, concentration in distraction, soundness in brokenness, attainment in failure, and existence in non-existence, ‘and the remainder are opposites and pairs’.
Explaining that every human sense perception also has different objects of perception which the other senses are unaware of, in the same way that every skilled craftsman is a stranger to the work of the other skilled craftsmen, and its lack of awareness about what is not its business does not prove that those objects of perception don’t exist. Although it denies them due to its condition, here by its denial we don’t mean anything but lack of awareness.
How worldly people attack other-worldly people and push against them as far as the border of reproduction and generation, which is the frontier of the Unseen, and how the other-worldly are unaware of the ambush, for the infidel makes an assault when the holy warrior is not fighting.
Explaining that the earthly body of Man, like high-quality iron, is capable of becoming a mirror, so that even while in this world, inside it heaven, hell, the Resurrection, and other things are shown to direct vision and not just through imagining.
Moses spoke from the Unseen openly about Pharaoh’s secrets and his visions, so he might believe.
The modes and stages of the creation of Man from the beginning.
Explaining that the people in hell are hungry and moan to God: ‘Make our daily portions bigger and quickly send provisions to us for we cannot endure any more.’
Zo ’l-Qarnayn went to Mount Qaf and asked, ‘O Mount Qaf, tell me about the majesty of God’s attributes.’ Mount Qaf said, ‘His description is beyond words, for perceptions become annihilated before it.’ Zo ’l-Qarnayn begged, ‘Tell of His craftsmanship which you can perceive and can more easily speak about.’
An ant walking on paper saw the pen writing and praised the pen. Another ant with sharper vision said, ‘Praise the fingers, for I see the skill coming from them.’ A third ant with even sharper vision than the previous two said, ‘I praise the arm for fingers are an extension of the arm,’ and so on …
The Angel Gabriel showed himself to Prophet Mohammad in his own shape, and when one of his seven hundred wings appeared it covered the horizon, and the sun was covered despite all its radiance.
Explanatory Notes
Prose Introduction[written in Arabic, numbered by page and line]
Text[numbered by verse, or couplet]
Glossary
More About Oxford World’s Classics
A Selection of Oxford World’s Classics
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