Divine Face of Jalal ud Din Rumi
The Shopkeeper and The Parrot
Book 1; Story no.2
Translation & Commentary by Seema Arif
This Website has been created & maintained by Seema Arif
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Do not regard miracles same as magic you do
Upon deceit and hypocrisy lies not the duo
To wage war on Moses the sorcerers picked
Sticks like staff Moses held, so they tricked (5)
But a huge difference hath been witnessed by wise
Just not in sticks, but in Art a great distance resides.
One God loathed, hath cursed with His Might
The other He hath blessed with bounty & light.
Un-believers� hearts malice like monkeys they hide
It�s not just a secret wish but adversity; do decide.
Whatever a man does; monkey follows the same
Quick and fast in producing actions in his name (6)
He in illusion regards identically both have performed
The quarrelsome can�t perceive the difference in cold
(5) Appearances are fake and deceptive. Unless a leader is transformed himself, he cannot lead the followers to truth. Just following particular rites and customs or maintaining a particular appearance are not enough to abide by a religion. One has to follow it in essence: the principles and values to be called a true believer or practitioner of a faith.
(6) Whatever a monkey may do, he may never be regarded man, because he can never equal a Man in intelligence. Monkey is an imitator, not a genuine teacher. A monkey�s heart is but full of malice and adversity, and he would like to cheat whenever he may find a chance. His intelligence is tricky; it may entertain, but does not include any beneficial measure for humanity, like a horse does in its inherent discipline, hard work and faithfulness.
NOTES
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The Difference Between Magic and Miracle
Momin - The True Believer
The believer just obeys the un-believers fight do claim
All shall be dust, the fighting, the fight, and who blame
The hypocrite hath come with believer to pray in mosque
He is there to compete with him, not to humble before God
In praying, fasting, in pilgrimage or in paying alms
Believers competing with hypocrites, in welfare and arm
Lastly, definite to win the game believers are there
The un-believers are sure to loose in world hereafter
Though both have betted on the same ground
In opposition Persian and Arabic they do sound. (7)
Everyone leaves for his particular station
Each befitting specific attribute human
�Believer� listening to the call over delights,
Addressed �hypocrite� one with revenge frights.
His name is dear due to purity of his essence
This name but bears grudging spite and nuisance
Letters �M�, �O�, �M�, �I�, �N� hold no �Nobility� (8)
The word �Momin� hath but an exquisite identity.
Anyone pronounced �hypocrite� deem it insult
Like sting of a scorpion his heart does it hurt
If this attribute is not carved of Fire from Hell
Why does it tastes so, let anybody please tell!
The evil doth bears its quality not due to name
Seawater is bitter in itself; pot is not to shame
7) Marvazi, one who belongs to Marv, a place in Khurasan � Ajm � Persian; While Razi is a resident of �Ray� a place in Iraq � Arab.
The Persian and Arabic cultures have been in great opposition to each other; the Persians believed in polytheism, and Arabs in Abrahamic Monotheism. Persians had always regarded themselves a civilized and sophisticated nation, regarding Arabs as uncouth, hard, and ill-mannered nomads. Though Islam had united them in one religion, and Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) had pronounced, No Arabic bears any preference over Arabic, or vice-versa; The final verdict lies with God depending upon individual character and behavior; still the two cultures have not been able to resolve their historic enmity, and exhibit it in interpretation of religion, i.e. in Sunni, Shi`ite Fiqh (jurisprudence). 
(8) �Momin� is an honest and steadfast believer promised all good by Allah The Almighty.  A Momin or a Muslim is not a believer because his name suggests so, but only when his character, his intentions, and his actions commend so. People who keep up false appearances but breed hypocrisy and malice towards true practitioners of faith in their heart are not worthy of being called believers.
(See knowledge leaders: false and ignorant  pretenders)�
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