In Book Six, Section 94 of the *Masnavi*, Rumi illustrates the superiority of spiritual power over physical might through the story of Ja'far approaching a fortress alone. While the king of the fortress is terrified by the single warrior and seeks advice, his vizier wisely counsels him to surrender. The vizier explains that Ja'far is not merely one man; rather, he is backed by God and carries a vast, unseen spiritual army within his soul. This narrative highlights the recurring Sufi theme that true strength and authority derive from divine support, and that true wisdom lies in recognizing and yielding to this spiritual truth instead of resisting out of ignorance.

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چونک جعفر رفت سوی قلعه ای 
قلعه پیش کام خشکش جرعه ای
یک سواره تاخت تا قلعه بکر 
تا در قلعه ببستند از حذر
زهره نه کس را که پیش آید به جنگ 
اهل کشتی را چه زهره با نهنگ
روی آورد آن ملک سوی وزیر 
که چه چاره ست اندرین وقت ای مشیر
گفت آنک ترک گویی کبر و فن 
پیش او آیی به شمشیر و کفن
گفت آخر نه یکی مردیست فرد 
گفت منگر خوار در فردی مرد
چشم بگشا قلعه را بنگر نکو 
هم چو سیمابست لرزان پیش او
شسته در زین آن چنان محکم پیست 
گوییا شرقی و غربی با ویست
چند کس هم چون فدایی تاختند 
خویشتن را پیش او انداختند
هر یکی را او بگرزی می فکند 
سر نگوسار اندر اقدام سمند
داده بودش صنع حق جمعیتی 
که همی زد یک تنه بر امتی
چشم من چون دید روی آن قباد 
کثرت اعداد از چشمم فتاد
اختران بسیار و خورشید ار یکیست 
پیش او بنیاد ایشان مندکیست
گر هزاران موش پیش آرند سر 
گربه را نه ترس باشد نه حذر
کی به پیش آیند موشان ای فلان 
نیست جمعیت درون جانشان
هست جمعیت به صورتها فشار 
جمع معنی خواه هین از کردگار
نیست جمعیت ز بسیاری جسم 
جسم را بر باد قایم دان چو اسم
در دل موش ار بدی جمعیتی 
جمع گشتی چند موش از حمیتی
بر زدندی چون فدایی حمله ای 
خویش را بر گربهٔ بی مهله ای
آن یکی چشمش بکندی از ضراب 
وان دگر گوشش دریدی هم به ناب
وان دگر سوراخ کردی پهلوش 
از جماعت گم شدی بیرون شوش
لیک جمعیت ندارد جان موش 
بجهد از جانش به بانگ گربه هوش
خشک گردد موش زان گربهٔ عیار 
گر بود اعداد موشان صد هزار
از رمهٔ انبه چه غم قصاب را 
انبهی هش چه بندد خواب را
مالک الملک است جمعیت دهد 
شیر را تا بر گلهٔ گوران جهد
صد هزاران گور ده شاخ و دلیر 
چون عدم باشند پیش صول شیر
مالک الملک است بدهد ملک حسن 
یوسفی را تا بود چون ماء مزن
در رخی بنهد شعاع اختری 
که شود شاهی غلام دختری
بنهد اندر روی دیگر نور خود 
که ببیند نیم شب هر نیک و بد
یوسف و موسی ز حق بردند نور 
در رخ و رخسار و در ذات الصدور
روی موسی بارقی انگیخته 
پیش رو او توبره آویخته
نور رویش آن چنان بردی بصر 
که زمرد از دو دیدهٔ مار کر
او ز حق در خواسته تا توبره 
گردد آن نور قوی را ساتره
توبره گفت از گلیمت ساز هین 
کان لباس عارفی آمد امین
کان کسا از نور صبری یافتست 
نور جان در تار و پودش تافتست
جز چنین خرقه نخواهد شد صوان 
نور ما را بر نتابد غیر آن
کوه قاف ار پیش آید بهرسد 
هم چو کوه طور نورش بر درد
از کمال قدرت ابدان رجال 
یافت اندر نور بی چون احتمال
آنچ طورش بر نتابد ذره ای 
قدرتش جا سازد از قاروره ای
گشت مشکات و زجاجی جای نور 
که همی درد ز نور آن قاف و طور
جسمشان مشکات دان دلشان زجاج 
تافته بر عرش و افلاک این سراج
نورشان حیران این نور آمده 
چون ستاره زین ضحی فانی شده
زین حکایت کرد آن ختم رسل 
از ملیک لا یزال و لم یزل
که نگنجیدم در افلاک و خلا 
در عقول و در نفوس با علا
در دل مؤمن بگنجیدم چو ضیف 
بی ز چون و بی چگونه بی ز کیف
تا به دلالی آن دل فوق و تحت 
یابد از من پادشاهی ها و بخت
بی چنین آیینه از خوبی من 
برنتابد نه زمین و نه زمن
بر دو کون اسپ ترحم تاختیم 
پس عریض آیینه ای بر ساختیم
هر دمی زین آینه پنجاه عرس 
بشنو آیینه ولی شرحش مپرس
حاصل این کزلبس خویشش پرده ساخت 
که نفوذ آن قمر را می شناخت
گر بدی پرده ز غیر لبس او 
پاره گشتی گر بدی کوه دوتو
ز آهنین دیوارها نافذ شدی 
توبره با نور حق چه فن زدی
گشته بود آن توبره صاحب تفی 
بود وقت شور خرقهٔ عارفی
زان شود آتش رهین سوخته 
کوست با آتش ز پیش آموخته
وز هوا و عشق آن نور رشاد 
خود صفورا هر دو دیده باد داد
اولا بر بست یک چشم و بدید 
نور روی او و آن چشمش پرید
بعد از آن صبرش نماند و آن دگر 
بر گشاد و کرد خرج آن قمر
هم چنان مرد مجاهد نان دهد 
چون برو زد نور طاعت جان دهد
پس زنی گفتش ز چشم عبهری 
که ز دستت رفت حسرت می خوری
گفت حسرت می خورم که صد هزار 
دیده بودی تا همی کردم نثار
روزن چشمم ز مه ویران شدست 
لیک مه چون گنج در ویران نشست
کی گذارد گنج کین ویرانه ام 
یاد آرد از رواق و خانه ام
نور روی یوسفی وقت عبور 
می فتادی در شباک هر قصور
پس بگفتندی درون خانه در 
یوسفست این سو به سیران و گذر
زانک بر دیوار دیدندی شعاع 
فهم کردندی پس اصحاب بقاع
خانه ای را کش دریچه ست آن طرف 
دارد از سیران آن یوسف شرف
هین دریچه سوی یوسف باز کن 
وز شکافش فرجه ای آغاز کن
عشق ورزی آن دریچه کردنست 
کز جمال دوست سینه روشنست
پس هماره روی معشوقه نگر 
این به دست تست بشنو ای پدر
راه کن در اندرونها خویش را 
دور کن ادراک غیراندیش را
کیمیا داری دوای پوست کن 
دشمنان را زین صناعت دوست کن
چون شدی زیبا بدان زیبا رسی 
که رهاند روح را از بی کسی
پرورش مر باغ جانها را نمش 
زنده کرده مردهٔ غم را دمش
نه همه ملک جهان دون دهد 
صد هزاران ملک گوناگون دهد
بر سر ملک جمالش داد حق 
ملکت تعبیر بی درس و سبق
ملکت حسنش سوی زندان کشید 
ملکت علمش سوی کیوان کشید
شه غلام او شد از علم و هنر 
ملک علم از ملک حسن استوده تر

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## English translation
When Ja'far went toward a fortress,
The fortress, before his dry palate, was but a sip.
He galloped single-handed to the virgin fortress,
Until they closed the gates of the fortress out of caution.
No one had the gall to come forth in battle;
What gall do the people of a ship have against a whale?
That king turned his face toward the vizier,
Saying, 'What is the remedy at this time, O counselor?'
He said, 'That you leave aside arrogance and trickery,
And come before him with a sword and a shroud.'
He said, 'After all, is he not but a single, solitary man?'
He said, 'Do not look with contempt upon a solitary man.
Open your eyes, look well at the fortress;
It is trembling like quicksilver before him.
He is seated in the saddle so firmly,
As though the East and West were with him.
Several persons, like devotees, rushed forth,
And threw themselves before him.
He struck down each one with a mace,
Headlong under the hooves of his steed.
The artistry of God had given him a gatheredness,
Such that he single-handedly struck at an entire nation.
When my eye saw the face of that great king,
The multiplicity of numbers fell from my eye.
The stars are many, and the sun is but one;
Before it, their foundation is crushed.
If thousands of mice bring their heads forward,
The cat has neither fear nor caution.
How can the mice come forward, O so-and-so?
There is no gatheredness within their souls.
In forms, gatheredness is but a crowding;
Seek the gatheredness of meaning from the Creator!
Gatheredness is not from the multitude of bodies;
Consider the body as standing on the wind, like a name.
If there were gatheredness in the heart of a mouse,
If several mice gathered out of zeal,
And made an attack like devotees,
Throwing themselves upon the unhesitating cat,
It would pluck out the eye of one with a blow,
And tear the ear of another with its fangs,
And pierce the side of another;
Its reason would be lost from the group.
But the soul of a mouse does not have gatheredness;
Its sense leaps out of its soul at the cry of the cat.
The mouse becomes paralyzed by that cunning cat,
Even if the number of mice were a hundred thousand.
What sorrow has the butcher from the multitude of the flock?
What can the multitude of sense do to bind sleep?
God is the Owner of the Kingdom; He gives gatheredness,
To the lion so that it leaps upon the herd of wild asses.
A hundred thousand ten-horned and bold wild asses,
Are as nothing before the assault of the lion.
God is the Owner of the Kingdom; He gives the kingdom of beauty,
To a Joseph so that he becomes like the water of rain.
He places the radiance of a star on a cheek,
So that a king becomes the slave of a girl.
He places His own light in another face,
So that he sees every good and bad at midnight.
Joseph and Moses bore light from God,
In their faces and cheeks and in the essence of their breasts.
The face of Moses aroused a lightning-flash;
He hung a nosebag before his face.
The light of his face would take away sight in such a way,
As an emerald does from the two eyes of a deaf snake.
He asked of God that the nosebag,
Would become a veil for that strong light.
He said, 'Make the nosebag from your cloak, take heed!
For the garment of a mystic is a trusty veil.'
For that cloak has found light from patience;
The light of the soul has woven into its warp and woof.
Nothing but such a patched garment will be its veil;
Other than that cannot endure Our light.
If Mount Qaf comes before it, it will tear it apart,
Just as His light tore Mount Sinai.
From the perfection of the power of the bodies of the Men of God,
It found the capacity to bear the peerless light.
That which Mount Sinai could not bear a speck of,
His power made a place for it from a glass vial.
Their bodies became a niche, and their hearts a glass for the light;
That lamp has shone upon the Throne and the heavens.
Consider their bodies a niche and their hearts a glass;
This lamp has shone upon the Throne and the heavens.
Their light has become bewildered by this light;
Like stars, they have become annihilated by this morning light.
That Seal of the Messengers recounted this tale,
From the Eternal and Everlasting King:
'I am not contained in the heavens and the void,
In intellects and in lofty souls.
I am contained in the heart of the believer like a guest,
Without how and without what kind and without quality.
So that by the mediation of that heart, above and below,
May obtain kingships and fortune from Me.
Without such a mirror of My beauty,
Neither the earth nor time could bear it.
We spurred the steed of mercy on both worlds;
Then We fashioned a broad mirror.
Every breath from this mirror, fifty weddings;
Listen to the mirror, but do not ask its explanation.'
In short, he made a veil from his own garment,
Because he knew the penetration of that moon.
If the veil were from something other than his garment,
It would be torn to pieces, even if it were a doubled mountain.
It would have penetrated iron walls;
What trick could a nosebag play with the light of God?
That nosebag had become possessed of heat;
It was the time of the fervor of the mystic's patched cloak.
Therefore, the fire becomes pledged to the burned one,
Who is already accustomed to the fire.
And from the desire and love of that light of guidance,
Zipporah herself gave both her eyes to the wind.
First, she closed one eye and saw,
The light of his face, and that eye of hers fluttered.
After that, her patience did not remain, and the other,
She opened, and expended it for that moon.
Even so, the striving man gives his bread;
When the light of obedience strikes him, he gives his life.
Then a woman said to her of the narcissus eye,
'Since it has gone from your hand, do you eat regret?'
She said, 'I eat regret that I did not have a hundred thousand,
Eyes, so that I could scatter them.'
The window of my eye has been ruined by the moon,
But the moon, like a treasure, has settled in the ruin.
When does the treasure let me, who am its ruin,
Remember my portico and my house?
The light of Joseph's face, at the time of passing,
Would fall into the lattice of every palace.
Then they would say within the house,
'Joseph is passing by and strolling on this side.'
Because they saw the radiance on the wall,
The inhabitants of the places then understood.
A house that has a window on that side,
Has honor from the stroll of that Joseph.
Take heed, open a window toward Joseph,
And begin an opening from its cleft!
To practice love is to make that window,
For the breast is illuminated by the beauty of the Friend.
Therefore, always look upon the face of the Beloved;
This is in your hand, listen, O father!
Make a path in the inner parts of yourself;
Banish the perception that thinks of other than Him.
You have alchemy, make a remedy for the skin;
Make friends of the enemies through this craft!
When you become beautiful, you will reach the Beautiful One,
Who delivers the spirit from loneliness.
Its moisture is nourishment for the garden of souls;
Its breath gives life to the dead of sorrow.
It does not give all the kingdom of the base world;
It gives a hundred thousand diverse kingdoms.
Above the kingdom of His beauty, God gave,
The kingdom of interpretation without lesson or prior instruction.
The kingdom of his beauty drew him to the prison;
The kingdom of his knowledge drew him to Saturn.
The king became his slave through knowledge and skill;
The kingdom of knowledge is more praiseworthy than the kingdom of beauty.

دفتر ششم - بخش ۹۴ - آمدن جعفر رضی الله عنه به گرفتن قلعه به تنهایی و مشورت کردن ملک آن قلعه در دفع او و گفتن آن وزیر ملک را کی زنهار تسلیم کن و از جهل تهور مکن کی این مرد میدست و از حق جمعیت عظیم دارد در جان خویش الی آخره / Book Six - Section 94 - The Coming of Ja'far, May God Be Pleased with Him, to Capture the Fortress Alone, and the King of that Fortress Consulting on Repelling Him, and the Vizier Telling the King, 'Beware, Surrender! Do Not Act Recklessly out of Ignorance, for This Man is Aided by God and Has a Great Host from the Truth in His Soul', to the End of the Story

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