The Paltry Asserters

I am amazed by those who know the Koran by heart yet understand nothing of the spiritual states of the Sufis.

As the Koran states, "And do not obey every paltry asserter."

Look at the slanderers when they read this, they are exactly the ones who will say, "Do not listen to So-and-so, no matter what they say, for they will act the same way against you."

The above paragraph is taken from one of the Discourses of Rumi.  It is amazing to see how Rumi is so direct in his message, yet not clearly pointing out the tribe.

Today is the age when we see many of such people.  There are people who can say the verses from their religious texts even when they are woken up in the middle of the night. But, sadly, they have not been able to internalize the meaning of what they are saying.

These are the kinds of people who will try to interpret the meaning of the text when asked by some, and their interpretation will be limited by their thinking, which will be influenced by the limited development of virtues in them. Therefore, it may not match with the development level of the mass or individual they are addressing. 

Essentially, it is not guided by the Love for the Supreme. Their interpretation is guided by love for this world, which is very limited, there by limiting their interpretation.  Therefore, it is not a good idea to adhere or follow such people.  One has to be cautious in differentiating between the Truth and other things.

This is the reason why Rumi mentions, do not listen to every 'paltry asserter', which means every 'small/petty assertions'.  He further explains how to identify between the True ones and the ones who are not.

He says, the people who are not the right ones will tell you things like - do not listen to so-and-so not matter what. They will try to show as if they are protecting you from the ones which are not true, but essentially what they are doing is preventing you from going towards the truth.

A True person will never prevent you from exploring and using your intellect to determine/discern the truth. 

A True person will act as a guide to your thinking and encourage you to explore, thereby encouraging your own development.

Yes, a True person will definitely warn you of the extreme danger, but will never ever take over your free-will, which is the Gift from God.

A True person will never inhibit you from using your intellect, which is another precious Gift from God.

Always rely on your inner self for guidance towards Truth and the grace of God will be the Light towards the right path and your protection from misguiding forces.  

Remember, God will never want you to follow anyone blindly, experiments and exploration are always welcome in His kingdom.