Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Mohammad (1207-1273), popularly known as Rumi, was a Muslim theologian-turned-poet. His poetry, published in two genres of masnavi and ghazal is mainly focused on the idea of love and its relation to the intimacy with God. However, the thoughts of Rumi, expressed through thousands of verses and ghazals, go beyond love and touch upon various aspects of human life and the universe. Even a cursory reading of Rumi’s poetry reveals his wide-ranging and thoughtful expressions on nature, universe, world, anger, lust, justice, purity, etc. According to Ahmed Javed, a contemporary literary critic, Rumi is the best author of human experience in the world. In other words, Rumi best describes the meaning of being a human on planet earth. Alan Williams, professor of Iraninan studies and translator of the works of Rumi, has identified the voice of moral reflection or homily as one of the seven voices while defining the narrative structure of Masnavi, a long poem by Rumi published in 06 volumes. Similar vein of advice and observations on moral psychology can be found in over 3,000 ghazals of Divan or Divan-e- Shams, the collection of ghazals by Rumi. Brittanica, an online encyclopedia, defines moral psychology as “the empirical and conceptual study of moral judgement, motivation and development”. This article details the verses of Rumi, from both Masnavi and Divan, which convey the deep observations of the poet regarding moral psychology. The verses are easily discernible for enduring reliability.

Like other poets, Rumi deploys the tropes of allegory, metaphor, simile, folklore, historical events, personalities, Quranic verses, Hadith etc to make his point. I will present a selection of verses from Rumi’s Masnavi and Divan highlighting the moral psychology therein.

این جہان کوہ است و فعل ما ندا
سوئ ما آید نداہا راصدا
(M I:215)
This world is the mountain, and our action the shout: the echo of the shouts comes (back) to us.

Rumi has explained the recompense for deeds and misdeeds by comparing the whole world to a mountain. Just like the mountain returns the schists by echoing it, the good and bad deeds are accordingly rewarded in this world.
Rumi’s places a lot of emphasis on the importance of thoughts in the life of a human being. He considers that a human being is nothing but a thought itself.

ای برادر تو همان اندیشه ای
ما بقی خود استخوان و ریشه ای
گر گ‌ُل است اندیشه ای تو گُلشنی
ور بوُد خاری تو هیمه گُلخنی
Brother! Your worth is in your thoughts alone; you are blood and flesh apart from that
You are rose, if all your thoughts are selfless
If bitter, you are a thorn that is judged worthless
Brother, your worth is in your thoughts alone
M II, 277-278

The formidable effect of a person’s thoughts are highlighted in the above verses. The precursor of every action is a thought. In a sense Rumi is ahead of René Descartes (1596–1650), French philosopher, by three hundred years who affirmed cogito ergo sum ( think therefore I am!). In other words, the ability to think and perceive constituted the most important element of human existence. At many places in both Masnavi and Divan Rumi elucidates how negative thoughts disempower and depress a human being and how he can rise above those thought processes. In the opening verse of Ghazal 2500 of Divan, Rumi diagnosed that the doom and gloom is always characterised by mean thoughts of a man:

چه افسردی در آن گوشه چرا تو هم نمی‌گردی
مگر تو فکر منحوسی که جز بر غم نمی‌گرد
Why are you depressed and cornered instead of moving ahead?
But then you are an epitome of mean thought and you are obsessed over grief

In numerous verses, Rumi emphasises the layered and unfathomable inner world of a human being, making it all the more important to avoid judging someone through appearances alone. An example:

َمرد را صد سال عم و خال او
یک سر ُمویی نہ ِبیند حال اُو
A man’s paternal and maternal uncles (may see him) for a hundred years, and of his (inward) state not see (so much as) the tip of a hair (M:3, 4249)

Rumi underlines the complexity of human psyche in that it is characterised by an inner world which is rarely apparent. In other words, he implies that our judgements based on the outward appearances or behaviour of a person may well be wrong considering that appearances never represent the human being on the whole.

Regarding worldly gains and glory, Rumi maintains that on the one hand they uplift and increase a person’s standing among the people but conversely they become the reason of the downfall too as succinctly expressed in the verse below:

دشمنِ طاؤس آمد پر اُو
ای بسی شہ را بکشتہ فر اُو
The peacock’s plumage is its enemy: O many the king who hath been slain by his magnificence!
(M1:208)

Rumi is of the view that by reciprocating a bad deed, one becomes equal to the perpetrator of the act. He, therefore, exhorts restraint or better still good behaviour in response to treatment.

گر فراق بندہ از بد بندھگی است
چون تو با بد بندگی پس فرق چیست

Have I deserved my fate for some offence; If you hurt sinners what’s the difference?(M:1,1564)

It can be discerned from the above selection that besides numerous themes in his collection of verses (in Masnavi and Divan) Rumi conveys a message of morality in unmatched eloquence and clarity. Perhaps it is beauty and depth and a sense of wonder in these verses that remain relevant to date and keeps guiding anyone who immerses in the ocean of his wisdom.

In a heartening development, the Pakistan Army successfully located 14 passengers who had gone missing in the snow-covered Deosai region while traveling from Gultari to Skardu. Heavy snowfall had severed their land connection, leaving them stranded in one of the country’s most treacherous terrains.
The individuals, reported missing yesterday, were found taking shelter in an area known as Safaid Pani. A search team dispatched from Gultari located the group, confirming their safety. Deputy Commissioner Arif Ahmed while talking to The Nation, said “All individuals are safe and in good health.” The Deputy Commissioner commended the swift response of the rescue teams in overcoming extreme weather conditions to ensure the passengers’ safety.
The ordeal began when the passengers failed to arrive at their destination, prompting relatives and locals to appeal to the Pakistan Army for immediate assistance. The Army launched a coordinated air and ground rescue operation, deploying helicopters and a team of soldiers on foot. While adverse weather conditions hindered aerial efforts, the determination of the ground team proved pivotal in tracing the missing individuals.
The passengers had taken refuge at Safaid Pani, enduring freezing temperatures and challenging conditions. Rescue teams provided them with food, medical care, and warmth before preparing to transport them to safety.
“This incident underscores the dangers of traveling through high-altitude regions like Deosai during winter. Travelers must exercise caution and ensure adequate preparation,” remarked Deputy Commissioner Ahmed.
Locals have expressed immense gratitude to the Pakistan Army and district administration for their timely intervention. “Their relentless efforts saved lives under extremely harsh conditions,” said a Skardu resident.
The successful rescue of the passengers highlights the dedication and skill of the rescue teams while drawing attention to the unpredictable and often unforgiving nature of Gilgit-Baltistan’s mountainous terrain. Authorities continue to emphasize the importance of weather awareness and safety measures for those traversing remote areas.
This rescue operation serves as a testament to the coordinated efforts of local authorities and the Pakistan Army in ensuring public safety, even under the most challenging circumstances.

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif embarked on a one-day official visit to Gilgit-Baltistan, where he was warmly welcomed upon arrival by children dressed in traditional attire, presenting him with bouquets of flowers.
During the welcoming ceremony, Chief Minister Gulbar Khan presented the Prime Minister with a traditional Chugha and cap.
A key highlight of the visit was the Prime Minister’s stop at the Martyrs’ Memorial, where he paid homage to the sacrifices of Gilgit-Baltistan’s heroes who liberated the region from Dogra rule in 1947. He laid a wreath at the memorial and stated, “The sacrifices of the brave soldiers of the Gilgit-Baltistan Scouts in the 1947 Liberation War against Dogra rule, along with their continued efforts to maintain peace and protect lives and property in the region, will never be forgotten. The Federal Government remains committed to the development, prosperity, and well-being of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.”
Separate meetings were held with Governor Syed Mehdi Shah and Chief Minister Gulbar Khan. They expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister for initiating and inaugurating various development projects in the region and assured him that these projects would be expedited to benefit the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also inaugurated a model village to provide housing for the people of Bubar Village in Gilgit’s Ghizer district, who had lost their homes due to the 2022 floods. The model village, covering 110 kanals, includes homes with two bedrooms each, as well as water supply, solar power, and road connectivity. The Prime Minister, after distributing allotment certificates, directed authorities to immediately build a school, dispensary, and playground for the village. He specified that the dispensary should be equipped with first aid, ultrasound, X-ray, and maternity care facilities.

He further called for third-party validation of the project to address potential shortcomings and suggested adding chimneys to the houses to prevent incidents during winter.
In addition to the model village, the Prime Minister inaugurated several major infrastructure initiatives, including the Naltar Expressway, the Greater Water Supply Project in Hunza, and a 54 MW hydropower plant at Attabad Lake, as well as the Harpo hydropower project.
Speaking to the media in Gilgit, former Chief Minister Hafeez-ur-Rehman mentioned that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has committed to a 100 MW solar power project for Gilgit-Baltistan. The Prime Minister also pledged an endowment fund of Rs. 1 billion for talented students at Karakoram International University (KIU) and Baltistan University, aiming to support needy students. Additionally, he assured judicial reforms and other initiatives to accelerate development in the region, along with a third-party audit for the Ghizer-Shandur Expressway project.

Special Assistant to the Chief Minister, Eiman Shah, provided further details, mentioning that a committee would be formed to deliberate on the constitutional rights for Gilgit-Baltistan. He emphasized that the Prime Minister’s visit marks a renewed focus on the region’s development, with an aim to improve quality of life and strengthen the region’s integration with the rest of Pakistan.