The Villager who mistook a Lion for his Cow: Sufi Story from Rumi’s Masnavi

A simpleton villager was very fond of his cow and used to care her immensely.

Once day he tied his cow in the barn and went for some chores. Unfortunately, he forgot to lock the barn door. A hungry Lion took the opportunity and attacked and ate the cow.

When the Villager returned, it was quite dark. The Lion, after eating the cow, was sleeping the barn. The Villager thought it was his cow as he started stroking the Lion. Had he known that what he was stroking was the most ferocious animal, the Villager’s heart would have busted with fear.

Mevlana Rumi narrate, using fable above, that we only say the word Allah, however if His Almighty grandeur and glory is manifested upon us, our state will be far worse that Hazrat Musa R.A. . It is narrated in all Abrahamic traditions that Hazrat Musa went unconscious as he caught glimpse of Allah Almighty. Hazrat Musa was one of the strongest of Men and insisted on seeing glimpse of Allah, despite being warned, and when it happened, the divine grandeur was too much for his senses.

Maulana gives a message that our nafs is more dangerous than a wild lion. We, like the simple villager, pamper our nafs, and think it is harmless like a cow, although it has ability to tear apart our entire being.

Story from Rumi’s Masnavi