Mevlâna Celâleddîn-i Rûmî (1207-1273) has had a significant impact not only in the Islamic world but also across the globe with his Sufi thoughts. His ideas focus on concepts such as love, humanity, tolerance, and universality. The metaphors often found in his works and sayings carry deep meanings and provide guidance for understanding humanity. One of these metaphors is Mevlâna's "compass" metaphor.

^{Mevlâna Celâleddîn-i Rûmî (Source: Pinterest)}

Compass Metaphor

One of Mevlâna's most famous and profound metaphors is the one where he associates human life with the two legs of a compass. The compass metaphor is an important saying of Mevlâna about how a person should balance both their individual identity and their social relationships. Mevlâna defines one leg of the compass as "the earth" and emphasizes that this leg must remain fixed. The other leg, he refers to as "the world," is in constant motion. The compass creates a balance between the fixed leg on one side and the moving leg on the other.

Through this metaphor, Mevlâna expresses that people should hold on to their identities while also opening themselves up to the world. The fixed leg represents the person's essence—identity, belief, culture, values, and belonging. A person should stay connected to their roots, understand their identity correctly, and embrace it. The fixed leg ensures the person's safety, stability, and firmness. However, along with this patient and firm stance, the other leg, the moving leg, should open up to the world. A person, while remaining firmly in place, can still communicate with different corners of the world, understand different cultures, and see life from a broader perspective.

Life and Balancing for the Individual

Mevlâna explains the relationship between a person and the world through this metaphor. No matter how much one opens up to the world, they should not sever ties with their roots and identity. Otherwise, their relationship with the world becomes unhealthy, and they begin to drift. The fixed leg of the compass ensures the individual's inner peace and security. This inner peace and awareness of identity form the foundation of patience and resilience in life. The other leg enables the individual to open up to the external world. Mevlâna argues that by standing firm in place, a person can embrace all people and ideas, gaining richer and different perspectives while not compromising on their own identity and connecting with the world.

Position Against Radicalism

Mevlâna also used the compass metaphor as a guide against radicalism. If both legs of a person’s compass remain fixed, the person cannot travel, explore new ideas, or see life through a wider lens. This person adopts a radical attitude and becomes closed to change. However, the person who keeps one leg fixed while opening the other to the world can engage in dialogue with all kinds of ideas and show respect for different cultures and ways of life. Mevlâna's approach offers a significant principle to avoid narrow-mindedness that hinders personal growth.

Balance and Universality

Another crucial aspect of Mevlâna’s compass metaphor is the principle of universality. Mevlâna argues that a person should not limit their identity to only their own society, culture, or religion. The fixed leg forms the person's identity, but with the other leg, the person can engage in dialogue with people from different parts of the world, with various cultures and beliefs, and become a universal human. This approach reveals Mevlâna’s understanding of "humanity" because humanity is not limited to being a member of a single nation or culture. Mevlâna advises being a peaceful and tolerant person who respects the differences of everyone.