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One of the most important developments that took place with the spread of mysticism and Sufism in Persian literature, especially in long mystical verses, was the attention towards folk culture and literature. In this sense, Rumi's Masnavi is a reflection of the folk culture, language, and customs. Contrary to this prominent characteristic, the terms folk and folklore have always been used in Masnavi with a negative connotation. However, one needs to seek whether Rumi uses this term to refer to a certain social class, or a certain character, behavior or attitude which makes him use it for a certain person or group. This descriptive-analytical paper addresses the status of the term folk in Masnavi. The findings indicate that the term does not necessarily imply the common people of the society. Certain attitudes that judge based on the superficialities and common sense are the main referents of the term in Masnavi. The transcendent spiritual condition may well have existed among the most common people; however, the superficial and shallow attitude may be common to the elites, philosophers, and even mystics who have not yet reached the status of Magham.

Keywords: Rumi's Masnavi, folk culture and literature, popular characters, popular attitude, common people.

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