M6:3841 — امردی و کوسه‌ای در انجمن / آمدند و مجمعی بد در وطن

Translation: A beardless youth and a sparsely-bearded one in an assembly / Arrived where a gathering existed in their home-town. Meaning: This verse introduces a story about two brothers, one appearing as a completely youthful boy and the other as a slightly older youth with sparse facial hair, attending a gathering, thereby setting the stage for a discussion on vulnerability and spiritual protection within society.

This verse serves as an introduction to one of the most poignant yet illuminating narratives in the Masnavi, a tale from which Mowlana draws a profoundly mystical conclusion; a seemingly vulgar story, yet pregnant with deep meaning. The narrative speaks of two brothers: one an amrad (a beardless youth, still lacking the marks of manhood) and the other a kūseh (a youth with sparse facial hair, just beginning to show signs of maturity). They spend a night in an azab-khāneh, a bachelor's lodging. The amrad, to protect himself, piles bricks around his bed, while the kūseh sleeps soundly without such precautions. A loṭī (a predatory individual in this context) stealthily removes the bricks, intending harm. In the ensuing confrontation, the loṭī asks the amrad why he had piled the bricks, and the amrad responds that he is not safe from aggressors, not even in khanqahs. He points to his brother, who, because of a few strands of hair, remains unharmed.

Here, Mowlana launches a sharp and explicit critique of khanqahs. These institutions, which ought to be havens of safety and purity, have themselves devolved into azab-khānehs where Sufis, in contravention of the Prophet's tradition, have abandoned marriage and succumbed to moral corruption. Mowlana asks in astonishment: "When the khanqah, which should be the best place, / Gave me no safety for a single moment, / How will the common marketplace be? / A donkey-herd and raw devils?" This query reveals his concern for spiritual corruption within human hearts, not merely within a social setting.

However, the climax and conclusion Mowlana draws—which I find both 'strange' and 'extraordinary'—is his interpretation of those 'four hairs' on the kūseh's chin not merely as a superficial difference, but as a sign of 'divine grace' (ʿināyat-e ilāhī). In essence, these hairs serve as an 'unseen barrier' for the kūseh, a veil that wards off devils and aggressors. This implies that God, out of His bounty and grace, creates a protection for some of His servants, safeguarding them from temptations and impurities, even if they themselves are seemingly unaware. Thus, the apparently social narrative ascends to a deeper layer of human existence. Mowlana, whose primary concern is the 'human condition' rather than historical or political events, extracts an existential and mystical conclusion even from such a story, which could otherwise be read as a mere social critique. This conclusion points to humanity's unawareness of hidden divine mercies. Those few strands of hair here function not in themselves, but as a sūrat (form) of the bī-ṣūratī (formlessness) of divine grace. These are the unseen realities that the superficial eye misses, but which the gnostic comprehends.

Key takeaways

• The beyt exemplifies Mowlana's ability to extract profound mystical meaning from seemingly crude or simple anecdotes.
• Mowlana offers a direct critique of moral corruption within khanqahs, which had deviated from their spiritual purpose.
• The 'four strands of hair' on the kūseh's chin symbolize 'divine grace' (ʿināyat-e ilāhī) that protects an individual from harm.
• The story reflects Mowlana's concern for the human condition and humanity's unawareness of hidden divine protections.
• Spiritual protection is not solely a result of conscious effort but can be a manifestation of hidden divine favor.