M6:2603 — بزم و زندان هست هر بهرام را / بزم مخلص را و زندان خام را

Translation: For every King, there is both a feast and a prison; the feast is for the sincere, and the prison is for the unripe. Meaning: This verse asserts that every ruler, including the Divine, administers both reward and correction. The sincere are invited to the celebratory feast, while the unrefined and wayward are confined to the prison, for their spiritual maturation and purification.

Mowlana speaks with profound precision and depth in this verse. "Bahram" here should not be understood as a specific historical king, but rather as a general term for "ruler" or "sovereign," a designation that extends, fundamentally, to God, the ultimate sovereign. The core of justice, in Mowlana's view, is waḍʿ andar mawḍiʿash—placing everything in its rightful position. In contrast, injustice is waḍʿ dar nā-mawqiʿash—placing something in an improper position. Therefore, there is no absolute good or evil; rather, the beneficence or malevolence of any phenomenon is contingent upon its context and timing.

Similarly, both the bazm (feast, place of celebration and intimacy) and the zindān (prison, place of confinement and punishment) are tools at a ruler's disposal. However, the application of each depends on the state and position of the addressed individual. "Bazm-i mukhliṣ rā wa zindān-i khām rā" signifies that the sincere (mukhliṣān), those whose essence is purified and ready for presence, belong in the bazm, the assembly of spiritual intimacy. Conversely, the "raw" or "unripe" (khāmān), who are still unrefined, astray, and distant from truth, belong in the zindān.

Yet, this "prison" should not be perceived as mere punishment or arbitrary cruelty. This zindān is a prison of discipline, a prison of spiritual training. Just as inappropriate sweets can harm someone (for an untimely ḥalwā increases bile and disrupts temperament), sometimes zajr (suffering or harshness) and zindān are pure good for the wretched (maskīn). This implies that in certain circumstances, a temporary hardship or an outwardly punitive measure saves an individual from greater harm and redirects them toward the right path. It is like striking a vile person to cleanse them of their vileness, or, as Mowlana says, "Give a slap in time to the poor, that it may save him from being beheaded." This outward harshness is, in essence, mercy; it combats the "bad habit" (khū-yi bad) rather than the person themselves, akin to beating the "dust" (gard) off a carpet, not the "felt" (namad) itself, to remove impurities.

This insight is further illuminated by contrasting it with the misguided application of an "ointment" (marham): if a festering boil must be lanced to release its pus, merely applying an ointment will only drive the pus deeper, eventually destroying the bone. Thus, the zindān for the khāmān is like lancing a wound—an action seemingly harsh, but in reality vital and salvific for purification and maturation. This is how God, the ultimate sovereign, in His boundless generosity (karam), does not neglect justice (ʿadl), placing everything in its appropriate context so that the ultimate goal—transcendence and return to one's origin—may be realized.

Key takeaways

• Divine justice is defined as "placing everything in its proper position," not merely as reward and punishment.
• Concepts of good and evil are not absolute; their nature is determined by their "position" or context.
• The "feast" (grace and acceptance) is for the sincere, while the "prison" (discipline and hardship) is for the raw and unrefined.
• Prison for the unrefined is not arbitrary punishment but necessary training for inner purification and salvation.
• Sometimes an outwardly harsh or difficult action is, in essence, an act of kindness and good, preventing greater harm.
• Spiritual refinement requires confronting necessary hardships, rather than resorting to superficial remedies.