M6:2232 — چون شد آن ناشف ز نشف بیخ خود / ناید آن سویی که امرش می‌کشد

Translation: When that dried-up one became such, from the draining of its own root / It will no longer come to the direction its command draws it. Meaning: This verse refers to individuals whose spiritual roots have withered, rendering their souls inflexible and unable to respond to divine commands or spiritual inclinations.

Mowlana, in this profound verse, employs the vivid metaphor of the dry branch versus the fresh, pliable branch, extending it to the human spiritual condition. I contend this metaphor is pivotal for understanding the inner states of individuals confronting divine impulses. He recounts the tale of a gardener burning dry branches; one such branch protests, asking, 'Why do you burn me, I who am straight?' The gardener's reply is crucial: 'Were you useful, I wish you were crooked but moist.' This statement, to my mind, encapsulates the essence: straightness without vitality and moisture is worthless. What truly matters is flexibility and the capacity for transformation.

A fresh, moist branch, in Mowlana's terms, is an ʿozv-e ḥurr—a free and flexible limb that yields to every pull. From it, one can fashion a basket, or bend it into a hoop; it can be shaped in any desired form. This branch symbolizes a vibrant, dynamic soul, one that possesses pliancy and readily inclines toward command. Conversely, the term nāshef denotes 'dried-up.' When such a branch, or such a human existence, becomes nāshef 'from the draining of its own root,' meaning its spiritual roots have lost their moisture and become barren, it will no longer be able to move in the direction that its 'command draws it.' This command could be divine will, spiritual pulls, or even the guidance of a master.

This drying of the spiritual root, I believe, is an internal process that obliterates spiritual flexibility and inclination. Mowlana likens this state to the condition of the hypocrites in the Holy Quran, where it states: «إِذَا قَامُوا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ قَامُوا كُسَالَىٰ» (Surah An-Nisa, 4:142). When hypocrites rise for prayer, they do so with sluggishness, reluctance, and weariness. This very lassitude, this lack of fervor in worship, is precisely the sign of the dried-up branch. A moist branch readily inclines, but a dry branch, though it may appear outwardly straight and flawless, will never obey. It will not yield to the gardener's will to shape it. This is not due to conscious defiance, but rather to an existential incapacity arising from roots that have withered and lost all vitality.

Key takeaways

• The drying of spiritual roots leads to the loss of inner flexibility.
• Lethargy and reluctance in devotional acts signal a dried-up and un-refreshed soul.
• Mowlana deems lifeless straightness worthless, preferring flexible crookedness that retains vitality.
• The moist branch symbolizes a free and adaptable soul that inclines towards divine command.
• This verse serves as a warning against an existential inability to respond to spiritual calls, arising from an internal dryness.