M6:2467 — خون چکان رو کرد با شاه و بگفت / ظلم ظاهر بین چه پرسی از نهفت

Translation: With blood dripping, he turned to the King and said: O Seer of manifest oppression, why do you inquire of the hidden? Meaning: A bloodied victim of the king's guards turned to him and declared: When your oppression is so visible and undeniable, there's no need to ask about your concealed intentions or what greater cruelties might lie hidden; this very display of evil speaks for itself.

This verse depicts a scene through which Mawlana unveils the hypocrisy and hidden oppression lurking behind ostensibly virtuous acts. A king, en route to the congregational mosque, had his retinue clear the path by beating people with sticks. In the midst of this, an innocent individual, wounded and bleeding from this injustice, turned to the king and uttered these poignant words.

His question to the king, "Why do you inquire of the hidden?" is a rhetorical, profoundly accusatory query. He implies: When such blatant oppression, such bloodshed and harm, occurs so openly and visibly, what need is there to probe your hidden intentions or unseen evils? This very outward display of your conduct serves as irrefutable evidence of your inner reality. The stark contradiction between the ostensibly good deed (going to the mosque) and its palpably evil consequence forms the core of this critique.

Mawlana, elsewhere in the Mathnawi, elaborating on similar themes, raises a crucial philosophical point: true oppression (zulm) and deceit (makr) are uniquely human characteristics; animals, in a genuine sense, are not 'oppressors.' A wolf is merely a 'predator'; it lacks 'culture, cunning, and deceit' (farhang o kayd o makr). Here, we can refer to Gilbert Ryle's philosophy of first-order and second-order activities. Eating, sleeping, and preying are first-order activities, found in both animals and humans. However, 'eating oppressively' or 'preying unjustly' is a second-order activity, superimposed upon a first-order one, and necessitates 'intention' and 'awareness of moral concepts.' Animals lack the concept of 'justice,' therefore 'oppression' holds no meaning for them, and they cannot be 'oppressors.' Humans, however, consciously and with cunning, can perpetrate a form of oppression far more destructive than animal predation. This king, whose outward journey is for worship but whose inner being is steeped in oppression and transgression, embodies this very type of human evil, born of deceit and corrupt intentions.

Mawlana's critique thus calls humanity to a re-evaluation of its actions and intentions, demonstrating that outward virtue can never substitute for an inner state of integrity and freedom from oppression. The spilled blood and the cry of the oppressed are more revealing than any hidden intention; this 'hidden' truth is precisely what the 'manifest' action has brought to light.

Key takeaways

• Outwardly virtuous acts can never conceal wicked intentions or manifest oppression.
• Oppression and cunning, unlike natural animal predation, are uniquely human, stemming from intention and consciousness.
• What manifests outwardly often reveals a deeper, hidden truth about one's character or intentions.
• True spiritual integrity lies in the harmony between outward actions and inner disposition, and the avoidance of injustice.