M6:1632 — گر بگویی از پی تعلیم بود / عین تجهیل از چه رو تفهیم بود

Translation: If you claim it was for the sake of teaching, how could pure obfuscation be considered instruction? Meaning: Mowlana rejects the notion that the actions of divine saints are merely for the instruction of common people, questioning how an act that is inherently misleading could ever be termed teaching.

This verse is a direct rebuttal to shallow and literal interpretations that reduce the actions of divine saints to mere 'teaching.' Earlier, Mowlana had spoken of the Prophet Muhammad's humility, recounting how he would seek prayers from the miskinān (the poor and humble). The question then arises: was this sun-like behavior of the Prophet towards the atom-like masses solely for the purpose of instructing others?

I firmly believe, and Mowlana here definitively states, that such an interpretation is 'ayn-e tajhīl — pure obfuscation, an act of leading to ignorance rather than true understanding (tafhīm). To view the Prophet's actions as a mere didactic performance, devoid of their spiritual reality, is to deceive the audience. The Prophet's request for prayers was genuine, just as Imam Sajjad's supplications for forgiveness were heartfelt, not mere rhetorical exercises for our benefit. To disregard the truth of these spiritual states and reduce them to a pedagogical method is to lead the audience to misunderstanding and to obscure the profound depth of the matter.

In my view, the root of this intellectual error lies in our failure to comprehend the 'inverted world' or our 'inverted vision.' Mowlana elaborates in subsequent verses that 'royal treasure' (ganj-e shāhvār) is hidden within 'ruins' (kharābīhā). This is a universal principle in the realm of meaning: comfort is found in hardship, sweetness in bitterness, and true treasure in desolation. God sometimes leaves a 'reversed horseshoe print' (naʿl-e maʿkūs), meaning He provides a false trail to safeguard His treasures from the 'unworthy' (nā-maḥramān). 'Aversion is His reversed horseshoe print.' What appears unpleasant and undesirable to us can often be the true path, which God, through His 'divine jealousy' (ghayrat-e ilāhī), keeps hidden from those who are not meant to find it. This resonates with the concept of 'poverty is my pride' (al-faqr-u fakhrī), guiding the poor towards hidden treasures.

Our nafs (ego or self) is inherently 'accused' (muttaham); it seeks comfort and avoids difficulty. This inclination of our ego prevents us from confronting hardship and effort, even though many perfections and virtues are attained through struggle. If we consider ourselves 'accused' and overcome this comfort-seeking nature, we can then discern the divine 'reversed horseshoe print' and move from what we 'dislike' – that is, what is not pleasing to our nature – towards hidden treasures. This verse teaches us to always question our initial judgments and recognize that the path of truth often passes through avenues from which our ego instinctively recoils.

Key takeaways

• Divine actions should not be reduced merely to 'teaching'; such reduction itself is a form of obfuscation.
• Spiritual truth is veiled behind appearances; ignoring this distorts understanding.
• God sometimes leaves 'reversed horseshoe prints' (misleading signs) to guard spiritual treasures from the unworthy.
• What our ego finds unpleasant may well be the true path and the location of divine treasures.
• Every hardship or 'slap' from heaven is a prelude to an infinite reward and robe of honor.