M1:414 — هر که بیدارست او در خواب‌تر / هست بیداریش از خوابش بتر

Translation: Whoever is awake, he is in deeper sleep; Indeed, his wakefulness is worse than his sleep.

Meaning: This verse speaks of a worldly wakefulness, steeped in heedlessness and material pursuits, which is more detrimental than actual sleep. Such a cunning alertness, focused solely on livelihood, blinds one to deeper truths.

This verse from Mawlana, appearing after the tale of Layli and Majnun, serves as a pivotal point, a gateway into the deeper layers of the Mathnawi. It posits a fundamental distinction between true wakefulness and a form of "wakefulness" that is, in essence, a profounder veil than sleep itself.

Mawlana here refers to a worldly, calculating wakefulness—the zireki-ye ma'ishat-andishana or cunning alertness focused on livelihood and worldly affairs. This is the intellect's purely rational posture, set in opposition to ishq (love) and majdhūbiyyat (spiritual attraction). This kind of alertness traps one in the ceaseless management of daily life, business, and material interests, preventing the soul from ascending beyond these confines. Although such an individual may appear awake and astute, they remain profoundly oblivious to the higher truths and spiritual dimensions of existence. Their "wakefulness" is a deeper slumber of unawareness, more damaging than any physical sleep. It does not lead to truth; rather, it acts as a cage, imprisoning the individual in worldliness and obstructing the path to the source of life. This alertness, instead of illuminating the way, becomes the very obstacle.

As Sa'di also remarks concerning the oppressor: “I saw a tyrant sleeping at noon / I said, 'This mischief-maker, it's better if he sleeps.' / And he whose sleep is better than his wakefulness / Is as if dead in life.” In truth, a wakefulness that leads to corruption, injustice, or heedlessness of the Divine, is indistinguishable from non-existence; indeed, it is preferable for it not to exist. This echoes the famous fatwa by Ibn Taymiyyah, the renowned Sunni jurist, during the Mongol invasion of Egypt. He permitted the Mongols to become intoxicated and allowed alcohol to be sold to them, reasoning that their sober wakefulness yielded nothing but murder, plunder, and destruction. This approach prioritizes a neutral, harmless state over one that is catastrophic.

The wakefulness Mawlana truly values is bidari be-haq (true wakefulness)—an alertness in which one is constantly mindful of God and conscious of one's own shortcomings. These two pillars liberate the human being from heedlessness and open a window towards meaning and spirituality. A house without such a window to the Divine is no more than hell, even if its inhabitant appears outwardly awake and active. Wakefulness devoid of this divine connection is but a prison and a confinement for the soul.

Key takeaways

• Worldly wakefulness (cunning solely for material gain) is worse than the sleep of heedlessness.
• Pure intellect, devoid of love and spiritual attraction, imprisons humans in worldly contrivances.
• True wakefulness (bidari be-haq) involves remembering God and one's own shortcomings, opening a window to spirituality.
• Some forms of alertness, rather than guiding, become obstacles to truth, plunging individuals into deeper heedlessness.
• The example of Ibn Taymiyyah illustrates that sometimes unawareness and heedlessness are less harmful than oppressive wakefulness.