M6:2918 — هر که او یک‌بار خود بدنام شد / خود نباید نام جست و خام شد

Translation: Whoever once became ill-reputed / Should no longer seek a good name, nor remain raw. Meaning: This verse suggests that once one has acquired a bad reputation, one should not strive to regain a good one, as this outward detachment can lead to spiritual maturity and freedom from public judgment.

This verse from Mowlana immediately draws us into the domain of the "Melāmatiyya" and "Qalandariyya"; orders of Sufis who consciously undertook actions that would appear objectionable in the eyes of the public. Through such deeds – like drinking water from a wine goblet to outwardly seem as if they were consuming alcohol, or hiding their acts of worship, and frequenting taverns and brothels – their aim was not sin, but to shun fame and public adoration. Their purpose was to make people turn away from them, so that they too might detach their hearts from creation and turn fully towards God. This meant they preferred "ill repute" (badnāmī) over "good repute" (khoshnāmī), so they might "turn their hearts entirely in that direction" (to God) and remain safe from the covetousness and superficial praise of people.

Mowlana, in this verse, teaches us precisely this meaning. He tells us that we should not scorn the "ill-reputed," but rather focus our attention on their secrets. For, "God's servants may well be hidden amongst the riff-raff," and behind an unseemly exterior, a beautiful soul and a sacred essence may be concealed. As he states: "Do not suppose every thicket to be empty / Perhaps a sleeping leopard lies within." This is a warning against our superficial and outward judgments as human beings. We look through "our own telescope," but "God's telescope" reveals something else, and of that, we are unaware. Our duty in this world is to observe social norms and ethics, yet this should not imply that we deem God's servants cast out from His mercy.

"Whoever once became ill-reputed / Should no longer seek a good name, nor remain raw" – meaning, whoever once donned this cloak of ill repute and was freed from the shackles of good name, should not again pursue a good name and outward fame, for that would be a return to "rawness" and immaturity. This liberation from public judgment is akin to freedom from the prison of the "self" and "social standing." Mowlana explains that "many a gold coin is blackened / so that it becomes safe from plunder and harm." That is, the precious inner essence is sometimes hidden beneath a dark guise and apparent ill repute to keep it away from the eyes of the greedy and envious. A Walī-Allah (friend of God) might appear in an unknown garment, or even in a seemingly blameworthy guise, to remain safe from worldly harms and false attentions. This is not only for the protection of the Walī himself but also serves as a test and training for our own perspective: can we penetrate beyond the veil of appearance to grasp the inner truth, or will we remain captive to "conjecture" and "form"? This is a great lesson that warns us against "outward judgment" and invites us to an "inner gaze."

Key takeaways

• The primary lesson of this verse is to avoid superficial judgments; inner truth transcends our perception.
• Outward ill repute can be a protective veil for the essence of one's being, freeing one from the bondage of public opinion.
• Once freed from the desire for good reputation, one should not seek public approval again; this is a regression to spiritual immaturity.
• Melāmatiyya is a path to sever greed for the world and its people, turning one's heart entirely to God.
• God sometimes conceals His servants in guises that our "own telescope" cannot recognize, though they are visible through "God's telescope."