M6:4102 — راه کردی لیک در ظن چو برق / عشر آن ره کن پی وحی چو شرق

Translation: You travelled a path, but in conjecture, like lightning's flash. Now, make a tenth of that path, following revelation, like the East's clear dawn. Meaning: This verse warns against navigating the spiritual journey based on fleeting conjectures and opinions, urging instead to seek definitive inner guidance, which is revelation.

In this verse, Mowlana unequivocally highlights one of the most crucial ontological and epistemological distinctions in the path of spiritual journey: the difference between traversing through 'conjecture' (ẓann) and moving under the light of 'revelation' (waḥy). This is a point I have repeatedly emphasized in my lectures, particularly when discussing Mowlana's stature as the "Tongue of Truth" and a source of certain knowledge (yaqīn).

"You travelled a path, but in conjecture, like lightning's flash"; many seekers, and indeed most people, rely on ẓann in their lives and spiritual pursuits. Ẓann can sometimes be baseless speculation, and at other times, it might refer to a theory or hypothesis that has not yet reached certainty. Ẓann is like lightning: it flashes brightly and swiftly, but its light is not sustainable, its illumination is incomplete, and it can easily lead one astray. This path is fraught with the danger of misguidance, as charlatans and deceivers lie in wait, ready to exploit this very ẓann and lack of certain guidance. Mowlana himself speaks elsewhere of the "crocodile's trap," a crocodile that opens its mouth and places worms on its teeth to lure greedy birds. Ẓann is the gateway to such traps.

In contrast, "Now, make a tenth of that path, following revelation, like the East's clear dawn". Here, Mowlana asks us to turn to waḥy instead of relying on unstable ẓann. Waḥy, in Mowlana's view, is not merely poetic inspiration; it is "waḥy-i ḥaqq"—divine revelation. As I have often stressed, I am a hundred percent convinced that Mowlana considered himself among those who receive revelation, although to avoid clerical accusations, he used the term "waḥy-i dil" (revelation of the heart). "Consider it the revelation of the heart, for God is aware of it / How can it be wrong, when it is His dwelling place?" Waḥy is that "speaking from a hidden sense" where "the transcendent becomes natural."

Waḥy is "like the East" (cho sharq), meaning like the sun rising from the East, dispelling darkness. This light is enduring, pervasive, and absolute. Unlike conjecture, which is intermittent and comes with a dim, unstable light, waḥy brings complete light and absolute certainty (yaqīn). This light illuminates the path from beginning to end, protecting the seeker from error and misstep. Relying on waḥy is relying on the very yaqīn (certainty) and wuṣūl (union) that the Masnavi promises its reader.

What is the meaning of "make a tenth of that path"? If ẓann has led us down a thousand paths, at least a tenth of that journey should be entrusted to waḥy. This could signify the qualitative superiority of divine revelation: even a small amount of revelatory guidance surpasses many conjectures and utterly transforms the path. Or perhaps it is an invitation to begin this path, suggesting that if one has hitherto followed conjecture, now is the time to seize the opportunity and, even if only to a small extent, benefit from waḥy. It is a practical invitation; an invitation to abandon "self-will" (khod-sarī) and surrender to guidance that is infallible. Ultimately, the Masnavi is the "travelogue of the soul" that shows the way home through "waḥy-i dil," not through fleeting and unstable conjectures.

Key takeaways

• Basing one's spiritual journey on ẓann (conjecture) is perilous, offering only an unstable and misleading light.
• Charlatans and spiritual brigands exploit the ẓann and lack of certainty in seekers.
• For Mowlana, waḥy (revelation) is the manifestation of a complete and certain light originating from God, always illuminating "like the East."
• Mowlana considered himself a recipient of "divine revelation" (waḥy-i ḥaqq), not merely poetic inspiration.
• Even a small portion of revelatory guidance qualitatively surpasses a great deal of personal and intellectual conjectures.
• The verse is an invitation to abandon self-will and rely on a source of guidance that leads to the ultimate destination.