M6:477 — کس نداند مکر او الا خدا / در خدا بگریز و وا ره زان دغا

Translation: None knows his deceit save God; / Flee to God and be saved from that rogue. Meaning: This verse warns that the deceiver—be it the ego or Shaytan—operates with such cunning that only God is aware of its full trickery. The sole path to salvation and liberation from this rogue is to seek refuge in the Divine Essence.

This verse emerges from a charming anecdote in the Masnavi, where Mawlana recounts a thief who first steals a man's ram and then, through cunning, also makes off with his clothes from a well. Immediately, however, Mawlana links this external thief to an internal one—heedlessness, the trickery of the ego (nafs), and Shaytan—thereby imbuing the story with a profound spiritual meaning.

In my view, this internal thief is precisely what Mawlana earlier refers to as the 'thief of life' and the 'thief of the steed of repentance.' This thief does not merely plunder our material assets; it targets our most precious spiritual capital: the opportunity for return and repentance. It operates with such guile and mischief, changing its guise 'like a thought, taking a new form every moment,' arraying itself in various colors to deceive us and divert us from the true path. This cunning and deceit are so hidden and intricate that they lie beyond the grasp of human intellect; 'None knows his deceit save God.' Our partial intellect and empirical experiences are insufficient to uncover all facets of this deception, for this thief lies in ambush within the depths of our soul, aware of our subtleties and weaknesses. Therefore, the only true refuge against such a hidden and powerful adversary is the Divine Essence. 'Flee to God and be saved from that rogue'; there is no other way to escape these internal and external deceptions save taking refuge in that absolute power who is aware of and capable over all tricks and stratagems. This is not merely an ethical recommendation but a practical and wise instruction for spiritual living.

In the broader discussion of repentance (tawba), Mawlana emphasizes that tawba is a 'second-order act,' unique to the human station—an action that reflects upon a human's prior action, an ability animals lack. This cunning thief precisely targets this unique human capacity for confessing error and returning to the right path. If heedlessness and sins become so burdensome that one loses the courage to confess them, the steed of repentance is stolen. This verse offers an antidote to this theft; a way to preserve that 'steed of repentance' which 'in an instant carries one from the lowlands to the heavens.' Taking refuge in God not only guarantees the protection of this steed but also paves the way for the transformation of sins into good deeds; as Mawlana states, 'If a perfect one grasps dust, it turns to gold,' and through repentance, evil deeds transform into gold. This is the practical wisdom of the Masnavi, which lifts us from the well of heedlessness to the zenith of salvation.

Key takeaways

• The cunning of the ego and Shaytan is so subtle and intricate that only God is fully aware of its every angle.
• Human intellect alone is insufficient to counter internal stratagems, necessitating refuge in a power beyond oneself.
• The sole path to liberation from the deceiver's tricks (both internal and external) is to take complete and unmediated refuge in the Divine Essence.
• This verse offers a practical directive for safeguarding one's spiritual capital and the 'steed of repentance' from the thefts of heedlessness and sin.