M6:1275 — چون بسی می‌کرد فن و آن می‌فتاد / گفت صد لعنت بر آن ابلیس باد

Translation: Since she was employing many tricks, and that [gold-leaf] kept falling off, she said: 'A hundred curses be upon that Iblis!' Meaning: After many failed attempts to adorn herself with gold from the Quran, the old woman, in a fit of frustration, curses Satan.

This particular verse unveils a narrative in the Masnavi that is at once comic and profoundly thought-provoking, masterfully depicted by Mawlana. It tells the story of an old woman, in the autumn of her life, consumed by the desire to attend a wedding. Her singular goal is to conceal the wrinkles of age and present herself as beautiful, no matter the cost.

In the throes of this desperate endeavor, she resorts to an unprecedented act: she turns to an exquisite handwritten Quran, whose pages are adorned with gold. She plucks the 'ashr from the manuscript—the gilded markers indicating every tenth verse in antique Qurans—and, using her saliva, affixes them to her face. Her intention is to embellish herself with the sheen of gold and mask her imperfections. Yet, these childish stratagems prove futile; each time she draws her veil, the gold flakes fall from her face, and the mask of deceit slips away. The more 'fan' (trickery) she employs, the more she fails.

The climax of the story lies precisely here: in the depths of her helplessness and despair, instead of feeling shame for her unseemly conduct, she furiously blames Satan, exclaiming: 'A hundred curses be upon that Iblis!' It is at this juncture that Mawlana, with subtle yet potent irony, exposes the profound self-deception and the ready deflection of blame inherent in human nature.

The narrative's conclusion is even more astonishing than the verse itself. Iblis, Satan, suddenly materializes and, with a mixture of astonishment and rebuke, tells the old woman that he himself has never conceived of such a sin, nor has he ever brought forth such a scandal throughout his existence. Satan, the very source of temptations and wickedness, is taught a lesson and left bewildered by this old woman, marveling at how one could combine such shamelessness and ignorance to desecrate a Quran for such a purpose, only to then shift the blame onto him!

This anecdote, far from being a simple tale, serves as an allegory for human beings who, in pursuit of trivial and superficial aims, disrespect sacred objects. When faced with failure, they refuse to take responsibility for their actions, instead pointing fingers at Satan. Through this story, Mawlana teaches us that the depth of human depravity and the ugliness of human behavior can sometimes surpass even what Satan himself can imagine. This is not merely an indictment of Satan, but rather a brilliant exposition of human self-deception and folly.

Key takeaways

• The tale illustrates how vanity and self-obsession can lead individuals to desecrate even the most sacred objects.
• It critiques the human tendency to displace responsibility for one's own ignoble actions, projecting blame onto others, even Satan.
• Mawlana, with this ironic narrative, shows that human depravity and folly can, at times, exceed even Satan's imagination.
• The futility of 'fan' (trickery) in the face of reality (the old woman's wrinkles) is an allegory for the ultimate failure of self-deception.
• The verse invites reflection on the true origins of our troubles and encourages us to refrain from misplacing blame.