M6:1429 — حاصل آنک از هر ذکر ناید نری / هین ز جاهل ترس اگر دانش‌وری

Translation: The outcome is that not every utterance (dhikr) brings forth manliness (nari); hence, fear the ignorant if you are knowledgeable. Meaning: This verse warns that not every word holds value, nor is every speaker trustworthy; we must be wary of friendships and associations with the ignorant, who may possess a pleasing exterior but a deceptive interior.

Mowlana, in this and surrounding verses, speaks of the characteristics of the ignorant person (jāhil), the hypocrite (munāfiq), and the bad companion (qarīn-e bad). He depicts the ignorant as a being of 'two natures' (do-ālat) or a 'hermaphrodite' (khonthā), lacking in character (bī-shakhṣiyyat) or having a dual personality. Such a person is devoid of a fixed, decisive identity; they change colors with every turn, saying one thing today and another tomorrow, akin to what Mowlana calls a 'narmādeh' (androgynous being), neither fully male nor fully female, capable of appearing in different guises in every situation. This lack of stability and integrity makes them a 'nobody' (hīch-kas), as Sa'di also labels such individuals: "Whoever is with one person in the morning / Has a different desire every evening. To you, he says, 'You are the one today / Who is my intimate and soulmate.' Then to another, he says the same / 'This world without you is a cage for my heart.' Wherever you see such a person / Pay him no heed, for he is a nobody."

I contend that this hypocrisy and lack of character is the most central trait of the jāhil in Mowlana's view. When he says, "The outcome is that not every utterance (dhikr) brings forth manliness (narī)", he means that not every speech or companionship leads to the emergence of manliness, courage, forthrightness, and personal integrity. Rather, associating with such duplicitous individuals only brings weakness and vacillation. Narī here signifies honesty and decisiveness of character, contrasting with the jāhil's instability and fickleness. Hence, Mowlana immediately warns, "Hence, fear the ignorant if you are knowledgeable." This fear Mowlana advises does not stem from our weakness or abjection, but rather from our shrewdness and understanding of the jāhil's poisonous nature.

I believe Mowlana emphasizes here that even the kindnesses and friendships of the ignorant are deceptive and must be avoided. He says in subsequent verses: "Listen little to the friendship of a sweet-talking ignorant person, for it is like ancient poison," and continues: "He calls you 'dear mother, light of my eyes', but only grief and regret will come from it." These sweet words and deceptive appearances are like a deadly poison that gradually takes effect, bringing nothing but sorrow and regret. The example of the ignorant mother who, out of misguided affection, prevents her child from attending school, illustrates this point precisely: sometimes the ignorant's well-intentioned acts are more dangerous than an enemy's deliberate harm. For this reason, the old proverb, "A father's slap is better than her sweets," signifies that encountering a bitter, unpleasant truth from a knowledgeable person is far more valuable and beneficial than the sweet, destructive deceptions of the ignorant.

Key takeaways

• Recognize the dual and unstable nature of the ignorant and hypocritical.
• Manliness and forthrightness (nari) in speech and action stand in contrast to hypocrisy and lack of character.
• Beware of superficial friendships and sweet words from the ignorant, as they act like hidden poison.
• Knowledge and insight are tools for recognizing and avoiding harm from the ignorant.
• Bitter, realistic truth is far more valuable than pleasant but destructive deceptions.