M6:2288 — دیو حرص و آز و مستعجل تگی / نی تانی جست و نی آهستگی

Translation: My demon of avarice and greed and hasty rushing Neither sought deliberation (taʾannī) nor slowness (āhesteghī). Meaning: This verse is the treasure-seeking dervish's confession that his greed and impatience prevented him from exercising deliberation, slowness, and patience on his path to his goal.

This verse is uttered by the treasure-seeking dervish himself, in a state of repentance and return to the Divine Presence. He confesses to his Lord that the demon of avarice, greed, and haste prevented him from exercising patience and deliberation, leading him to pursue his quest for the treasure with reckless abandon and urgency.

I firmly believe that 'hastiness' (mustaʿajel-tagī or ʿajūl būdan) is a significant moral vice. It implies disregarding the natural course of events required for achieving a goal, and instead of patiently traversing the path, one wishes or demands that nature accelerate its pace to instantly fulfill one's objective. When we plant a seed, we should not impatiently demand that it grow faster than it naturally would—to quickly become a sturdy tree, blossom, and bear fruit. The expectation that 'it should take six months for others, but six days for me' is a prime example of such hastiness. True patience means moving at the pace dictated by the sequence of events, not trying to outrun them or wishing for more than is naturally possible.

Here, the distinction between 'hope' (omīd) and 'vain desire' (ārzū) becomes crucial. Hope arises when one has taken action and awaits its natural, logical outcome. Vain desire, however, is an unwarranted expectation without corresponding effort; one has done nothing, yet expects one's wishes to materialize. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) reportedly said that one of the things he feared for his community was 'longing for distant aspirations' (tūl-al-āmal), which refers to such vain desires. These desires involve idly sitting, doing no work, and expecting that simply by being a 'chosen people,' God will fulfill all wishes and unduly grant superiority over others. These are all empty, hasty desires, whereas we should only expect results commensurate with the seed we have sown, the water we have given, and the plant we have nurtured, nothing more.

The word 'demon' (dīv) in 'the demon of avarice and greed' refers to moral vices. In Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, too, 'demons' are not supernatural beings but wicked and morally depraved humans; as he says, 'Consider the demon to be the evil person, who offers no gratitude to God.' I recall once, when a bride expressed fear of jinns and demons, I quoted Saʿdī: 'Fear not the demon, for it does not mingle with people; rather, fear people who are demonic in nature.' It's fascinating that the root of the word 'dīv' in ancient and Indo-European languages was actually synonymous with 'god' or 'divine'; 'divine' in English, 'dieu' in French, and 'deity' all stem from this root. Initially, sacred beings were called 'dīv'; however, over time, in Persian, the word came to denote malevolent invisible beings and, in literature, moral vices, while noble beings were called 'malak' (angel) or 'fereshteh'.

Mawlana, in another part of the Masnavi, attributes this message of deliberation and slowness to God Himself: God created the universe in six days, even though He could have done so in a single second or moment. This divine deliberation (taʾannī) is a lesson for humanity, urging us to 'always proceed slowly and correctly in all affairs.' This gradualness in creation is a clear message that we too should act with contemplation and slowness, avoiding haste.

It is interesting to note that this was one of the first verses from the Masnavi that became embedded in my mind and memory during my youth, through Shaykh Bahāʾī's Kashkūl. Kashkūl is a comprehensive book of various disciplines, which also includes selections from the Masnavi. This verse, in a way, parallels Saʿdī's famous couplet, 'The wolf with a bloody mouth, who did not devour Joseph.' It implies that sometimes hasty and fruitless efforts only lead to toil and infamy, without achieving the intended goal.

Key takeaways

• Avarice, greed, and haste are moral vices that prevent individuals from exercising deliberation and patience.
• Achieving goals requires following the natural, gradual course of events; one cannot impetuously force nature to accelerate.
• 'Hope' is based on action and the expectation of logical outcomes, whereas 'vain desire' is wanting without performing any work.
• The lesson of 'deliberation' and gradualness in tasks is evident even in God's creation of the universe.
• In Persian literature, 'demon' (dīv) symbolizes moral vices and ill-natured individuals, rather than merely supernatural beings.