M6:2350 — ترک این سخته کمانی رو بگو / در کمان نه تیر و پریدن مجو

Translation: Abandon this hard-drawn bowing; seek no arrow in the bow, nor seek to fly. Meaning: This verse admonishes us to cease over-exertion and the imposition of our will in spiritual and intellectual matters, urging us not to seek outcomes that are not naturally present or earned.

I consider this verse to be one of Mowlana's most profound admonitions concerning epistemic humility and spiritual surrender. Here, Mowlana explicitly tells us to refrain from 'meddling' (فضولی) in the realm of truth. 'Hard-drawn bowing' (سخت‌کمانی) is a metaphor for over-exertion, for drawing the bow beyond its capacity or necessity. It is akin to someone wanting to grasp more of the truth than is their due, or more than their capacity allows, or to impose their will upon it.

I can elucidate this point with an example I have often cited from the commentaries on Nahj al-Balagha. Imam Ali (A.S.) explicitly states that he strove to comprehend the secret of death, but God refused and kept it hidden. However, some commentators, in a form of epistemic 'meddling,' instead of accepting this Alawite surrender, added in a parenthetical note that 'and I indeed found it, but God told me not to reveal it to others.' This addition, this insistence on knowing, and even claiming knowledge where the source himself confessed to not knowing or denied possessing that knowledge, is precisely the 'hard-drawn bowing' against which Mowlana warns. As he puts it: 'Who told you to draw the bow? Just see what is and interpret it.'

What does 'Seek no arrow in the bow, nor seek to fly' mean? It means that if there is no arrow in your bow, do not expect to fly or reach a target. Flight and hitting the target are the natural outcomes of possessing an arrow and the skill of archery. This expression is a warning against 'forcefulness' (زورآوری) on the path of spiritual journey and truth. Where surrender is required, one should not act with arrogance or self-display, nor claim equality with divine revelation or absolute truth. This is a place for 'humble supplication' (زاری), not 'force' (زور). We must seek the treasure of knowledge with humility and modesty, not by over-drawing the bow and demanding what is not within our grasp. This surrender does not mean passivity; rather, it signifies liberation from epistemic egocentricity and the acceptance of one's own existential and epistemic limits. It is the pinnacle of the seeker's decorum before Truth.

Key takeaways

• Refrain from over-reaching and epistemic meddling in the realm of truth.
• Accept truth as it is, not as we wish or assume it should be.
• In spiritual matters, surrender and humility are superior to forcefulness and claims of superior knowledge.
• When the bow is empty of arrows, expecting flight or hitting the target is futile.
• This verse critiques intellectual and spiritual hubris, inviting humility before truth.