M6:2378 — مرغزی و رازی افتند از سفر / همره و هم‌سفره پیش هم‌دگر

Translation: A Marghazi and a Razi met on a journey, Becoming companions and table-sharers, face-to-face. Meaning: This verse illustrates how people from vastly different backgrounds, like travelers from Marv and Rey, are brought together by fate for a period of travel or life, sharing companionship and meals.

Mowlana, in this verse, embarks on the tale of the three travelers – a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew – a story also recounted by Shams-e Tabrizi. However, Mowlana, through his unique expansion and deepening, employs it as a foundational allegory for the human condition in this ephemeral world. This particular beyt emphasizes the 'mingling' and 'mixture' of human beings, a mixing that is superficial and temporary, not intrinsically real or permanent. A 'Marghazi,' from Marv, and a 'Razi,' from Rey, represent disparate geographical origins (east and west of Iran), symbolizing cultural, creedal, and even inner differences among people. Yet, the 'singular path' of travel brings them together, making them 'table-sharers.'

I contend that this world is fundamentally a 'realm of mixtures.' This existence, in essence, is a 'caravanserai' or even a 'prison' where all of us are gathered. Just as 'crows, owls, and falcons' might be placed in a single cage, or the 'pious and the impious' confined together, divine will has decreed that in this world, good and bad, worthy and unworthy, of every stripe and sort, shall coexist. This divine ordinance mandates such a 'mixture,' but it is a temporary and incidental commingling, not an essential or eternal one. Like travelers who temporarily shelter together in a caravanserai due to snow or storm, human beings also coexist in this transient abode of the world.

From Mowlana's perspective, this apparent coexistence does not alter the existential depth of human beings. As he states: «خلق در بازار یکسان می‌روند / نیم در ذوق‌اند و نیمی دردمند» (People walk alike in the marketplace / Half are in joy and half are in pain). You observe people in the market, all dressed similarly, walking side by side, yet internally, one is immersed in delight and joy, another drowned in sorrow, one plotting theft, another engaged in honest trade. This 'uniform appearance' is deceptive. The 'cage' of this world will eventually be opened, and 'each of the birds will fly towards the destination it yearns for.' This is where the 'real division' takes place; the inhabitants of Paradise go one way, and others go another, and 'their destinies become manifest.'

The crucial element here is humanity's inner 'shauq' (ardent longing) and 'andisheh' (motive). «ای برادر تو همه اندیشه‌ای / مابقی خود استخوان و ریشه‌ای» (O brother, you are entirely your motive / The rest is but bone and sinew). Here, 'andisheh' does not merely signify rational thought, but rather 'motive,' 'will,' and 'ideal.' It means that 'our ultimate path will be determined by the longing we hold in the depths of our souls.' It is this longing that 'opens the way' for a person and guides them toward their true 'Ma'ad' (return or ultimate destination). This is a profound lesson for the 'pluralism of salvation'; that 'no unbeliever should ever be looked down upon,' for 'there is hope that they might die as a Muslim.' Meaning, their inner being, that hidden longing, can lead them to salvation and deliverance, regardless of their current external appearances or creeds.

Key takeaways

• This world is a place of temporary and superficial mixing of diverse individuals with varied backgrounds.
• External and coerced companionships do not reflect the true essence or inner purpose of human beings.
• This world is akin to a caravanserai or a prison where divine decree has gathered disparate individuals.
• Ultimately, it is each person's inner longing (shauq) and motive (andisheh) that define their true path and destiny.
• Appearances can be deceiving; it is the inner, spiritual state that holds ultimate significance.
• Based on the principle of "pluralism of salvation," no human should be judged or disparaged by their outward state, as their inner trajectory may lead to salvation.