M6:2476 — گاو گفتا بوده‌ام من سال‌خورد / جفت آن گاوی کش آدم جفت کرد

Translation: The Cow said: "I have been long-aged; I am the mate of that Cow whom Adam took as his mate." Meaning:* This verse, spoken by a cow in a competition to prove its ancient lineage, claims it was the mate of the very cow Adam used for farming at the dawn of creation.

This verse is part of an allegorical tale in the Masnavi where a ram, a cow, and a camel compete to prove their ancient lineage to claim a bundle of grass. The ram first claims to have grazed with the ram sacrificed for Ishmael, linking its age to the era of Abraham. Here, the cow escalates the competition even further, making the astonishing claim that it was the mate of the very cow Adam used for ploughing and farming after his descent to Earth. This assertion effectively pushes the boundary of historical claim to its absolute limit, back to the very dawn of human creation, leaving no room for further argument based on antiquity.

I consider this a profoundly significant point. We witness here the culmination of arguments that seek to defeat an opponent through boasting, exaggeration, and rhetorical inflation. This is sophistry and playing with logic, or at least, with history. However, the crucial point that Mawlana immediately reaches after this verse, transforming the narrative into a deep philosophical allegory, is that when logical arguments, even historical boasts, run out, and no further means of overcoming an opponent through reason remain, brute force emerges. The camel, seeing it could not compete with such extreme historical claims, chose a different path: "I have no need for history at all." With an assertion of might, it swept away the table of arguments and, by sheer force, seized the bundle of grass. It is here that we observe how often force has indeed prevailed. Neither logic, nor philosophy, nor reason; when force enters the arena, all these are suspended.

Certainly, following World War II and with the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a monumental effort was made to curb force and replace violence with reason and logic. The 'right-bearing' human, endowed with inherent rights, irrespective of race, religion, or homeland, was introduced, marking a welcome development. Yet, we still see how this precious commodity has fallen into the hands of the powerful, and in the name of human rights, injustices have been perpetrated and pockets filled. As Mawlana says, "Let not man have sharp claws and fangs / For then he would care neither for faith nor rectitude." If man acquires potent claws, he considers neither religion nor ethics. This is the bitter reality of history: power often obstructs morality and reason.

Philosophers, both classical and modern, like Gilbert Ryle, who categorized actions into first-order and second-order, have shown that deceit, injustice, and hypocrisy are second-order actions found only in humans; animals, lacking the concept of justice, cannot be called unjust. Mawlana also states that "Though the wolf is exceedingly oppressive / It lacks that culture and cunning and guile." Meaning, despite its ferocity, the wolf is not deceitful or cunning, a trait peculiar to humans. This suggests that the danger posed by a cunning and powerful human surpasses that of any predator.

Hence, the approach of Sufis and mystics like Mawlana and Ghazali was to withdraw from power and focus on self-reform. They believed, as Marx would later articulate, "Philosophers have hitherto only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it." But for the Sufis, changing the world began with changing oneself. One should not wait for just rulers but practice benevolence and justice within one's limited sphere, from one's personal being to family and workplace. This story of the cow and the camel teaches us that "boasting" and argument, however elaborate, can be ineffective against "might" and force, posing a perennial challenge for ethics and wisdom.

Key takeaways

• Historical claims and logical arguments, however intricate, eventually reach an impasse.
• This verse signifies the peak of attempts to prevail through rhetoric and boasting.
• When argument ends, force and power often take over the arena.
• Mawlana uses this point to delve into a deeper philosophical discussion on the triumph of might over logic.
• The distinction between human cunning and animal ferocity is highlighted in the Masnavi.