M6:2586 — اشتها صادق بود تاخیر به / تا گواریده شود آن بی‌گره

Translation: True appetite, delay in it is good, / So that it may be digested without a knot (difficulty). Meaning: This verse asserts that when a genuine hunger or desire is present, there is no need for haste; rather, patience and deliberation ensure that whatever is consumed or sought is fully assimilated and experienced without complication.

In this verse, Mowlana draws a profoundly insightful distinction between 'true appetite' (ishtihā-ye sādeq) and 'false desire' (shahvat-e kāzeb), a concept with extensive philosophical and ethical ramifications. He frames this discussion within the context of censuring haste in anger and revenge, likening it to the measured process of food digestion.

Mowlana argues that anger and transient dispositions, which arise from the human faculty of wrath (qovva-ye ghadabīyeh), are invariably accompanied by haste. An enraged individual rushes to exact revenge, fearing that with the subsidence of anger and the onset of contentment, the pleasure of retribution will vanish. This impulsiveness signals that the judgment stems from animalistic nature, not divine decree. Mowlana elaborates: "False desire rushes towards food; / Fear of losing pleasure is its sickness." One who possesses a false appetite—meaning they are sated but tempted by a delicious meal—will devour it immediately and hastily. This 'fear of losing pleasure' (khowf-e fowt-e zawq) is precisely what drives them to rush.

'True appetite,' however, operates in an entirely opposite manner. When genuine hunger and a deep need exist, the individual can exercise patience, eating with deliberation and calm, thoroughly chewing their food. It is here Mowlana states: "True appetite, delay in it is good, / So that it may be digested without knot (difficulty)." In this scenario, deliberation and delay are not defects but rather advantageous. This patience ensures that the food is digested smoothly, without complications, and its benefits are fully absorbed by the body. This is the crucial point: patience in the face of genuine desire, and haste when desire is false or fueled by anger.

Mowlana extends this analogy to the realm of judgment and punishment. He tells the oppressor who hastily punishes another: "The remedy for warding off tribulation is not tyranny; / The remedy is benevolence, forgiveness, and generosity." Even if you harbor ill suspicions about someone, do not rush to punish them. Forgive and postpone judgment. Perhaps with delay, myriad insights will unfold, and the truth of the matter will become clear. History is replete with tales of dictators who, in the throes of rage and power intoxication, killed or blinded their own children, only to regret their actions once their delirium subsided and anger cooled—a regret that proved futile. This haste, born of rage, is the very essence of 'false desire' that yields destructive outcomes.

This verse teaches us that the sincerity of any human desire can be gauged through the test of 'patience.' Any desire marked by haste is indicative of its falseness or its entanglement with anger and lower instincts. Conversely, a desire accompanied by serenity and endurance is rooted in truth and the depths of human existence, and its outcomes will be far more complete and flawless. This is an existential and ethical principle applicable both in spiritual endeavors and social interactions.

Key takeaways

• Patience and deliberation signify genuine appetite and profound desire; not haste.
• Haste and impulsiveness in matters often stem from false desires, anger, or lower instincts.
• In spiritual affairs, as in judgment and punishment, haste is forbidden, and delay serves a greater purpose.
• Delaying wrathful reactions allows one to avert future regret and destructive outcomes.
• True digestion and assimilation, whether of food or meaning and action, cannot be achieved through rushing and requires deliberation.