M6:3048 — لیک جمعیت ندارد جان موش / بجهد از جانش به بانگ گربه هوش

Translation: But the mouse's soul lacks cohesion (jam'iyyat), Its awareness (hoosh) leaps from its being at the cat's roar.

Meaning: This verse asserts that mere numerical multitude does not equate to power. The soul of mice, lacking inner unity and resolve, becomes scattered and loses its senses with just a single meow from a cat.

This verse emerges from a profound parable where Mawlana juxtaposes an army of mice against a cat, aiming to reveal the deep meaning of jam'iyyat. I have often reiterated in my lectures that jam'iyyat is not merely the outward gathering of bodies, but rather the unity of hearts and the internal coherence of souls; a concept we might call 'spiritual cohesion' or 'inner integration.' This true jam'iyyat is utterly absent in the soul of mice.

Mawlana illustrates: if the mice possessed genuine jam'iyyat and shared purpose, they would, out of zeal and courage, gather together and attack the cat like Fada'iyan (self-sacrificing devotees) without a moment's hesitation. One would blind the cat with a blow, another would tear its ear with a fang, and a third would pierce its flank, leaving the cat no escape. This demonstrates that for Mawlana, true power does not lie in numerical superiority; thousands, even a hundred thousand mice, lacking inner unity, are as 'nothing' against a cunning cat.

Mawlana emphasizes that superficial multitude is merely 'feshār'—a vain, empty display. As I've said, bodies and names are 'on the wind' (bar bād), lacking true foundation. That is to say, real, intrinsic validity belongs to spiritual cohesion. Just as a butcher is unafraid of a flock of sheep, or a multitude of wakeful thoughts is ultimately overcome by the army of sleep, physical plurality can never overpower spiritual unity. It is 'Malik al-Mulk' (The Sovereign Owner) who grants the lion its formidable 'sowlat' (majesty/ferocity) to charge a herd of zebras, just as He bestows upon a Yusuf a beauty like 'mazn' (rain-cloud), to rain down divine grace upon souls. This jam'iyyat is a divine gift, not a product of physical aggregation.

Therefore, this verse applies not only to mice and cats but also to human beings and societies. If the human soul lacks spiritual cohesion, its 'hoosh' (awareness/intellect) will flee in fear and delusion at every sound. This is a profound warning: to overcome fears and challenges, we must seek inner unity and integration rather than relying on outward numbers. And this unity, profoundly, is a matter of the heart and spirit, a divine bestowal.

Key takeaways

• True power lies not in numerical strength, but in inner unity and cohesion.
• A lack of spiritual integration causes intellect and awareness to flee in the face of the slightest fear.
• Mawlana defines 'jam'iyyat' as spiritual empathy and internal coherence, not mere physical aggregation.
• The disunited mice symbolize those who, despite their numbers, lose their senses when confronted by a minor threat.
• Inner unity and zeal can transform fear into sacrificial courage.
• Meaningful, heartfelt cohesion is a divine gift that must be earnestly sought.