M6:3845 — کودک امرد به صورت بود زشت / هم نهاد اندر پس کون بیست خشت

Translation: The beardless youth, though ugly in appearance, Also placed twenty bricks behind his backside.

Meaning: This verse, with a seemingly contradictory depiction, introduces a young, beardless boy who, despite his apparent ugliness, takes defensive measures by piling bricks around himself to prevent assault.

Mowlana, that ocean of divine knowledge, occasionally employs astonishing and seemingly unconventional anecdotes to convey profound mystical and social insights. This verse is part of a story he uses to articulate a pivotal understanding: the tale of two brothers, one kūsa (peach-fuzzed) and one amrad (beardless). Although this specific line states the amrad child was 'ugly in appearance,' the entire narrative arc and the point Mowlana extracts from it are predicated on this child's beauty and desirability. It's as if Mowlana, with a double-edged or even ironic statement, alludes to the superficial appearance to later reveal the deeper truth. This amrad child, who is not safe from ill-intentioned individuals, places twenty bricks around himself in the bachelor's lodge (azab-khāneh) where he resides, to protect himself.

I have often stated that Mowlana, unlike some of his contemporaries, not only refrained from avoiding social realities but even utilized their most unpleasant aspects to uncover higher truths. In this story, the aggressive lūṭī stealthily creeps in and removes the bricks to fulfill his vile intention. This seemingly crude anecdote becomes a vehicle for Mowlana to launch one of his most significant social critiques: a critique of certain khāneqāhs (Sufi lodges) and mystical environments that, instead of being safe havens for seekers, had themselves transformed into 'bachelor's lodges' where even the most virtuous individuals were not safe.

In subsequent verses, the amrad child explicitly laments that even in the 'best place'—the khāneqāh—he found no safety. This critique by Mowlana is highly thought-provoking; he, who was nurtured by and loved mystical environments, did not close his eyes to their flaws. Yet, the point extends further: Mowlana derives a profound ethical and mystical conclusion from this story. He recounts that the other brother, the kūsa, despite his beauty and having only 'four hairs on his chin,' was left unmolested by others, and this, Mowlana states, was 'Divine Providence' (enāyat-e Elāhi). This suggests that sometimes, what we overlook—a few simple hairs on the face, a seemingly minor physical trait—can be a veil of divine grace that protects us from evil. Mowlana teaches us that reliance on 'bricks' and external measures, without divine wisdom and inner grace, is ultimately futile. The one enveloped by divine grace is safe without any bricks; and the one lacking this grace will not be secure even with twenty bricks or more. This is a story differentiating between external protection and inner support, between human endeavor and divine favor.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana employs a seemingly crude anecdote to deliver a sharp critique of moral and social deviations, even within religious and mystical environments like khāneqāhs.
• The futility of relying solely on superficial precautions (the bricks) for safety and chastity, in the absence of divine grace and favor.
• A small sign, like 'four hairs on the chin,' implicitly symbolizes divine providence, offering a deeper protection that requires no external effort.
• The narrative clearly distinguishes between human protection (relying on bricks) and unseen divine support (divine grace).
• This verse and its accompanying story demonstrate Mowlana's profound insight into social and ethical maladies of his time.