M6:3894 — ما نمی‌گفتیم که اندر کش مکش / اندر آتش هم‌چو زر خندید خوش

Translation: Was it not us who said, amidst all strife, laugh joyfully like gold in the fire? Meaning: This verse is a self-reproach from the elder brother, recalling how they used to advise others to find joy and resilience in the heart of struggles, to be like gold purified by fire, laughing and shining through adversity.

This verse, found within the narrative of the three prince brothers, is essentially the elder brother's internal, reproachful cry to himself and his siblings. He recalls how they used to impart lessons of resilience and joy amidst adversity, asking: 'Was it not we who told people that in the fiery crucible of contention and hardship, one should laugh joyfully like pure gold?' This is a question about forgotten wisdom, about those days when they themselves were advisors and guides, yet now find themselves ensnared in difficulty.

Mowlana, with artistic grace, employs the metaphor of 'gold laughing in the fire.' Gold in fire does not burn; rather, it is purified of its dross. It is as if he is saying: we taught others to cherish difficulties and tribulations not as enemies, but as opportunities for spiritual refinement and essential purity; a chance to cleanse the impurities of one's being and emerge more luminous. This laughter is not one of carelessness, but of strength and triumph over suffering; the laughter of one who knows that in this fire, impurities burn away and the essence of one's being shines brighter.

'Kashmakash' (کشاکش) here refers to all the pains, conflicts, and turbulences of this world. Our lives are replete with these struggles, yet we taught others that one must remain steadfast and cheerful in this arena. Jalal Homayi, the great Mowlana scholar, points out a subtle linguistic detail here: the word 'qānūn' (قانون - law/rule) is rarely seen in classical Persian literature, and Mowlana, by employing it, transcends conventional linguistic boundaries.

This verse serves as a prelude to Mowlana's deeper critique of scholars who do not practice what they preach, and advisors who remain unheeded by their own counsel. These are individuals who do not truly believe in or act upon their own words. This echoes the Quranic dictum: 'It is most hateful in the sight of God that you say what you do not do.' Such speech becomes ineffectual, and the speaker, a hypocrite. Counsel is effective only when it emanates from the heart and is manifested in action. Patience and resilience are not mere passivity and endurance, but active perseverance and diligent pursuit in the face of challenges until one reaches the goal. It is here that Mowlana asks with a chiding tone: 'What happened to this key of patience? Has the law, strangely, been abrogated?'

Key takeaways

• The verse is an inner cry from an advisor who, amidst life's struggles, has forgotten his own counsel.
• In the fire of hardships and conflicts, one must be joyful and steadfast, like pure gold.
• Hardships are not enemies, but opportunities for spiritual purification and the removal of impurities.
• This laughter is not one of carelessness, but of power and triumph over suffering.
• A lesson from Mowlana: A teacher's words resonate only when they are lived by the teacher himself.