M6:3905 — وقت پند دیگرانی های های / در غم خود چون زنانی وای وای

Translation: When advising others, you shout 'hay hay!' But in your own sorrow, you wail 'vay vay!' like women. Meaning: This verse critiques the hypocrisy and inner weakness of those who are fervent and commanding when counseling others, yet become helpless and impatient when confronting their own griefs and personal troubles.

This verse is one of Mowlana's most searing critiques, aimed squarely at preachers without practice and scholars who fail to admonish themselves. I submit that Mowlana here targets hypocrisy, echoing the Quranic dictum: "It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do" (Qur'an 61:3). This mismatch between word and deed, without doubt, darkens the heart and fosters inner discord.

Mowlana addresses those counselors who, when advising others, exclaim "hay hay!" with fervor, enthusiasm, and even a commanding tone, believing themselves masters of discourse and wisdom. Yet, these very same individuals, when confronted with their own sorrows and afflictions, descend into weakness and lamentation, wailing "vay vay!" like distraught women, utterly unable to cope with their own predicaments. This paints a bitter picture of a lack of self-cultivation and an inner hypocrisy. True words, I maintain, must arise from the heart and be embodied in action to truly resonate and be effective in the hearts of others. Words without deeds are like water from a rootless spring, devoid of luster.

As the eloquent Sa'di beautifully put it: "Knowledge is humanity, chivalry, and good manners; otherwise, you are a beast in human form." Knowledge, in my view, ought to make a person 'more themselves,' rather than losing them in the clamor of advising others. Mowlana tells these scholars: "O you who remove a hundred worries from hearts / Now it is your turn, so shake your beard!" This refers to the anecdote of Sultan Mahmoud, who, by shaking his beard, could save thieves from death. Mowlana implies that you possess the ability, through your knowledge and wisdom, to resolve the difficulties of others and rescue them; why then, when it comes to your own turn, do you fail to employ this power and skill? If your "beard" (meaning your knowledge, foresight, and piety) is "stolen" – that is, not genuinely internalized – then you have, in fact, laughed at your own beard and made a mockery of yourself; in Mowlana's terms, "Die without skill, for you are less than a cat."

Mowlana then introduces the profound concept of "weaving" (bāfandangī), which reminds me of the critiques of the late Dr. Seyyed Ja'far Shahidi. He was skeptical of philosophical and mystical achievements that led merely to a proliferation of words and concepts without truly addressing one's inner state and actions, labeling such endeavors as "weaving." Mowlana raises the same critique, asking: "What you have woven for fifty years with consciousness / Now wear a wide garment of that fabric yourself!" That is, all this knowledge, argumentation, and "discourse" that you have woven like a precious cloth – what has been its outcome for yourself? From all this mental tapestry, fashion a wide robe (baghal-tāq) for yourself, so that all may see what the fruit of all this intellectual and theoretical activity has been for you. As our proverb goes, "You grazed all this time, where is your fat?" The true product of knowledge is the growth and perfection of the knower himself, not merely 'informing' others.

I firmly believe that "self-knowledge" is the very essence of all knowledge. Mowlana elsewhere stated: "The essence of all sciences is this: / That you know who I am on the Day of Judgment." If one knows the entire world and masters all sciences and arts, yet remains ignorant of oneself and devoid of self-gnosis, one has truly suffered a loss. Losing oneself in the din of advising others and boasting of knowledge is an irreparable loss. True knowledge is that which makes a human being "more oneself," leading them to become "more me" and complete. Therefore, O physician to others, first heal yourself, and summon the same fervor and enthusiasm you have for counseling others, for confronting your own sorrows.

Key takeaways

• The contradiction between advising others and failing to address one's own problems is a sign of hypocrisy and a lack of self-cultivation.
• Effective words emerge from a heart that has practiced what it preaches, transcending mere rhetoric into embodied action.
• True knowledge must lead to the growth and perfection of its possessor, not merely to boasting or counseling others.
• The counselor must first be their own physician; for knowledge without practice diminishes a person to less than a cat.
• Self-knowledge is the essence and soul of all sciences; without it, all other knowledge remains fruitless.