M6:4244 — لیک نفقه‌ش بیش و کم چیزی نماند / خواست دقی بر عوام‌الناس راند

Translation: But nothing, neither little nor much, of his sustenance remained; he wished to beg (daq) from the common people. Meaning: This verse describes the plight of a man who, after a long journey, has lost all his possessions and now, for survival, sees no option but to resort to begging from the general populace.

This verse immediately follows the point in the story where our protagonist, guided by an invisible caller (Hatef — an ancient Arabian mythological entity, a voice from the unseen, though not mentioned in the Quran), journeys from Baghdad to Egypt in search of a hidden treasure. The man, once affluent and respected, has spent all his accumulated wealth on the expenses of this arduous journey. He now finds himself in Egypt, utterly penniless, which sets the stage for his profound dilemma.

The phrase "nothing of his sustenance (nafaqa) remained, little or much" makes it clear that all his material provisions and means of livelihood are utterly exhausted. It is at this juncture that "he wished to beg (daq) from the common people (ʿawām-al-nās)." The term daq or daq rāndan literally means to knock and to beg, akin to daq-al-bāb (knocking on a door). A man who had never before extended a hand in need now finds himself compelled to solicit financial aid from the ordinary folk, the common populace.

This moment marks a pivotal turning point in the narrative and, indeed, in the spiritual evolution of the character. Mawlana subsequently illustrates the profound internal conflict the man experiences, caught between his "shame (sharm) and self-respect (himmat)" on one hand, and the gnawing pangs of "hunger (mujāʿat, from jūʿ meaning famine or starvation)" on the other. This oscillating struggle, between dignity and the imperative of survival, is a recurring theme in Mawlana's Masnavi. It is precisely in such moments that the human being is stripped of social veneer and conventional identity, confronting the raw truth of the self—a truth that sometimes demands the shedding of pride and ego. This very pressure leads the man to an inevitable decision: "I will go out gently at night / So that in the darkness, I may not feel shame in begging." This act of begging secretly, under the cloak of night, is symbolic of an attempt to preserve outer appearances in the face of yielding to a deeper, inescapable reality.

Key takeaways

• The spiritual journey and quest for truth often necessitate the stripping away of all material attachments.
• Confrontation with primal human needs leads to a deeper self-knowledge, transcending social conventions.
• The struggle between self-respect and the necessity of survival provides fertile ground for transformation and the breaking of ego.
• External events, however unpleasant, can serve as catalysts for internal re-evaluation and spiritual growth.