M6:532 — مرغ پس در خود فرو رفت آن زمان / توسنش سر بستد از جذب عنان

Translation: The bird then withdrew into itself at that moment; Its untamed steed broke free from the reins' pull. Meaning: At that crucial moment, the bird paused in reflection but then lost its resolve; its rebellious inner self (nafs) broke free from the grip of self-control.

“The bird then withdrew into itself at that moment; / Its untamed steed broke free from the reins' pull.”

This couplet marks a pivotal moment in the story of the bird and the fowler's legal stratagem (hīla sharʿī). After engaging in intricate jurisprudential arguments and justifications of necessity (iḍṭirār) for eating the orphans' wheat, the bird ultimately succumbs to the desires of its lower self (nafs).

Mowlana, with profound psychological insight, depicts the bird's internal state: “The bird then withdrew into itself at that moment.” This withdrawal is not an act of true contemplation or sincere reflection; rather, it signifies an internal struggle, a brief moment of solitude before yielding control. It is as if the bird was engaged in a calculation, not to find the path of truth, but to find a way to justify its carnal desires. This “withdrawal into itself” could indicate the final moments of hesitation, or perhaps an attempt to finalize its mental justifications.

But what was the outcome of this internal struggle? “Its untamed steed broke free from the reins' pull.” Mowlana here employs a brilliant and widely used metaphor in mystical literature: the towsan, or untamed steed. The towsan symbolizes the nafs-i ammāra (the commanding self), those unbridled desires and passions that, if left unchecked, lead one to ruin. The ʿinān (reins) in the rider's hand symbolizes intellect, will, and self-restraint, which must rein in the nafs. In this couplet, the bird's rebellious steed frees its head from the pull of the reins. This means the nafs escapes control, the will weakens, and self-restraint vanishes. Despite all the jurisprudential arguments the bird itself was aware of, and which the fowler (as a symbol of intellect) had warned it about, it ultimately yielded to the rebellion of its nafs and consumed the wheat.

This imagery by Mowlana is not merely about a bird; it is an account of the human condition. It describes a human who knows what is right and wrong, but when faced with greed, covetousness, and the desires of the nafs, falls into the trap of religious justifications and “halal stratagems.” As I pointed out in the lecture, this is precisely the method by which some jurists in Islamic history would legitimize for themselves and others the property of endowments (awqāf) or public treasury (bayt al-māl). Through this story, Mowlana shows us how the rebellious nafs, under the guise of necessity or any other justification, snatches the reins from the intellect and plunges humanity into sin. This couplet narrates the moment when a human, consciously or semi-consciously, descends from the station of humanity and free will, succumbing to baser instincts. This is the point where one should have sought help “before the grain becomes a snare for you / and the heat of your greed turns as cold as ice.” But the bird, at that critical moment, did not seek help and let go of the reins of its nafs.

Key takeaways

• The couplet depicts the critical moment of succumbing to the commanding self (nafs-i ammāra).
• The bird's “withdrawal into itself” signifies an internal struggle before yielding, not true contemplation.
• The metaphor of the towsan (untamed steed) symbolizes unchecked desires rebelling against the ʿinān (intellect and self-restraint).
• The bird's story serves as a critique of using “legal stratagems” to justify greed and sin.
• The beyt warns the reader about the importance of making the right choice before the onset of regret.