M1:654 — تا به زیر چرخ ناری چون حَطَب / من نسوزم در عَنا و در عَطب

This couplet is part of the deceitful vizier's farewell speech to his followers. He has just announced that he is "dead" to the world and ascending to the fourth heaven (M1:653, M1:655) to be with Jesus. Here, he provides the reason for his departure.

He describes the earthly realm as being "beneath the fiery sphere" (charkh-e nārī), a reference to the Ptolemaic celestial sphere of the sun, but here used metaphorically for the world of tribulation. In this world, he claims, human beings are consumed by suffering as if they were mere firewood (ḥaṭab) cast into a furnace. He is pretending to transcend this state, escaping the pain (ʿanā) and destruction (ʿaṭab) that define mortal existence.

The vizier's speech is a masterclass in pious rhetoric, designed to convince his disciples of his spiritual elevation. In reality, it is the final act of his plan to sow chaos. By feigning a holy ascension, he seals his authority and ensures his followers will blindly obey the contradictory instructions he has left behind, leading to their eventual ruin.