M6:1972 — زانک ملت فضل جوید یا خلاص / پاک بازانند قربانان خاص

Translation: For nations/religions seek favor or salvation, But the pure devotees are special sacrifices. Meaning: This verse differentiates the motivation of conventional religions (which seek divine reward or salvation) from that of pure lovers (who offer themselves as unconditional sacrifices).

This verse is among the most brilliant in the Masnavi, where Mawlana delineates a fundamental distinction between "millat" (meaning formal religions and reason-centric doctrines) and "pakbāzān" (meaning lovers and devotees of Love). I have repeatedly emphasized that Mawlana considers "Love" (ʿIshq) to be a "kīsh" (a creed or religion) in itself, a faith transcending conventional religions, one not built upon the calculus of profit and loss.

Reason (ʿAql) constantly seeks benefit and shies away from paths of despair; "Reason seeks what it can profit from." But Love, reckless and heedless (lā-ubālī), plunges headfirst into every danger and despair. "Love is heedless, not intellect." Indeed, in the creed of Love, fear and caution have no place: "Fear is not a hair's breadth in the path of Love; / All are sacrifices in the creed of Love."

Mawlana explains in these verses that nations and religions possess motivations rooted in "faḍl" (divine grace or reward) or "khalāṣ" (salvation from torment and liberation from distress). In other words, conventional religiosity is often accompanied by the hope of recompense or the fear of punishment. This type of religiosity, while necessary and respectable, still operates within the domain of transactional exchange and rational calculation.

In contrast, the "pakbāzān" (pure devotees) are those who harbor no expectations of faḍl or khalāṣ. They neither seek to test God ("They do not test God") nor are they concerned with profit or loss ("Nor do they engage in profit or loss"). Their motivation is "unconditional Love," a love that is bound with "pakbāzī" (pure devotion/gambling with one's life) and "futuwwat" (generosity/chivalry). "Futuwwat is giving without cause"; meaning chivalry and generosity stem from disinterestedness, not for receiving anything in return. This pure devotion transcends the rules and expectations of any given "millat."

Therefore, these "special sacrifices" are those who unconditionally, without any hope of reward and without any fear of punishment, offer themselves to Love. They are the sacrifice itself, rather than offering a sacrifice to attain something else. This is a form of "ʿāshiq-pīshagī" (the occupation of a lover), which, more profoundly, constitutes the very religion and creed of "loving" itself. This is the essential distinction Mawlana draws between reason-centric and love-centric approaches, and between rational and devotional religiosity. This is the "bloody path" of Love, where the lover transcends the self to be annihilated in the Beloved, without clinging to anything but this very annihilation.

Key takeaways

• Love (ʿIshq) is a creed (kīsh) in itself, transcending formal religions.
• Conventional religions seek divine favor (faḍl) or salvation (khalāṣ), but Love is selfless.
• Pure devotees (pakbāzān), the true lovers, sacrifice themselves without considering profit or loss.
• This unconditional Love is the most fundamental and authentic spiritual motivation, beyond any rational calculus.