M1:326 — آن شراب حق خِتامش مُشکِ ناب / باده را ختمش بود گَند و عذاب

Translation: That wine of Truth, its aftertaste is pure musk; but common wine, its end is stench and torment. Meaning: The true spiritual experience and divine discourse, like a sacred wine, leaves an ultimate essence of pure fragrance and clarity, awakening the intellect. In contrast, misleading words and deceptive pleasures, though seemingly appealing at first, ultimately bring only foulness and suffering.

This verse, quite explicitly, offers us the criterion for distinguishing the genuine from the counterfeit, and truth from falsehood. Here, Mawlana speaks of the 'wine of Truth' (sharāb-i ḥaqq) and 'common wine' (bādeh), both of which appear as potable liquids, yet their ultimate essence and outcome differ profoundly. The wine of Truth is pure gnosis, the discourse of the divine saints, and the spiritual experience whose 'aftertaste is pure musk' (khetāmash mushk-i nāb). As the Qur'an explicitly states when speaking of 'sealed nectar' (raḥīq makhtūm), the end and consequence of this wine is musk-emitting; it not only perfumes the soul's senses but also awakens the intellect from heedlessness and bestows clarity. This delightful fragrance and illumination serve as a sign of its authenticity and origin.

Conversely, 'common wine' (bādeh) symbolizes any deception, any false claim, and any discourse mixed with trickery and hypocrisy. This 'wine' might initially appear sweet or induce a transient state of intoxication, but 'its end is stench and torment' (bādeh rā khatmash buvad gand o ʿazāb). That is, its ultimate fruit and result will be nothing but headache, turbidity, foul odor, and suffering. Mawlana's statement here provides an empirical and practical test for differentiating the 'men of truth' (mardān) from the 'lowly men' (dūnān). As he states elsewhere, 'The work of men is light-giving and warmth-bestowing / The work of the lowly is trickery and shamelessness.' These lowly men steal the words of the dervishes to cast spells upon the naive, and their appearance can be deceptive, like the 'wool lion' (shīr-i pashmīn) used for begging and commerce, or 'Abu Musaylam' who adopts the title 'Ahmad'.

Mawlana insists that the way to discern this deception from truth lies in its consequence and outcome. Just as 'Abu Musaylam' was ultimately branded 'the Liar' (kadhdhāb), every word and action reveals its true or false root based on its 'fruit and result'. If something is light-giving, warmth-creating, and fragrant with the musk of gnosis, know that it is the wine of Truth. But if it brings nothing but spiritual and intellectual stench and torment, then it is the kind of wine that the lowly have spread to deceive. This is a criterion for 'resolving disputes' (faṣl-i khuṣūmāt) in the realm of truth; it relies not on outward appearance, but on the profound effect it has on the soul and intellect.

Key takeaways

• The primary criterion for discerning truth from falsehood lies not in initial appearance, but in its ultimate outcome and effect.
• The discourse and experience of Truth, like a musk-perfumed wine, awakens the intellect and ennobles the soul.
• Deceptive and false words, however appealing at first, ultimately bring only suffering and spiritual opacity.
• Mawlana emphasizes that the fruit of any tree testifies to its root; thus, the result reveals the authenticity of the source.
• In the journey of spiritual striving, light-giving and warmth-bestowing qualities characterize the men of truth, contrasting with the trickery and shamelessness of the lowly.