M6:436 — دانهٔ چندی نهاده بر زمین / وآن صیاد آنجا نشسته در کمین

Translation: A few grains scattered on the ground, And that hunter, there, sat in ambush. Meaning: This verse describes a hunter who has scattered grains as bait on the ground and is now waiting in hiding to catch birds.

This verse paints a vivid picture of a staged deception. A hunter, outwardly appearing as an ascetic recluse, has scattered grains on the ground and is now lying in ambush. At first glance, this is merely a hunter's trick, but Mowlana uses this scene to delve into the deeper psychology of human beings and the perils of insincere spiritual striving.

I have often stated that Mowlana was a discerning critic of the Sufism of his time, particularly the monastic Sufism that had deviated from its original path. This hunter exemplifies those who don the garb of asceticism and piety but, at heart, like this very hunter, eye the bait and the prey. He speaks in ascetic tones about death, solitude, and intimacy with the One, yet in reality, he is a trapper of his own greed and avarice.

This is precisely the distinction between faqr-i haqq (poverty for the Truth) and faqr-i luqmeh (poverty of sustenance). A Sufi with faqr-i haqq gazes upon the truths of existence and is detached from worldly adornments; but faqr-i luqmeh signifies a destitution that drives a person to seek food, and Mowlana sharply criticizes any form of Sufism that becomes tainted by superficial poverty and stomach needs. In the third book of the Mathnawi, the story of the Sufis who, out of hunger, killed and ate a traveler's donkey, then sang 'the donkey is gone, the donkey is gone,' is a clear sign of this very affliction.

This narrative by Mowlana resonates perfectly with the prophetic saying: «Kād al-faqr an yakūna kufran» — 'Poverty nearly leads to disbelief.' This poverty is not the voluntary, spiritual kind, but rather the involuntary, material poverty that beguiles reason, religion, and faith, and steers a person towards greed and hypocrisy. Our hunter, despite all his elaborate talk about death, detachment from creation, and intimacy with God, is in fact a slave to his own greed, scattering grains to deceive the unsuspecting birds.

I must remind you that Saʿdi of Shiraz, in his Gulistan, also has a famous dispute with a pseudo-ascetic who condemned the wealthy and lamented his own poverty. Saʿdi there admonishes the dervish that it is the wealthy who perform good deeds, while he, with an empty stomach and distracted mind, cannot even pray his two rakʿats properly. This perspective of both Mowlana and Saʿdi emphasizes the importance of securing a minimum livelihood for the health of the soul and ethics, not for luxury, but so that the mind may be at peace from the anxiety of bread and the heart may turn to the Truth.

It is here that Mowlana, from the surface of a simple story, penetrates to the core of spiritual corruption; a corruption hidden in the concealment of greed and avarice beneath the guise of asceticism and the deception of unaware birds. He teaches us to always be vigilant and not to fall for spiritual posturing, for the bait and trap are always lurking, and greed and avarice are veils to truth and killers of delicate souls.

Key takeaways

• Deceptive Appearance: The hunter disguised as an ascetic symbolizes hypocrisy and the allure of spiritual posturing.
• Avarice and Greed: The scattered grains are not merely bird bait but a symbol of the hunter's hidden avarice.
• Critique of Monastic Sufism: Mowlana uses this tale to critique Sufis whose poverty is of 'sustenance' (faqr-i luqmeh) rather than for 'truth' (faqr-i haqq).
• Danger of Poverty: The Hadith 'Poverty nearly leads to disbelief' highlights how material poverty can undermine faith, even if not spiritual in nature.
• Sincerity in Path-finding: Emphasis on the congruence between outward appearance and inner reality in spiritual journey, avoiding feigned asceticism.
• Constant Vigilance: The seeker must always be aware of hidden traps and cunning deceptions on the path of self-purification.