M6:491 — از برای حفظ و یاری و نبرد / بر ره ناآمن آید شیرمرد

Translation: For the sake of safeguarding, succor, and battle, The lion-hearted man steps onto the unsafe road. Meaning: This verse declares that truly brave and resolute individuals do not shy away from danger; rather, they willingly venture into perilous and insecure paths to offer aid and establish security.

This verse, articulated by the bird in response to the cunning hunter's deceptive arguments in the story of the Hunter and the Bird, clearly embodies both the lesser and greater jihad, and the active, responsible spirit of humanity. The hunter sought to lure the bird into isolation, arguing that association with the "clod-like" and "dead-hearted" materialists was akin to monasticism, and one should flee such company. Yet, the bird turns the hunter's own argument against him. It declares that if the path of spiritual journey and life is indeed beset by such "highway robbers" who inflict harm and render the road unsafe, then it is precisely the duty of the "lion-hearted man" (shīrmard) to enter the fray and purify the path from the corruption of these mischief-makers.

This verse is a call to responsible presence in the world, not an escape from it. The shīrmard is not one who flees difficulties, hiding in caves and mountains; rather, he is one who, "for the sake of safeguarding, succor, and battle," ventures into the "unsafe road." This "battle" is not merely armed conflict, but any struggle to purify the path of guidance from obstacles—be they intellectual, ethical, or social. The "sweat of manliness" (araq-i mardī) only appears when one tests oneself in confrontation with enemies and brigands. The "traveler" must accompany "enemies" for his "manliness" to be revealed.

Mawlana here draws a subtle distinction between blameworthy monasticism and shīrmardāna (lion-hearted) engagement. Blameworthy monasticism is an escape from responsibility. However, the shīrmard's presence for "battle" is the peak of commitment and responsibility. He secures the path for others. This is the very spirit that characterizes the Prophet of Islam as Nabī-e Sayf, the Prophet of the Sword. The notion that the Prophet was sent for "battle and glory" (jang o shukūh) while the religion of Jesus was founded upon "caves and mountains" (ghār o kūh), in my view, points to a difference in Sharīʿa (divine law), not in the fundamental principles of religion. That is, the method of establishing justice and combating oppression has varied across different Sharāyeʿ. The "sword" here symbolizes authority and power for establishing order and repelling evil, not merely bloodshed. Islam, in one of its significant meanings, is submission to this just order—meaning "to submit to the ruling authority and not to revolt against it, not to conspire, and to be, as it were, a citizen today." This does not mean that people are forced to believe, as "faith" is a matter of the heart, but rather that they accept "order" to create a safe environment for spiritual growth.

This verse, in essence, is a call to jihad in the broadest sense of the word: jihad against the self for inner purification, and jihad against the environment for external reform. The shīrmard is one who intertwines these two jihads and knows that the path of spiritual journey is not possible without struggle. He neither flees the "unsafe road" nor remains passive in the face of brigands, but rather makes himself a shield for the path so that others may pass safely. This is the antithesis of the mere "seclusion" that the cunning hunter promoted.

Key takeaways

• True men do not shy away from perilous paths; they step forward to safeguard and assist others.
• Combating corruption and insecurity is a "lion-hearted" duty to purify the path of guidance.
• This verse emphasizes active and responsible engagement in society, in contrast to negative seclusion.
• Jihad is not only armed conflict but any effort to reform the environment and remove spiritual obstacles.
• True "manliness" and courage are revealed in confronting challenges and brigands on the path.