M1:321 — بشنود آن مرغ بانگ جنس خویش / از هوا آید بیابد دام و نیش

Translation: That bird hears the call of its own kind / It comes down from the air and finds the snare and sting. Meaning: This verse illustrates how a bird, hearing a deceptive call resembling its own kind, descends from the sky only to fall into a fowler's trap, serving as a warning against being misled by false pretenses.

This verse serves as a potent warning from Mowlana to seekers of truth against the deceptions of false claimants. Immediately prior to this, Mowlana spoke of the state of hīrānī (bewilderment) in the divine presence, where some countenances are so imbued with truth that they appear as the very "Face of God" (wajh-ullah). Yet, he swiftly cautions that this exalted station must not become a means for deceiving the naive. He states: "For there are many devils in human form / So one should not give one's hand to every hand." This implies that many devils disguise themselves as human beings, donning the robes of dervishes and people of truth. Therefore, one must not trust and kiss every hand that outwardly presents itself as a hand of spiritual authority and guidance.

Mowlana, in this beyt, precisely explains the mechanism of such deception. Fowlers, in order to trap birds, imitate the call of that bird's own kind — they emit a bāng-e safīr (a whistling call). The poor bird, from high in the air, deluded into thinking one of its own kind is on the ground, is tricked and descends with love and hope towards that sound. But instead of its kin, it finds nothing but a deadly snare and sting. This trap is laid to ensnare the hearts of the simple-minded and the gullible (salīm here meaning naive, not healthy or snake-bitten) who, out of pure-heartedness and longing, trust every sound that carries the scent of mysticism.

This simile is a bitter critique of false Sufis, fraudulent dervishes, and charlatans who "steal the words of dervishes, the vile man / to enchant a simpleton with those spells." These base individuals purloin the sayings of true men of God and recite them to naive individuals (salīm, in this context, refers to a simple-hearted, gullible person) to cast a spell over them and trap them. Mowlana emphatically distinguishes these two groups: "The work of men is light and warmth / The work of vile ones is trickery and shamelessness." True men of God impart light and warmth to the world and souls, whereas the base-natured are only after deceit, shamelessness, and personal gain.

These false claimants, in Mowlana's words, "make a woolen lion for begging." That is, like a woolen lion's hide stuffed with straw, used for begging and show, they adorn themselves in the garb of saints to ply their trade and deceive hearts. They even go so far as to "give the title of Ahmad to Musaylima," meaning that false prophets and claimants of spiritual authority impersonate true prophets and saints. But the criterion for distinguishing between the two is the outcome and the fruit: "The wine of truth, its seal is pure musk / But the end of false wine is stench and torment." The wine of truth (genuine gnosis and love), like musk, perfumes the soul and awakens the intellect, whereas false wine (empty claims) brings nothing but headache, stench, and corruption. Therefore, one must be vigilant and discern the root by its fruit.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana's warning against false claimants to truth and devils disguised as humans.
• The use of the fowler-and-bird simile to explain the mechanism of deception: imitating the voice of truth to ensnare the naive.
• The fundamental difference between "men of truth" (light-giving and warming) and "vile ones" (deceitful and shameless).
• False claimants are like "woolen lions" or "Musaylima the Liar," adorning themselves for begging and deception.
• The criterion for distinguishing truth from falsehood lies in its outcome and fruit: true wine is fragrant and awakening, false wine is foul-smelling and ruinous.