M6:120 — عقلشان در نقل دنیا پیچ پیچ / فکرشان در ترک شهوت هیچ هیچ

Translation: Their intellect, in the transfer of the world, is labyrinthine, labyrinthine; their thought, in the renunciation of passion, is nothing, nothing.

Meaning: This verse describes people who are geniuses at worldly affairs and strategy but are completely inept and powerless when it comes to spiritual discipline and mastering their own desires.

Here, Mowlana points to one of the great paradoxes of human existence. We encounter individuals whose intellect, in the 'transfer of the world'—that is, in worldly transactions, in politics, in business and livelihood—is exceptionally sharp and convoluted. They can untie the most intricate knots and find a way out of any impasse. Yet this very same powerful intellect, this brilliant faculty of thought, becomes paralyzed when it reaches the inner realm and is faced with the 'renunciation of passion'; it is null, utterly nothing.

Of course, I must clarify that Mowlana's censure of the intellect is not absolute. Mowlana, who was himself among the most rational of minds, never calls for ignorance or stupidity. The disparagement of reason is always in comparison to Love. The intellect he criticizes is the calculating, merchant-like intellect; one that is inherently arrogant, self-seeking, and profit-oriented, and which will never submit to being sacrificed. Such an intellect is necessary for managing the affairs of life, and the world largely revolves on its axis. But without the 'salt of love,' this world full of reason becomes tasteless and even harsh, unbearable.

Therefore, this verse describes those who have spent all their genius on external affairs and have remained empty within. Their intellect does one job, and fails to do another. In the external world, it is a pathfinder; in the internal world, a roadblock. Its complexity lies in worldly stratagems, and its simplicity, or rather its foolishness, lies in the struggle with the self. This is a tragic imbalance. Mowlana warns us not to sacrifice love for such an intellect, but rather to sacrifice this intellect at the feet of a worthy love, so that one may be saved from this spiritual paralysis.

Key takeaways

• Worldly intelligence does not equate to spiritual intelligence.
• Mowlana critiques the calculating, profit-seeking intellect, not reason itself.
• The intellect that is labyrinthine in worldly acquisition is paralyzed in the renunciation of desire.
• Love is the 'salt' that makes a rational world palatable and meaningful.
• Mowlana's critique of reason is only meaningful when compared to the superiority of Love.
• Human perfection lies in the balance between external capability and internal cultivation.