M6:3247 — از پی توزیع گرد شهر گشت / از طمع می‌گفت هر جا سرگذشت

Translation: For the sake of collection, he roamed the city; / Out of expectation, he told his story everywhere. Meaning: This verse describes how a generous guarantor, seeking to collect funds to pay off another's debt, circulated through the city, recounting the debtor's plight to people, driven by hope or a certain eagerness to secure assistance.

Here, in one of the Masnavi's insightful narratives, Mawlana describes how the paymard, or guarantor, embarks on a mission to collect funds. The term towzīʿ, while today commonly meaning 'distribution,' historically also referred to the collection or piecemeal disbursement of small sums, particularly for charitable purposes or debt repayment. Thus, the guarantor roams the city to gather money for this specific cause.

The crucial word in this verse is ṭamaʿ: 'Out of ṭamaʿ he told his story everywhere.' This ṭamaʿ should not be entirely confined to the negative connotation of greed. At first glance, it might seem that the man recounts the debtor's story out of avarice or expectation; however, considering the context of the story and the guarantor's role, ṭamaʿ can also be interpreted as a strong eagerness for success in this benevolent endeavor, or an abundant hope for collecting aid. He is passionately driven to resolve another's difficulty, and this passion compels him to share the debtor's 'story' (sar-gozasht) to stir people's hearts to help. This verse, in essence, portrays a struggle where even with pure intentions, one is inevitably led to engage with the manifest world and express need.

Yet, Mawlana, in the very next verse (M6:3248) of this same story, when he speaks of the kediye-parast (the 'beggar-worshipper'), makes a subtle yet decisive point about his disapproval of kediye-gari, or begging. I submit that this is a significant ethical nuance Mawlana introduces: even if the intention is good, and the aim is to alleviate people's burdens, resorting to methods like begging is, in his view, not entirely praiseworthy. It seems Mawlana suggests that in the realm of spirituality, the fundamental principle lies in self-reliance and detachment from need; any expression of dependence on others, even for a noble cause, may carry a trace of imperfection. It is here that Mawlana, through a narrative, delves into a deeper ethical framework.

Key takeaways

• The paymard (guarantor) in this story symbolizes commitment and effort to resolve another's problem.
• Towzīʿ, meaning the piecemeal collection and distribution of funds for a specific purpose, reflects the socio-economic structure of Mawlana's time.
• The word ṭamaʿ in this verse carries a dual meaning: it can refer to greed or to an intense eagerness and hope for success in a benevolent act.
• Mawlana, even within a narrative of good deeds, pays ethical attention to the methods employed and holds a critical view of begging (kediye-gari).