M6:4110 — در چه افتی زین تفرج هم‌چو او / مر ترا لیک آن عنایت یار کو

Translation: Into what well will you fall from this stroll, just like him (Joseph)? / But where is that special care (ʿināyat) and companion for you? Meaning: This verse warns the self-reliant seeker that if they stray from the safe path without a guide, indulging in their own whims, they may fall into a well of misfortune like Joseph, yet without the unique divine grace and care that saved Joseph.

I have repeatedly emphasized in my commentaries on the Masnavi that Mowlana consistently invites the seeker to rely on a "Pīr" (spiritual master) and to abandon "self-reliance" or "self-willedness." This particular beyt is situated within that same context, serving as a serious warning addressed to a seeker who, presuming to escape the difficulties of the path, becomes engrossed in illusory diversions.

Mowlana here alludes to the story of Prophet Joseph (peace be upon him). Joseph's brothers, under the pretext of "let us play and graze" (nartaʿ wa nalʿab), led him away from his father and ultimately cast him into a well. Joseph did fall into a well, yes, but behind that ordeal lay divine grace and paternal support. His father, Jacob, though worried, gave permission for Joseph to go, which itself was a sign of divine destiny and his fate. Joseph remained in the well, but not alone; the "care of a companion" (ʿināyat-i yār) and an unseen hand of assistance accompanied him, not only rescuing him from the well but elevating him to the position of ʿAzīz of Egypt. This is the unique aspect of Joseph's story that sets him apart.

But Mowlana turns his address to the ordinary seeker and asks: "But where is that special care and companion for you?" You, who flee from hardships, from the harshness of a father, from the sting of gnats, and stray from the path in pursuit of recreation and comfort — if you fall into a well like Joseph's, where will that special divine grace or paternal support that saved Joseph be for you? Whose deception will you yield to, and what hope do you have for a bright future and deliverance from the well? This is an existential question that the seeker must ask themselves.

The difference between Joseph and the unaided seeker lies precisely in this "ʿināyat" (special care). The self-opinionated seeker who turns away from true guides exposes themselves to thousands of dangers, and under the illusion of escaping a minor disgrace, they embrace hundreds of greater shames. They flee from a drop of water only to cast themselves into an ocean of drowning. Without that "ʿināyat" and a "guide," escape from the well is difficult and sometimes impossible. This beyt is an invitation to vigilance and to avoid being a "donkey-like old man" (a stubborn, ignorant self-reliant individual), who believes themselves independent of a guide, and ultimately casts themselves into a predicament from which escape, without divine grace, is impossible.

Key takeaways

• The verse serves as a warning to the self-reliant seeker who believes they can achieve ease by shunning guidance.
• Mowlana likens falling into a well to Joseph's fate, emphasizing Joseph benefited from divine and paternal "ʿināyat" (special care).
• The central question is: what Joseph-like "ʿināyat" does the unaided seeker lack when they fall into a well of misfortune?
• An individual who turns away from a spiritual guide (Pīr) exposes themselves to dangers from which escape is impossible without divine grace.
• This beyt is an invitation to find a true guide and avoid empty diversions that lead one into peril.