M6:655 — پس ز نقش لفظ‌های مثنوی / صورتی ضال است و هادی معنوی

Translation: Thus, from the form and imprints of the Masnavi's words, A shape that is ḍāll (misleading) emerges, but its maʿnawī (spiritual) sense is hādī (guiding). Meaning: This verse asserts that if one focuses merely on the literal words and outward form of the Masnavi, it can be misleading; however, its inner, spiritual meaning inherently offers guidance.

Mowlana, in this pivotal verse, unveils one of the most crucial teachings of the Masnavi: the duality of form (صورت) and meaning (معنا). He declares, without reservation, that the Masnavi, much like the Quran, is a text with two faces, capable of both guiding and misleading. Mowlana himself, in the preface to the first book, explicitly calls the Masnavi the “root of the root of the root of religion” (اُصول اُصول اُصول الدّین), and here he again attributes to his own work a characteristic found in the Quran.

This verse echoes the Quranic dictum: "He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby" (يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَ يَهْدي بِهِ كَثِيرًا). It might seem perplexing how the Word of God could ever lead someone astray. Mowlana’s answer is profound: a medicine that heals one patient might harm another; a nourishing meal that strengthens a healthy person could be fatal for a frail stomach. Words function similarly; their efficacy depends entirely on the disposition and inner state of the listener or reader. The words of prophets and great mystics are like air, food, and medicine, but each must be consumed appropriately and with the right inner receptivity.

As I have frequently stated, "None shall touch it save the purified" (لا یَمَسُّهُ إلَّا المُطهَّرون) in Sūrat al-Wāqiʿah refers not merely to external ritual purity but, more importantly, to inner, spiritual purity. Those with an impure soul will derive erroneous interpretations from the Quran and consequently drift further from truth. The Masnavi operates on the same principle: if one’s soul is fault-finding, critical, and inclined towards rejection and bitterness, then the very parables and narratives that are sources of guidance for those with insight will become sources of misguidance for them. But if one’s soul is ripe and mature, it can extract spiritual nourishment from any ground. As Mowlana says elsewhere, "The more one runs towards it, the further one moves from the heart’s desire."

Mowlana explicitly states: "Thus, from the form of the Masnavi’s words, a shape that is ḍāll (misleading) emerges, but its spiritual sense is hādī (guiding)." The formal, outward aspect is zāl – here used in the active sense of muḍill (misleading), even though the verb ḍalla is typically intransitive. Conversely, the spiritual, inner aspect is hādī (guiding). He perceives an immense difference between these two: "Though both bear a single name in speech, yet vast is the difference between this grace and that grace." This is akin to the story of the two viziers, both named Hasan: one generous, the other miserly. The ambiguity of shared words (ishtirāk-i lafz) is a highwayman ( راهزن ) that leads to many errors and sophistries.

Thus, Mowlana’s words serve as a crucial warning to the reader: never stop at the literal surface of the text or the mere imprints of its words. The physical body of humans is like the word (lafz), and their soul (rūḥ) is like the meaning (maʿnā). "Bodies are like sealed jars; look to see what each jar contains." This description applies equally to humans and to a text like the Masnavi. The "eye of the body" (dīda-yi tan-bīn) sees only the outward and is deceived, but the "eye of the soul" (dīda-yi jān-bīn) transcends appearances to perceive the inner truth. This is a foundational epistemological principle in the Masnavi.

Key takeaways

• The Masnavi, like the Quran, has a dual nature: its outward form can mislead, but its inner meaning guides.
• Misguidance from mystical texts stems from superficiality and focusing solely on literal words, not from inherent flaws in the divine discourse.
• Profound understanding of the Masnavi requires moving beyond its form to its meaning, from mere words to the soul of the discourse.
• The reader's inner state and spiritual readiness are crucial for receiving guidance from sacred texts; an impure soul will only perceive errors.
• Mowlana highlights the danger of homonymy and superficial resemblances in understanding profound texts, which can lead to sophistry and alienation from truth.