M6:963 — وهم و سودایی دریشان می‌تنی / نام این فردوس ویران می‌کنی

Translation: You weave delusion and folly among them, You call this paradise a ruin. Meaning: This verse is voiced by the owls (representing common people), who accuse the falcons (symbols of prophets or mystics) of sowing disturbing and delusive thoughts among them, thereby disrupting their peace and calling their cherished abode, which they deem a paradise, a ruin.

This verse is embedded within Mawlana's profound allegory of owls and falcons, an allegory that stands as one of his most significant explanations for the resistance to divine knowledge and spiritual truths. The owls inhabit ruins, yet perceive them as their palaces of pleasure, even calling them the 'envy of the aether' (rask-e athīr) and 'paradise' (ferdowz). The falcons, however, who come from the King's court, from His palaces and gardens, approach the owls to inform them of a higher realm, of their true origin, the soul's genuine abode. It is at this point that the owls protest, and this specific verse articulates their anger and denial.

I firmly believe these owls symbolize individuals who spend their lives in mere 'play and idleness' (lahw o laghv), as Mawlana puts it, 'fattened by play and idleness.' They refuse to confront the bitter truth of worldly impermanence, death, and the afterlife. Prophets and mystics, who bring tidings of another world and 'give signs of other places,' are, in the owls' view, being 'meddlesome' (fozūlī) and sowing 'strife and unrest' (fetneh va tashvīsh) among them. They disrupt the owls' 'calm' and 'peace of mind,' turning them into 'death-thinking birds' (morgh-e marg-andīsh).

From the owls' perspective, the falcons implant 'delusion and folly' (vahm va sowdā) in their hearts. This 'vahm va sowdā' can be interpreted as trickery, deceit, or baseless thoughts. They accuse the falcons of being driven by ambition for power and 'trickery' (shīd), intending to become their 'king and leader' (shāh o pīshvā). This is the age-old accusation leveled against prophets and religious reformers, as illustrated by Yazid's remark about the Banu Hashim: 'The Hashemites played with kingship; no news came, no revelation descended.' In other words, the Hashemites were merely pursuing power, and there was no genuine divine message.

Mawlana clearly demonstrates that resistance to truth often stems from the conflict between that truth and people's cherished state of comfort and illusory peace. This verse is the cry of those who refuse to have their comfortable and limited worldview challenged. They call their own dilapidated dwelling a 'paradise,' and any voice that exposes this reality is labeled 'delusion' and 'the destruction of their paradise.' The verse, in essence, delineates the psychology of denial and evasion of spiritual responsibility, a flight from that 'estrangement' (ghorbat) and 'separation' (jodā'ī) that Mawlana's reed laments, and which the owls refuse to hear.

Key takeaways

• Resistance to truth often stems from attachment to perceived comfort and the status quo.
• Those content in their 'spiritual ruins' view any awakening call as an intrusion.
• Prophets and truth-tellers are frequently accused of spreading delusion or seeking power.
• An individual's 'paradise' is often merely what they are accustomed to, even if it is a ruin to an outside observer.
• This verse illuminates the psychology of denial and evasion of deeper self-knowledge.