M1:238 — وَهم موسی با همه نور و هنر / شد از آن محجوبْ تو بی پر مپر

Translation: Even Moses, with all his light and skill, / Was veiled from understanding that; you, without wings, do not fly. Meaning: This verse warns the reader that even great prophets can be obscured from perceiving hidden divine wisdom, urging humility in judgment and caution against premature conclusions.

Here, Mawlana offers us a profound lesson on the distinction between appearance and inner reality, and the necessity of humility when confronting hidden wisdom. He recalls the story of Moses and Khidr: how Moses, despite his prophetic light (nur) and divine knowledge, remained veiled (mahjub) from comprehending Khidr's actions (piercing a boat, killing a youth). Moses perceived Khidr's deeds as outwardly wrong, while their inner essence was replete with divine grace and wisdom.

Mawlana's address, "you, without wings, do not fly," is a stark warning to the reader. He says, in essence: "Moses, with all his grandeur, could not grasp the secret of this tale and protested; how then do you, who lack the wings of complete understanding, dare to rush in and make hasty judgments?" This utterance is a call to shun prejudgment and to reflect on matters that appear unreasonable on the surface. The dictum that "a person speaks and protests only to the extent of their understanding" finds its utmost application here. If we fail to comprehend something, we should not dismiss it as false; rather, we should entertain the possibility of a hidden secret that lies beyond the confines of our limited perception.

Mawlana extends this issue to a key point in the humanities. In natural phenomena, appearances usually correspond to inner realities; but in the human realm, we observe behaviors and phenomena that share a single outward form, yet their inner meanings are entirely different. Consider Max Weber's example: placing a bookmark in a book is, outwardly, a simple physical act, but inwardly, it carries the meaning, "I have read up to this point." Or voting, which is nothing more than casting a piece of paper into a ballot box, but it embodies the meaning of "electing a representative." The humanities are more challenging for this very reason, because one must move beyond the surface to access the inner meaning of actions.

Mawlana's subsequent verse, "That is a red rose; do not call it blood / He is drunk with intellect; do not call him mad," complements this warning. He emphasizes that one should not judge based on superficial appearances; what seems like blood might be a red rose, and who appears mad might be intoxicated with profound wisdom. This lesson is the essence of Mawlana's wisdom and his approach to the world: moving from outward "complaint" (shekāyat) to inner "narration" (hekāyat), and flying from superficial judgment to deeper insight. It is here that we see even Moses was initially veiled from understanding that a "good deed" can sometimes appear "bad," and this is a wisdom the Masnavi brings to those with insight.

Key takeaways

• Even those endowed with spiritual light and knowledge can be veiled from perceiving hidden divine wisdom.
• The reader must practice humility in judgment and refrain from hasty prejudgment; "do not fly without wings."
• Human actions often possess an outward appearance that differs significantly from their true inner meaning and intent.
• If something appears incomprehensible, one must consider the possibility of a secret or wisdom beyond one's limited understanding.
• The Masnavi calls the reader to transcend mere appearances and reach deeper realities, a lesson echoed in "That is a red rose; do not call it blood."