M6:3699 — چون شدند از منع و نهیش گرم‌تر / سوی آن قلعه بر آوردند سر

Translation: When they became hotter from his prohibition and warning, They raised their heads toward that castle.

Meaning: Mowlana here refers to a group that, despite the prohibitions and warnings of their spiritual guide or master, proceeds with even greater fervor and intensity toward a dangerous and tempting destination.

This verse unveils a recurring human behavior in the path of spiritual endeavor. Mowlana speaks of a group that, despite being prohibited and warned, finds their fervor not diminished but rather intensified, becoming 'hotter.' This 'becoming hotter' is the latent rebellion within the human soul; the urge to transgress boundaries that sometimes leads to perdition and at other times to proximity with the Divine. It is the same ladder, one end in the abyss, the other in the empyrean.

I view this as a psychological phenomenon with deeper roots in the realm of meaning. When 'prohibition and warning' are mentioned, our minds immediately turn to the 'Chosen King' (Shāh-e Mojtabā) whom Mowlana names in the following verse (M6:3700). This Shāh-e Mojtabā is, unequivocally, the 'King of Walāyat,' the Pir and Murshid, the spiritual guide who has taken great strides in the path of spiritual journeying. He is depicted not as a political monarch, but as a spiritual pole and instructing elder who strives to deter his disciples from a dangerous path. Yet, we observe that his prohibition has an inverse effect; it seems to have inflamed the ardor of these seekers.

The destination of this group is 'that castle.' A castle whose characteristics Mowlana reveals in subsequent verses (M6:3700-3704): 'the castle that burns patience and steals reason' (qalʿa-ye sabr-sūz hūsh-robā) and 'the pleasant castle full of forms' (qalʿa-ye khosh dhāt-os-suvar), possessing 'five doors to the sea and five to the land.' This castle is precisely the 'separate imaginal world' (ʿālam-e khayāl-e monfasil) that Suhrawardi spoke of; an intermediary realm between nature and pure transcendence, which possesses form but no matter. Five of its doors open to the outer senses, and the other five to the inner senses (such as memory, imagination, and common sense). Entering this castle is, in essence, stepping into the domain of the self and its imaginations, a place where reason ceases to function and passions are aroused. This group, 'despite the advising intellect' (az raghm-e ʿaql-e pand-tūz), meaning contrary to the counsel of their benevolent and advising reason, has turned towards that castle 'in the dark night, having turned their back on day' (dar shab-e tārik bargashta ze rūz). That is, their reason is suspended, their passions inflamed, and they are, as it were, moving in intellectual darkness.

This verse, in effect, is an allegory for the temptation and allure of sin, or even spiritual error. Sometimes, what we are forbidden from not only fails to repel us but, due to the pull of the ego and the deception of 'forms, designs, and images' (M6:3704), acquires an intensified charm. This is a deception that the seeker, in the absence of the light of reason and in pursuit of the allure of such 'forms and images,' falls prey to. This reminds us of those whom Satan is incapable of deceiving, namely, God's 'sincere servants' (ʿibād-oka menhom al-mukhlāsin). But those who strive for sincerity (mukhlisīn) may stumble on this path. Therefore, this verse is a warning from Mowlana to all seekers not to be deceived by superficial and imaginary attractions on the path of spiritual journeying, even if these attractions are 'pleasant' and have been forbidden by a master.

Key takeaways

• Prohibition and warning can sometimes intensify ardor and longing, signaling a hidden rebellion within the soul.
• The 'Chosen King' (Shāh-e Mojtabā) symbolizes the spiritual master and guide who warns against the temptations of the path.
• The 'castle' refers to the separate imaginal world (ʿālam-e khayāl-e monfasil), an intermediary realm of forms without matter that can suspend reason.
• Entering this castle in the absence of reason and in the dark night of passion indicates straying from the correct spiritual path.
• Mowlana intends this verse as a warning to seekers not to be deceived by the alluring temptations of the imaginal realm.