M6:3374 — رفت او پیش عماد الملک راد / سر برهنه کرد و بر خاک اوفتاد

Translation: He went to the generous Emad al-Mulk, / Bared his head and fell to the ground. Meaning: This couplet depicts a person, driven by desperation and profound attachment, seeking help from a spiritually influential figure through an act of extreme humility and supplication.

This couplet presents a scene of ultimate supplication and entreaty, where a human being, at the height of despair and intense attachment, seeks refuge in another whom he believes possesses a profound “connection” (peyvastagi) to the unseen realm. Emad al-Mulk, the generous vizier, is portrayed earlier by Mowlana as someone who yearned for worldly renunciation and mountain seclusion. However, the king dissuaded him due to his significant stature and influence. In recounting this tale, Mowlana seems to subtly convey his own view that absolute withdrawal from humanity is not always the correct path, even for people of virtue, as their spiritual grace must flow forth and benefit others. In this verse, the owner of a sick horse, who regards the animal as his very life, approaches Emad al-Mulk. “He bared his head and fell to the ground” — this image conveys the utmost humility, helplessness, and pleading. He not only removes his head covering but prostrates himself on the earth, demonstrating the peak of his desperation and dependence. This act symbolizes complete submission before one whom he believes possesses an interventionist power beyond ordinary human capability. As we see in subsequent verses, quoted by Mowlana, the man is willing to sacrifice everything he owns — from his family and children to his entire wealth — to save his horse. This extreme attachment to a worldly creature is the focal point of the narrative. For him, this horse is not merely an animal but an extension of his very being. It is this “attachment” (taʿalluq) that drives him to such fervent entreaty. He likens Emad al-Mulk to a “Messiah” (Masīḥā) and implores him to “lay a hand on his head,” referencing the healing and miraculous power associated with Jesus Christ, and in mysticism, the spiritual authority and metaphysical influence of saints over the sick and suffering. This “connection” that God has bestowed upon Emad al-Mulk is the key to this desperate man’s hope; a connection that renders him a channel for divine grace. In essence, this couplet and those that follow articulate a “mystical plea,” where an ordinary human seeks an intermediary to resolve his afflictions, and this intermediary is one who has “union” (waṣl) with the other world, whose words and deeds carry transcendent efficacy.

Key takeaways

• The intensity of supplication reveals the depth of human attachment, even to worldly possessions.
• Prostrating and baring one's head symbolizes ultimate humility and helplessness before a perceived channel of grace.
• Belief in certain individuals' "connection" (peyvastagi) to the unseen world positions them as "Messiahs" (Masīḥā) for resolving difficulties.
• Mowlana, in this narrative, implicitly argues against complete reclusion, emphasizing the necessity for virtuous individuals' grace to flow to others.