M6:364 — چون نمی‌داند دل داننده‌ای / هست با گردنده گرداننده‌ای

Translation: Since a knowing heart does not know, That with every mover, there is a Mover. Meaning: This verse asserts that many individuals, despite possessing a perceptive heart, remain oblivious to the ultimate prime Mover behind all the movements and events in the world.

This verse is situated within Mowlana's deeper discussions concerning the self and the 'stranger' (bīgāneh), and the 'thief in the heart'. Here, Mowlana points to one of the most fundamental reasons for human misperception and cognitive distortion: the neglect of the 'knowing heart' concerning the true Mover of the world. The human heart, by its very nature and in its very essence, is 'knowing' (dānandeh), meaning it possesses the capacity to grasp profound truths. Why then does this 'knower' fail to recognize that with every 'mover' (gardandeh), there is an ultimate 'Mover' (gardānandeh)? Why does it not comprehend that this astonishing and law-abiding cosmic order necessitates a wise orchestrator?

Mowlana attributes this lack of perception to the presence of a 'thief' or 'stranger' within the heart. As depicted in the parable of the night-time thief, a person may wish to ignite a lamp in their heart with a spark of intuition and insight, but a hidden thief comes and extinguishes those stars of light one by one. This thief is, in reality, the 'stranger' (bīgāneh) who has assumed the guise of the 'self'—the very 'earthy body for whose sake you are sorrowful' (tan-i khāki to kaz barāy-i ūst ghamnāki to). When a person identifies with this stranger—the material body and its desires—then the eye of their heart becomes blind to the true Mover. This 'mistaking oneself for another', or in my terms, 'alienation', is the primary veil.

Indeed, Mowlana here alludes to the Argument from Design (burhān-i naẓm), which posits that every order has an ordainer, every writing has a writer, every building has a builder. Our law-governed world is similarly a sign of a wise Mover. Although great philosophers like David Hume and Richard Dawkins have assailed this argument with formidable critiques, deeming Mowlana's simple analogies insufficient in their philosophical reasoning, the crucial point for Mowlana is that this perception should arise not through complex rational arguments, but through the 'knowing heart'. When the heart fails to comprehend, the problem must be sought in its internal veils, not in the absence of external evidence.

This obliviousness sometimes signifies a kind of 'divine coercion' (qahr-i qahhārī) that keeps a person bound in their ignorance, so that they may be freed from arrogance and self-centeredness. Our repeated failures in our intentions and resolves, much like the extinguishing of the heart's sparks, are signs of a transcendent force that does not allow everything to proceed according to our will. This is the very 'Mover with the mover' that is at play in all affairs, whether we recognize it or not. Neglecting this truth is not merely an intellectual error, but stems from an internal illness of the heart and the dominance of internal 'strangers'.

Key takeaways

• The human heart, though 'knowing' and capable of grasping truths, can remain oblivious to the ultimate Mover of the world.
• This obliviousness stems from the presence of a 'thief' or 'stranger' (bīgāneh) within the heart, which extinguishes sparks of insight.
• This 'stranger' is the unpurified, material self with which one mistakenly identifies—a phenomenon I term 'alienation'.
• Mowlana presents the Argument from Design in a simple form, relying on the intuition of the 'knowing heart' rather than complex rational argument.
• The failure to perceive ultimate truth originates from internal veils of the heart, not from a lack of external evidence.