M6:4103 — ظن لایغنی من الحق خوانده‌ای / وز چنان برقی ز شرقی مانده‌ای

Translation: You have read that conjecture (ẓann) avails nothing against truth (ḥaqq), Yet you have remained deprived of such a flash from the East. Meaning: This verse questions why the listener, despite knowing that mere conjecture can never replace ultimate truth and certainty, has remained estranged from the illuminating flash of divine or spiritual guidance originating from the East (a symbolic source of light and revelation).

Mowlana, in this verse, makes an unequivocal allusion to the Divine Word: "Indeed, conjecture (ẓann) avails nothing against truth (ḥaqq)." (Quran 10:36). This Quranic verse serves as a pivotal foundation for thinking about knowledge and certainty (yaqīn). Ẓann, meaning supposition or opinion, can never truly stand in for ḥaqq, which signifies truth and certainty. This is a point we have all read and understood well. Yet, Mowlana's question is poignant: why, despite this clear knowledge, do we remain "deprived of such a flash from the East"?

This presents an apparent tension, one that Mowlana himself addresses repeatedly. On one hand, the Quran states that ẓann is insufficient. On the other, it describes believers as "those who surmise (yaẓunnūna) that they will meet their Lord." (Quran 2:46). What, then, is the meaning of ẓann in this context? I have consistently explained that this reflects the inherent difficulty in attaining absolute yaqīn. Certainty is that rare jewel, which, as Ghazali and Fayz Kashani noted, is the least distributed among creation. For most humans, much knowledge remains at the level of accumulated conjectures (ẓunūn-e motarākem) and strong probabilities; this is the limit of human reason. We must guard against false and illusory certainties, but we must never cease striving to strengthen our conjectures and draw closer to yaqīn.

This beyt, by referring to a "flash from the East" (barq-ī ze sharq), reminds the listener of Mowlana's earlier allegories (in previous verses) where reading a letter by the light of a lightning flash, when the sun has risen from the East, is deemed foolish. Lightning provides a fleeting, deceptive light; it cannot be relied upon. The East, on the other hand, is the source of steady, certainty-giving light: the light of divine revelation (waḥy), the illumination of truth, and the guidance of the pīr or murshid. One who relies on their own ẓann and conjecture is like someone content with a flash of lightning, remaining deprived of the sun of the East—true guidance and certainty.

This deprivation from the "flash from the East" implies missing out on true guidance and the light of yaqīn. Mowlana, immediately in the subsequent verses, explicitly invites us: "Come, enter our boat, O distressed one, / Or tie your boat to ours!" This "our boat" is the ark of salvation, the leadership of the pīr. I have often said that following a spiritual guide, even if it appears "blind" to some, is hundredfold superior to self-deception and delusion that often accompanies self-made certainties. Mowlana himself declares: "A blind person with a guide is better than lonely certainty; / Of the former, one shame, of the latter, a hundred shames." The shame of being "blind with a guide" is far less than the hundred shames of "self-made certainty and wandering."

The master, whether living or embodied in works like the Masnavi, acts as a guide and an axis, providing an anchor for the soul's vessel in this tumultuous sea of conjectures. Such a guide helps us avoid accumulated conjectures that sometimes lead to false certainty, while also enabling us to take effective steps towards acquiring yaqīn, even within our limited capacities. This is a call to vigilance against the allure of self-reliance and to surrender to a wisdom beyond solitary reason.

Key takeaways

• Conjecture (ẓann) can never suffice for certainty (yaqīn) or truth (ḥaqq).
• Relying on weak conjectures and self-opinion deprives one of the illuminating flash of truth.
• The 'East' (sharq) symbolizes the source of divine revelation, spiritual illumination, and the guidance of the spiritual master.
• Clinging to a fleeting light (like ẓann) instead of the radiant sun of truth leads to regret and bewilderment.
• Even seemingly 'blind' following of a knowledgeable guide is superior to relying on illusory, self-made certainties.
• This verse serves as an invitation to abandon self-reliance and board the 'ark of salvation' offered by the spiritual master.