M6:996 — انبیاشان تاجری آموختند / پیش ایشان شمع دین افروختند

Translation: The Prophets taught them (true) commerce; / Before them, they lit the lamp of faith. Meaning: This verse underscores the Prophets' role in teaching humanity the genuine, spiritual trade and illuminating the truth of religion against worldly deceptions.

This couplet, in my view, holds a profound key to understanding Mawlana's perspective on the prophetic mission and the very essence of religion. It portrays prophets as merchants, not of worldly goods, but as teachers of true, spiritual commerce. I have often pointed out that the Holy Quran, at the very least, employs three primary discourses: the caravan discourse, the monarchical discourse, and the commercial discourse. Within the commercial discourse, religion is presented as a trade where God purchases the souls of believers, or requests goodly loans from them, promising boundless profit. Prophets, in both Quranic and Mawlana's terms, are astute traders who invite people to this lucrative market: 'O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment?' (Surah As-Saff, 10).

In stark contrast to this divine trade, sorcerous devils and ghouls, through magic and illusion, invite people to a false bargain. Mawlana recounts the story of Abu Bakr purchasing Bilal from those ignorant of the value of a jewel like monotheism and faith, who were selling it for a paltry sum. Much like a child who trades a precious gem for a loaf of bread, or magicians who transform moonlight into canvas to sell it at an exorbitant price, this is the grand deception of the world: they adorn carrion to strip people of hundreds of gardens. They blind the eyes of discernment, leading people to trade priceless jewels for mere trifles.

Thus, 'The Prophets taught them commerce' means they imparted to humanity the art of distinguishing true gems from worthless trinkets, and eternal transactions from fleeting illusions. Through their teachings, they showed people what goods to acquire and what to relinquish. This trade is the soul's commerce with God, the ephemeral self with the Ever-Living Beloved, and transient possessions with everlasting existence.

And 'Before them, they lit the lamp of faith' elucidates the second aspect of their mission. A lamp is a symbol of light, insight, and guidance. In a world where devils, with their magic and trickery, make truth appear ugly and falsehood beautiful, prophets shone like lamps in the darkness, illuminating the path so that the way from the pit, and the gem from the dross, would become clear. They ignited the light of religion, enabling people to comprehend the true spiritual trade with insight and awareness, and to liberate themselves from satanic deceptions. This lamp not only illuminates the path but also bestows upon people the vision to assess the true value of things themselves—a vision that animals lack, for they are not 'of consideration' (ahl-e e'tebār) and for them, a jewel and a mere trinket are indistinguishable. Prophets teach humans how to 'consider' and bestow upon everything its rightful place.

Key takeaways

• Prophets are teachers of 'true commerce,' a transaction that yields eternal salvation rather than worldly gain.
• The Quran itself presents religion through a 'commercial discourse,' where believers trade their souls with God.
• In contrast, sorcerous devils and ghouls, through magic and illusion, invite people to 'false trade,' where spiritual jewels are lost for meager prices.
• Lighting the lamp of faith symbolizes the prophets' role in providing enlightenment and insight against the darkness of ignorance and deception, revealing true values.
• This insight grants humans the power of 'consideration' (e'tebār): the ability to distinguish between what is truly valuable and what is merely deceptive.