M1:376 — او به سِر دجّال یک چشم لعین / ای خدا فریاد رَس نعم المُعین

Translation: In secret, he was the one-eyed, accursed Dajjāl; O God, be our Aid, the excellent Helper! Meaning: This verse highlights a deceptive situation where a leader or figure is, in essence, a destructive, one-eyed Dajjāl. Mowlana, witnessing this profound danger, urgently calls upon God for assistance.

Mowlana, in this and preceding verses, is narrating the tale of a cunning vizier who falsely presents himself as a devoted Christian martyr, thereby winning the hearts of unsuspecting Christian followers. It is at this juncture that Mowlana transcends the role of a mere narrator, stepping forth as a participant to utter a heartfelt cry.

I have explored for you the concept of the 'power of common imitation' (quwat-i taqlīd-i ʿām) in these verses. Mowlana regards this phenomenon with a poignant gaze, declaring: 'What then is the power of common imitation?' This is a lament against the masses and the blind followers who are so readily deceived, falling into the snares of tricksters and becoming 'disciples' at the slightest ploy. Elsewhere, Mowlana likens the cultivation of disciples (murīd-parvarī) to 'hunting wild boars,' stating: 'It is a vain effort, and to eat of its flesh is forbidden.' This statement by Mowlana is supremely important; it indicates that he was not one to court disciples or enjoy their presence, but rather feared the gathering of people around him. He perceived corruption within the Sufi hospices (khānqāhs) and among pseudo-Sufis, who falsely compared themselves to spiritual luminaries like Bayazid and Hallaj, enchanting people with 'euphonious and beguiling words.' Such disciple-cultivation, in Mowlana's view, is an unlawful act, whose gains, like pork, are forbidden.

The present verse points to the climax of this deception: 'In secret, he was the one-eyed, accursed Dajjāl.' Mowlana here calls the vizier a 'Dajjāl.' The term 'Dajjāl,' in both Christian (Antichrist) and Islamic traditions, symbolizes the greatest deceiver of the End Times—one who misleads humanity. 'Dajjāl' fundamentally means a deceiver, a trickster, a highway robber. His 'one-eyed' nature is a mythical attribute mentioned in narratives, yet it undoubtedly carries a deeper meaning; perhaps it symbolizes a limited, one-sided perspective, lacking the comprehensive insight to perceive all dimensions of truth. Dajjāl has always been the emblem of swindlers who, through cunning and deceit, divert people from the path of truth.

Confronted with this immense danger and pervasive deception, Mowlana raises his hands in prayer: 'O God, be our Aid, the excellent Helper!' He departs from the position of a detached narrator and, with his whole being, expresses his helplessness against the endless snares of this world and its deceitful inhabitants. He exclaims: 'O God, there are hundreds of thousands of snares and baits; / We are like covetous, wretched birds.' These prayers in the Masnavi are unadorned and sincere, spontaneously flowing from Mowlana's tongue in response to the moment, signifying his profound intimacy with God. He calls upon the Helper, the Niʿm al-Muʿīn, against the overpowering seductive force of the Dajjāls of his age.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana vehemently criticizes the power of blind imitation and hypocritical disciple-cultivation, seeing it as a snare for misleading the common people.
• The Dajjāl symbolizes any deceiver or trickster who, through cunning, diverts people from the straight path.
• The 'one-eyed' attribute of the Dajjāl implies incomplete insight, a one-sided perspective, and an inability to grasp complete truth.
• When confronted with pervasive deception, Mowlana shifts from narrator to supplicant, urgently appealing to God for help.
• Prayer in the Masnavi is Mowlana's unpretentious expression of human helplessness against worldly snares, and his profound intimacy with God.