M6:1031 — حالت صورت‌پرستان این بود / سنگشان از صورتی مومین بود

Translation: Such was the state of those devoted to forms; Their stone-like hearts would turn to wax by a mere form. Meaning: This couplet describes how the rigid, unfeeling hearts of those captivated by outward appearances soften and become pliable when confronted with physical beauty.

Mowlana, as he swiftly concludes in the story of Bilal and his purchase by Abu Bakr from a stone-hearted Jew, offers a profound insight with this couplet. He exposes the "state of those devoted to forms" (ṣūrat-parastān), meaning those captivated by external appearances, those for whom outward beauty governs their inner state. The Jewish man, whom Mowlana himself calls "stone-hearted" (sang-del), was unyielding to any argument. Yet, when Abu Bakr offers a white-skinned, beautiful slave in exchange, the Jew's hardened heart instantly softens, "turns to wax, and his knees begin to tremble." It is at this precise moment that Mowlana emphatically states: "Their stone-like hearts would turn to wax by a mere form." That is, their stony hearts are transformed into wax by the mere sight of a beautiful form. This condition reveals how tangible beauties can exert influence over those who only perceive surfaces, moving even seemingly hardened hearts. However, as Mowlana immediately demonstrates later in the narrative, this softening of the heart for the form-worshipper does not necessarily signify an escape from greed. The stone-hearted Jew, despite his heart turning to wax, still "drove a hard bargain" (dandūn-gardi kard) and demanded more silver. This points to the profound difference in valuation between those devoted to forms and those dedicated to spiritual meaning; the former gaze at "color" (lawn), while Abu Bakr discerns Bilal's "soul" (jān).

Key takeaways

• The power of outward beauty over those devoted to forms and their hardened hearts.
• The pliability and softening of rigid hearts when confronted with tangible beauty.
• Emphasis on the divergence in valuation: form-worship versus soul-discernment and essence-recognition.
• The transient nature of superficial beauty's effect versus the deep-rootedness of greed and avarice.