M6:1433 — از زن دیگر گرش آوردیی / بر وی این جور و جفا کم کردیی

Translation: Had you brought him from another woman, / You would have lessened this tyranny and injustice on him. Meaning: An ignorant mother, perceiving the rigors of education as cruelty, believes the father's 'harshness' towards their child stems from his animosity towards her, implying he would be kinder if the child were from a different wife.

This couplet is placed by Mawlana in the mouth of an ignorant mother, a mother who, out of superficial and misguided affection, believes that a father sending his child to school is inflicting tyranny upon him. This mother says to the father: “Had this child been from another woman, you would never have shown such injustice and tyranny towards him. It is because he is my child, and you hold animosity towards me, that you are so hard on him and send him to school.” She perceives the hardships of learning and school as “tyranny and injustice,” while the father (who here symbolizes intellect, ʿaql) sees the child's long-term welfare and benefit.

Mawlana subsequently offers a deeper interpretation of this mother and father. It must be remembered, of course, that this allegory is rooted in the psychology and philosophy of Mawlana’s era, which predominantly viewed women as symbols of the lower self (nafs) and men as symbols of intellect (ʿaql). I must certainly apologize for such generalizations, but to understand Mawlana’s thought, one must acknowledge its historical context. Aristotle and other ancient philosophers held similar beliefs, deeming women “deficient in intellect,” arguing that the dominance of emotions over reason prevented impartial judgment. This view was prevalent at the time, and Mawlana, too, utilized it in his allegories, albeit with a mystical interpretation.

In this allegory, the “mother” (the nafs) constantly seeks immediate comfort and transient pleasures, shying away from any hardship or suffering, even if that suffering is essential for the growth and elevation of the child (i.e., the human soul). In contrast, the “father” (the noble intellect, ʿaql-i rād), with a deeper and far-sighted vision, knows that sometimes “a father’s slap is better than her sweets.” This ancient proverb is the central truth of this tale. What appears as “tyranny and injustice” from the perspective of the nafs, is, from the perspective of the ʿaql, pure education and constructive development. This narrative by Mawlana is not only about raising a child but also about disciplining one’s own soul. The human nafs, much like this ignorant mother, often turns away from what is necessary for its growth and perfection (such as spiritual discipline, self-purification, enduring hardships) and perceives it as cruelty. Yet, the noble intellect knows that without enduring this apparent “tyranny and injustice,” there can be no true liberation; for “its beginning is hardship, but its end is a hundredfold expansion.”

Key takeaways

• Ignorant motherly affection (representing the nafs), which prioritizes superficial comfort, can impede the child's (soul's) growth and perfection.
• The hardships and apparent 'tyranny' imposed by the father (representing the ʿaql) are, in fact, profound training and well-wishing for long-term felicity.
• The allegory of mother as nafs and father as ʿaql illustrates the internal human struggle between desires and rationality.
• “A father’s slap is better than her sweets”; necessary pains for growth are more valuable than fleeting comforts.
• True expansion initially entails hardship and constriction: “Its beginning is hardship, but its end is a hundredfold expansion.”