M6:2927 — پس گریزد مرد تاجر بر درخت / گاو جویان مرد را با شاخ سخت

Translation: Then the merchant man flees up into the tree, as the cow, seeking him, (charges) with its hard horn. Meaning: This verse describes a moment in the story of the sea-cow and the royal jewel, where the merchant, having hidden the jewel under mud, escapes up a tree to evade the cow's furious search.

Among the myriad of enigmatic tales within the Mathnawi, this story of the sea-cow and the royal jewel (Gowhar-e Kāvīyān), like so many others, embeds profound layers of wisdom. This particular verse, part of that allegorical narrative, precisely depicts the moment after the merchant's deed: a valuable jewel has been concealed beneath a layer of mud and filth, and the merchant, to escape the cow's wrath, has sought refuge in a tree. The cow, oblivious to the jewel now hidden beneath the mud, furiously seeks the man with its hard horns.

With this allegory, Mawlana imparts a fundamental truth; a truth that plays a pivotal role in the mystical journey. This story is presented within the context of "Malamatiyya" (the Path of Blame) and "voluntary disrepute." As I have previously stated, the Malamatis were a faction of Sufis who deliberately performed actions that would make them appear disreputable and disliked in the eyes of the public. Their aim was to liberate themselves from the judgments, praises, and accolades of people, turning their hearts entirely towards God. Mawlana expresses this: «خلق را با تو بد و بدخو کند / تا تو را یکباره رو آن سو کند» (People will be unkind and hostile towards you / So that your heart may turn entirely towards Him). The merchant in this story symbolizes a "truth-knower" or a "Wali of God" who conceals the precious essence within himself, or a truth he possesses, beneath an unappealing external appearance—the "mud" of the mundane world—to protect it from the greed, envy, or misuse of the ignorant and ill-intentioned. As Mawlana says: «ای بسا زر که سیه‌تابش کنند / تا شود ایمن ز تاراج و گزند» (Many a gold coin is blackened / So that it may be safe from plunder and harm). This "blackening of gold" is akin to covering the jewel with mud; it is the concealment of beauties and truths with an ugly or despised exterior.

The key point here is the "failure to perceive the inner reality" and "judging by appearances." The cow in this allegory symbolizes those who only see the external and are incapable of comprehending the inner truth. The cow sees the mud but remains oblivious to the jewel beneath. It is here that Mawlana explicitly likens the cow's error to that of Iblis. Iblis, when commanded to prostrate to Adam, saw only Adam's "clay" (tīn) and remained unaware of the "Divine Spirit" breathed into him. He declared: «أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ» (I am better than him; You created me from fire and created him from clay), and thus was cast down from his station. The cow does not know that "there is a jewel in the mud," just as Iblis was blind and deaf to the jewel of Adam's existence.

This parable is not solely about others; it is also a depiction of our own condition. Mawlana explicitly states that humans, too, often forget this divine "jewel" hidden within them, due to being immersed in the "mud" of the body and worldly attachments. We ourselves, like the cow, are often oblivious to the jewel placed beneath this earthly exterior. The divine command of «اهبطوا» (Descend!) cast us into the abyss of the body, and this jewel of the soul became hidden in the body's mud, causing us to lose ourselves. But the "merchants," the "people of the heart" (Ahl-e Del), and the truth-knowers understand that within this mud, a jewel lies hidden. They do not shy away from appearances; rather, with the eye of insight, they perceive the inner reality and retrieve the jewel from beneath the mud. This verse teaches us never to judge anyone by their outward appearance, for perhaps beneath a dog's skin, a leopard slumbers, and beyond an unpleasing countenance, a beautiful soul and a high rank before God are concealed.

Key takeaways

• High truth sometimes conceals itself in an unappealing guise to protect itself from greedy and ignorant individuals, like gold that is blackened to appear fake.
• This verse criticizes superficial judgments that only perceive the 'mud' and remain oblivious to the 'jewel' hidden beneath.
• The cow's error in this story parallels Iblis's mistake, who failed to grasp the divine spirit behind Adam's earthly form.
• The Malamati Sufis, through voluntary disrepute, shunned public praise to turn their hearts entirely towards God.
• This allegory teaches us to always look to the inner reality of people and matters, avoiding self-conceit and judgment based on appearances.