M3:3270 — گفت موسی رو گذر کن زین هوس / کاین خطر دارد بسی در پیش و پس

This couplet is the pivot point in the story, where the prophet's wisdom confronts the disciple's misguided desire. Moses identifies the man's request not as a noble spiritual quest, but as havas—a capricious whim or obsession driven by the ego (nafs). The danger, he warns, is total, encompassing both "what comes before and what comes after" (pish o pas). This suggests the desire's roots are corrupt and its fruits will be poisonous.

The man believes he is seeking spiritual insight ('ibrat), but Moses sees that the request itself is a symptom of spiritual impatience and a misunderstanding of how wisdom is acquired. True insight comes from God directly, not through esoteric tricks or shortcuts. The desire for a supernatural power like understanding animals is a classic spiritual pitfall in Sufi teaching: it mistakes a paranormal ability for genuine closeness to God. Moses's warning is a call to abandon the ego's desire for special knowledge and to instead pursue the more difficult, but safer, path of sincere devotion.