M6:1422 — گرگ اگر با تو نماید روبهی / هین مکن باور که ناید زو بهی

Translation: If a wolf shows you foxiness (cunning), Beware, do not believe it, for no good will come from it. Meaning: Do not be deceived by a person of inherently predatory or malicious nature, even if they present themselves as clever and harmless. Their true disposition will eventually lead to harm, and no genuine good can arise from them.

This verse, for me, is a profound warning from our dear Mawlana concerning the discernment of hidden natures. Preceding this couplet, Mawlana had introduced the notion, 'Will you entrust a lamb to a wolf? / Do not bid the wolf and Joseph keep company.' In that context, the body was likened to a wolf and the soul to a lamb—a simile that, in my view, led some Sufis to an excessive hostility towards the body, whereas I see the body as the soul's ladder and an instrument for perfection, and this view of Sufis needs some adjustment. However, in our present verse, the 'wolf' is a broader and more general metaphor for any entity with an inherently hostile or wicked nature, which has superficially adorned itself in the guise of another.

Mawlana says that if this 'wolf' displays 'foxiness,' meaning it cleverly and intelligently assumes the garb of friendship and approaches you, you must never believe it. This foxy cunning is merely a disguise for the wolf's predatory essence; it changes nothing of its true nature. The message is clear: 'no good will come from it.' Its inherent being will not allow any virtuous or trustworthy act to emanate from it; as Mawlana himself puts it simply and sweetly, 'good deeds will not come from it.'

Mawlana immediately extends this concept to the 'ignorant person' (jāhil), stating: 'If an ignorant man shows you sympathy / He will eventually wound you out of ignorance.' An ignorant person, even if they show 'sympathy,' will ultimately harm you out of their ignorance, because like the wolf, they lack a stable essence or identity. Mawlana likens them to a 'hermaphrodite' or someone with 'two natures' (do-ālat); a being neither male nor female, neither here nor there. They are 'characterless' (bī-shakhṣiyyat) or 'two-faced' (do-shakhṣiyyatī), chameleon-like, adapting to every color, saying one thing today and another tomorrow. Such an individual, as Sa'di masterfully describes, is a 'nobody': 'Wherever you see such a person / Do not heed them, for they are a nobody.' Such individuals are not only untrustworthy, but their friendship is 'like ancient poison' and ultimately yields nothing but 'grief and regret.' This verse is a call to awaken from heedlessness and to look at the inner reality of people, not just their sweet words and outward appearance.

Key takeaways

• Deceptive appearances do not reflect true essence; inherent natures remain unchanged.
• A malicious or predatory individual, even with cunning, will not bring you any true good.
• The ignorant person (jāhil), even if feigning sympathy, will ultimately harm you out of their own ignorance.
• Beware of characterless, chameleon-like individuals who lack a stable identity.
• Friendship with an ignorant person is like ancient poison, leading only to grief and regret.