M6:2037 — چون ببینی مشک پر مکر و مجاز / لب ببند و خویشتن را خنب ساز

Translation: When you encounter a skin full of deceit and illusion, / Close your lips and make yourself a jar. Meaning: This verse advises silence and withdrawal from engagement when facing individuals who are deceptive and hypocritical, to protect spiritual truths and oneself from their harmful influence.

This verse by Mawlana offers a profound strategy for confronting those steeped in deceit and illusion. I believe Mawlana here paints a precise and poignant picture of individuals who are devoid of truth, yet present themselves with polished appearances and grand claims. They are a “skin full of deceit and illusion”—like a seemingly valuable leather pouch, but inwardly overflowing with lies, cunning, hypocrisy, and discord. Their speech, one might say, originates from mental “duality” and multiplicity, rather than from the “unity” of mystical state (ḥāl) and the vision of truth. As I have often remarked, discourse and language, by their very nature, necessitate the decomposition and fragmentation of reality. To comprehend, we must transform the world into multiplicities, and this is the foundation of science and philosophy. Yet, this “multiplicity” in the external world is fundamentally “unity.” In the realm of mystical experience and the vision of truth, this unity remains, but once it reaches language, it becomes ineffable, unless we are compelled to speak of multiplicity in a “squint-eyed” (aḥwalāne) manner, out of necessity.

Mawlana here urges us, when faced with such a “skin full of deceit and illusion,” to “close your lips and make yourself a jar.” This means to seal our mouths and sit silently, like a lidded jar, uttering no words. Why? Because these individuals are “enemies of water”; they are not thirsty for truth. Indeed, they may even turn away from the water of truth, perhaps desiring that everyone flock to them, rather than to the true source. One should not engage in debates or arguments with them, as it is not only futile but also dangerous: “otherwise, the stone of his ignorance will break the jar.” Their ignorance and hard-heartedness will shatter the vessel of truth and spoil the jewel of gnosis. Mawlana himself says, “Seek less water, bring forth thirst / So that water may gush from above and below”; yet these people are neither thirsty nor desirous of water.

This counsel of silence is not merely a simple ethical recommendation; it has deep roots in wisdom and gnosis. In the face of the “politics of the ignorant” (siyāsat-hā-ye jāhil), one must practice “tolerance” (mudārā), but not out of weakness. Rather, it must be “with wisdom from God’s presence” (bi-ʿaql-i min ladun)—with an intellect drawing from a divine, hidden source. Even the prophets, according to narrations, practiced “dissimulation” (taqiyya) when confronting the circumstances and constraints of their time, not revealing all truths. The Quran, as Avicenna explicitly stated, sometimes employs anthropomorphic imagery for the common people, entering the realm of imperfect similitude. This signifies that profound truths are constrained by the receptive capacity of the audience. The material world and the ordinary mind impose their limitations even on divine discourse. Thus, a mystic, by extension, is compelled to choose silence in the face of the deceitful and to refrain from uttering ineffable words; for speaking such secrets to the unworthy brings nothing but corruption and harm. Mawlana, in his Divan-i Shams, declares: “There is much I ‘know not’ (che dānam-hā), but I know not / For I drank a palmful of opium from a mouth-binder in this sea.” This silence, then, stems not from disgrace or incapacity, but from wisdom and the protection of the essence of truth.

Key takeaways

• In confronting hypocrites and the deceitful, silence and avoidance of argument are the wisest paths.
• One should not speak of gnosis to those who are not thirsty for truth, but are rather its enemies.
• The ignorance and hard-heartedness of the unworthy can harm and spoil the essence of truth.
• Silence in the face of ignorance is not a sign of weakness, but the pinnacle of wisdom and protection of spiritual secrets.
• Profound truths are constrained by the limits of audience comprehension; therefore, one must practice tolerance with 'wisdom from God's presence'.