M6:2039 — با سیاست‌های جاهل صبر کن / خوش مدارا کن به عقل من لدن

Translation: Bear patience with the ways of the ignorant; / Gently dissimulate with the wisdom from God. Meaning: This verse instructs the seeker to exercise patience when encountering the ignorant, and to navigate their misunderstandings with divinely inspired wisdom and gentle diplomacy.

This verse presents a brilliant tableau of the seeker's conduct in the world, particularly when engaging with those whose inner eyes remain veiled. As Mowlana, speaking through my voice, asserts, this world is the realm of 'duality' (dovī), an arena of multiplicity and separation. Language itself, of necessity, operates within this field of plurality. Therefore, any discourse on absolute unity and pure truth, if conveyed without regard for the audience's capacity, will either fall flat or lead to misapprehension.

The 'policies of the ignorant' (siyāsat-hā-yi jāhil) here do not refer to schemes or tricks; rather, they denote the very ignorance and flawed understanding of people. These are individuals who are a 'deceptive skin of trickery and illusion' (mošk-e por-makr o majāz)—their outward appearance is alluring, but within, there is no truth. Or they are 'enemies of water' (došman-e āb)—not thirsty for truth, even fleeing from it. In confronting such a populace, Mowlana advises us to 'be patient' (ṣabr kon). This patience is not passive; it is an active endurance born of wisdom and insight, serving as a means for 'gentle diplomacy' (modārā).

What enables this diplomacy is 'divinely inspired wisdom' (ʿaql-e man ladun); wisdom bestowed by God, which, as I interpret it, is the esoteric insight that permits the gnostic to articulate truths 'as if cross-eyed' (aḥvalāna) or 'beneath the skin' (birun-e post). This is precisely the principle of dissimulation (taqīya) that, according to Shi'i traditions, even the Prophet Muhammad practiced, and, as Avicenna observed, even the Quran itself employed when conveying absolute monotheism. God, for the understanding of the common people, used similes and metaphors, because the formless and incomparable truth is not immediately graspable by everyone. The gnostic, out of necessity, must 'speak like polytheists' (mošrekāna dam zanad), that is, employ the language of multiplicity to pave a path toward unity.

This strategy of silence or speaking out of dissimulation is never a lie; it is the essence of wisdom. As Mowlana states, 'Since the world is given to doubt and questioning / We speak words from beneath the skin.' Speaking 'without words' (bī ḥarf) and reaching a station where 'speech sprouts' (kalām mī-rūyad) is the gnostic's ideal, yet within the confines of the material world and language, there is no escape from this diplomacy and patience. This patience and gentle conduct polish the soul, becoming for the seeker what 'Nimrod's fire' was for Abraham—a mirror of purity—or what the 'tyranny of Noah's disbelievers' was for Noah—a polish for his spiritual mirror, thus leading to the seeker's inner progress and illumination.

Key takeaways

• Patience and wisdom are essential when confronting ignorance.
• Diplomacy does not mean compromising truth, but adapting its delivery to the audience's capacity.
• ʿAql-e Man Ladun (divinely inspired wisdom) guides the seeker's speech and conduct.
• Taqīya (dissimulation) and 'speaking as if cross-eyed' are pragmatic ways to convey unified truths in a pluralistic world.
• Such patience and diplomacy are not weaknesses, but rather polishes for the seeker's soul, leading to inner ascent.