M6:2070 — ترهات چون تو ابلیسی مرا / کی بگرداند ز خاک این سرا

Translation: Ramblings like yours, you devilish one, / How could they turn me from the dust of this threshold? Meaning: The disciple asserts, in response to reproaches, that the devilish, idle words and deceptions of the woman (symbolizing the commanding self) cannot distract him from his spiritual path or the sacred threshold of his master.

This verse presents the disciple's resolute and firm response to the wife of Shaykh Abu al-Hasan Kharaqani, a response that speaks to his steadfastness on the path of truth and divine love. As I have always emphasized, and will do so again, this story is, first and foremost, an allegory. Here, the woman symbolizes the nafs-i ammara (the commanding self), the tempting and rebellious ego that is perpetually at odds with reason and the righteous path. The man (representing the Shaykh and his spiritual way) symbolizes divine intellect and the path to ultimate reality. Thus, the woman's words, which Mawlana refers to as terehāt, are in essence a metaphor for the idle talk of the ego and the satanic temptations that seek to divert the seeker from their journey.

The term terehāt in Arabic signifies absurd or vain talk. According to the ancients, it derives from the Persian word dowra, meaning speech that does not follow a straight line but rambles hither and thither—what the Westerners call 'rambling.' Mawlana himself states elsewhere: 'You have scattered your intellect in all directions / Those ramblings are not worth a single straw.' Meaning, a scattered mind that speaks from every direction has no worth or credibility. Here, the disciple tells this woman, and by extension his own nafs, that her devilish, scattered, and baseless words lack the power to turn him away from the threshold (sarā) of the master, the spiritual path he has chosen.

With this declaration, the disciple not only critiques the woman's words but also clarifies the nature of his own presence. He immediately follows this in the next verse by saying: 'I did not come by a whim like a cloud, / To turn back by a breeze from this threshold.' This indicates that his arrival at this spiritual threshold was not born of fleeting desire or blind imitation, but rather of profound insight, certainty (yaqin), and faith. He is not a cloud to be moved by every wind or to change his course with a speck of dust. Rather, like the sun of truth, he is constant and radiant, and devilish terehāt can never obscure his emergence.

In essence, this verse underscores the seeker's steadfastness and unwavering commitment to the path of truth, in the face of all worldly enticements and egoic deviations. This is a profound lesson from Mawlana: true faith and love tolerate no idle talk or frivolity, but continue their path with power and certainty.

Key takeaways

• The story of Shaykh Abul Hasan Kharaqani and his wife is an allegory of the commanding self's (woman) struggle against reason (Shaykh).
• Terehāt symbolizes the idle talk and temptations of the ego that hinder the seeker on the path of truth.
• A true seeker proceeds with insight and certainty, unswayed by vain words or baseless criticisms.
• This verse emphasizes the importance of steadfastness, resilience, and unwavering commitment on the spiritual journey.