M6:2463 — خیرشان اینست چه بود شرشان / قبحشان را باز دان از فرشان

Translation: Their goodness is but this; what then would be their evil? Know their ugliness from their glory.

Meaning: Even the outwardly good actions of base individuals are tainted with malice, revealing the true extent of their inherent evil. Their apparent splendor and authority often serve only to expose the inner ugliness and moral deformity of their character.

In this verse, Rumi touches upon a profound point in human psychology and ethics, following the tale of cunning and the base conduct of lesser individuals towards their elders. He asks: "Their goodness is but this; what then would be their evil?" This means that when these ignoble people intend to do good or render a service, the utmost they can achieve is what you see—a service tinged with obligation, outwardly virtuous but inwardly corrupt. Imagine, then, if they were to openly and brazenly inflict harm upon you; to what extent would that evil be destructive and undisguised? Their 'goodness' is merely this, meaning their behavior, which they consider good and service, itself betrays the hidden depravity of their being. This statement plants a deep unease in the listener's heart, raising the concern that beneath the veneer of every seemingly good act, a malevolent and deceptive intention might be lurking.

The second part of the verse, "Know their ugliness from their glory," complements this meaning. Here, 'farr' (glory) refers to splendor, prestige, or the power and position an individual holds. Rumi teaches us that the inner ugliness and moral deformity of these individuals must be precisely discerned from that very 'farr' and outward splendor. A vivid example is the story of the king Rumi immediately presents after this verse: a king who, in order to go to the mosque (an act of apparent goodness), had his guards brutally drive people away with clubs, causing them harm. Here, the 'farr' and power of the king, in a seemingly virtuous endeavor, lead to 'qobḥ' (ugliness) and overt oppression of the people. This is where you see that even when those in power intend to perform an outwardly good deed, their actions are intertwined with malice, and their baseness emerges from this very display of power as 'goodness'.

I have previously noted that Rumi here draws a fundamental distinction between animal evil and human evil. A wolf, though predatory, lacks cunning and deceit; "but it lacks that 'farhang' (cunning) and trickery." Animals inflict harm directly and unabashedly, and one can, with caution and resourcefulness, escape their harm. But humans are cunning; they combine power with deceit and trickery, and this 'makr' (deceit) is a 'second-order activity,' just as a philosopher like Gilbert Ryle categorized actions in the 20th century. Deceiving, repenting, and even criticizing are actions built upon primary actions, carrying their own complexities. Thus, human evil lies not merely in brute force, but in the admixture of force with deception and cunning. This is 'farhang' in its older sense, which in the Masnavi sometimes means trickery and stratagem, not its contemporary meaning of 'culture'.

Therefore, this verse not only warns us not to be misled by the deceptive appearance of individuals' actions but also grants us insight into the deeper roots of human malevolence. Their evil manifests not only in direct acts of harm but also in the corruption and contamination of the very concepts of goodness and beauty; and their ugliness must be recognized from behind the deceptive veil of their 'glory'.

Key takeaways

• The apparent 'goodness' of ignoble individuals serves as evidence of their inherent malevolence.
• Displays of glory and power (farr) by oppressive individuals are masks that reveal their inner ugliness and moral deformity.
• Unlike animal predation, human evil is intertwined with cunning, trickery, and deception, making it far more dangerous.
• Rumi uses 'farhang' here to mean trickery and stratagem, highlighting the intricate nature of human evil.
• The true nature of an action is determined by its underlying intention, not its outwardly benevolent form.