M6:2469 — یک سلامی نشنود پیر از خسی / تا نپیچد عاقبت از وی بسی

Translation: A despicable person offers no greeting to an elder Unless, in the end, that greeting makes him writhe in pain.

Meaning: This couplet suggests that contemptible individuals, even when feigning respect, harbor malicious intentions and use their words to inflict profound emotional distress upon elders.

Mawlana, in this verse, paints a harsh yet extraordinarily precise picture of human baseness. Continuing his earlier discussion on the lack of true respect for elders, he adds that sometimes this disrespect manifests even within the guise of ostensible honor. Many common people or 'the vile' (le'ām), who fail to recognize the true stature of elders, might offer a service or even a 'greeting,' yet this greeting is far from devoid of malice and sarcasm. The words emanating from such a 'khas' (contemptible person) are so laced with venom and taunt that the elder, in response, writhes in inner agony and distress. This is what I call 'inverted reverence'; where courtesy becomes an instrument of harm.

It is here that Mawlana, with his characteristic profound insight, deems the vile human being more dangerous than even a ravenous wolf. In subsequent verses, he states that it is better for a 'wali' (saint) to be torn apart by a wolf than to encounter an 'evil soul' (nafs-i bad). Why? Because a wolf, though a predator, 'lacks that culture, deceit, and cunning' (likash ān farhang-o kayd-o makr nīst). I, for my part, would prefer to interpret the wolf's 'oppressiveness' (istemgarī) as 'predation,' for animals lack the concepts of justice and injustice; injustice can only stem from one who comprehends justice. But beyond this lexical point, this is the crux: animals, no matter how powerful or aggressive, are devoid of human 'culture' (here meaning trickery and deception), 'deceit' (kayd), and 'cunning' (makr). They act directly and without artifice; their harm is clear and predictable.

Humans, however, with their complex minds and calculating faculties, are capable of actions that transcend animal instincts. The analytic philosopher, Gilbert Ryle, categorized human actions into 'first-order' and 'second-order.' First-order actions are those natural behaviors common to both humans and animals, such as eating, sleeping, or laughing. But 'criticizing,' 'repenting,' or 'practicing deceit' are second-order actions; they are built upon another action and require calculation and intent. An animal does not practice deceit because it does not grasp this complex, second-order action. A wolf attacks by instinct, not by planning to deceive. It is this human cunning that makes a person more perilous than any wolf or tiger, for their harm is hidden and venomous, capable of corrupting the soul from within, not merely the body. This, indeed, is one of Mawlana's most significant teachings on the evil within human nature and its capacity for trickery and cunning.

Key takeaways

• Vile individuals conceal malicious intentions even within outward displays of respect.
• The 'greeting' of a despicable person, far from bringing affection, wounds the soul with veiled taunts and sarcasm.
• Mawlana considers an ill-natured human more dangerous than a wolf, as wolves lack cunning and deceit.
• Animals act by instinct; humans act with cunning and calculation, adding a far more perilous dimension to their malevolence.