M6:2503 — بوالحَکم آخر چه بر بست از هنر‌؟ / سرنگون رفت او ز کفران در سقر

Translation: What did Abu al-Hakam ultimately gain from his skill? / He fell headlong into Saqar (hellfire) due to his ingratitude/disbelief. Meaning: This verse refers to the fate of Abu Jahl, initially called "Abu al-Hakam" (father of wisdom/judgment), who, despite his intelligence and worldly skills, ultimately plummeted into hellfire because of his ingratitude and denial of truth.

Mowlana, in this verse, addresses the destiny of "Abu al-Hakam," the very Abu Jahl known to us, who, before his antagonism towards the Prophet, was celebrated for his sagacity and judgment. But what, ultimately, was the fruit of such 'wisdom' and 'skill' (honar)? None at all! Mowlana, with his characteristic decisiveness, uses this example within his overarching critique of 'skill' (honar), 'artifice' (fan), and 'cleverness' (jaldi). These are abilities which, devoid of 'good character' (khulq-i hasan), 'service' (khidmat), and most importantly, true 'insight' (binish), are not only worthless but can lead to utter ruin.

I have often stressed that Mowlana teaches us the imperative of 'effacement, not grammar' (maḥw mībāyad, naḥw). This 'grammar' (naḥw), this 'skill' (honar), this 'cleverness' (jaldi) is precisely what led Samiri to fashion the golden calf, caused Qarun, with all his alchemy, to be swallowed by the earth, and drowned Noah's son who trusted in his swimming prowess. These are all examples of those who became arrogant due to their superficial capabilities and turned away from the essential truth. Abu Jahl, for all his intellect and sagacity, found no fate other than a plunge into hellfire because he denied and refused to acknowledge the truth.

Mowlana proceeds, in the verses immediately following this one, to elaborate on the fundamental dichotomy between 'knowledge' (dānish) and 'insight' (binish) — a distinction he expands upon throughout the Mathnawi. He asks: "Consider as true skill that which sees the fire manifestly / Not the talk of 'smoke indicates fire'." True skill, true honar, is not about inferring the existence of fire (the effect) from smoke (the cause/reason); that is the work of philosophers and theologians, who arrive at the signified through signs and deductions. This, for Mowlana, is mere 'talk' (gap zadan), not 'seeing' (dīdan). Genuine honar is the 'manifest seeing of the fire,' the unmediated perception of truth, which is the privilege of those possessing binish and spiritual vision. This marks the difference between those who know God through 'reason' and those who 'sit in smokeless fire,' 'joyful' in their direct vision.

He then brilliantly compares this sole reliance on reason and intellect to the blind man's staff. Just as a blind person navigates with a stick, and the more they tap it on the ground, the more it signifies their blindness, so too is the 'staff of argumentation' (ʿaṣā-ye istidlāliyyān) a sign of inner blindness. "What use is the circle of the blind? / Bring forth one who sees!" One who sees needs no staff. Therefore, the 'skill' (honar) of Abu al-Hakam, or the 'grammar' (naḥw) of the grammarian, was in reality a mere staff for closed eyes. The ingratitude (kufrān) that cast him into hellfire was the direct consequence of this pride and reliance on his own 'skill', and his turning away from the prophetic 'insight'. This is the same fatal error that has ensnared many scholars and 'men of skill' throughout history: an over-reliance on what they know, and a refusal to surrender to what they must see.

Key takeaways

• Reliance on worldly 'skill' (honar) without spiritual insight and humility leads to self-sufficiency and ingratitude (kufrān).
• 'Knowledge' (dānish) — inferential, theoretical understanding — is fundamentally different from 'insight' (binish) — direct, intuitive perception of truth; Mowlana champions the latter as 'true skill'.
• Examples like Samiri, Qarun, and Noah's son illustrate that material or intellectual skills, when not in service of truth, become instruments of destruction.
• Reason (ʿaql), though a guide, is likened to a blind man's staff; true seeing of reality requires vision, not merely navigating with a stick.
• The fate of Abu al-Hakam serves as a cautionary tale against intellectual arrogance and the rejection of manifest truth, leading ultimately to the abyss of disbelief.