M6:2840 — چون سگی بانگی بزد از سوی راست / گفت می‌گوید که سلطان با شماست

Translation: When a dog barked from the right side, [one of the thieves] said: 'It is saying that the King is with you!' Meaning: This verse narrates how the presence of the King (a symbol of God) becomes manifest through various signs, yet only those with awakened inner senses can perceive it; others remain heedless.

This verse appears in the continuation of the 'Story of the Thieves and the King,' which Mevlana elaborates upon in the Mathnavi. The King, in disguise, is present among the thieves to understand their nature and characteristics. The key point of this couplet is that one of the thieves, whose 'skill was in his ear' (meaning he was more perceptive or sensitive than the others), hears a dog's bark and interprets it not merely as an animal sound, but as a message signaling the King's presence.

I view this episode as an unparalleled example of 'heedlessness' (غفلت). The other thieves, despite hearing this warning from their companion, pay no attention to it. Mevlana beautifully ties this to Quranic expressions: 'They have ears with which they do not hear, and eyes with which they do not see' (و لهم آذان لا یسمعون بها و لهم ابصار لا یبصرون بها). The darkness of the night, here, is a metaphor for the heedlessness and spiritual blindness that has enveloped the group. The prominent and manifest presence of the 'Sultan,' who is God, is clearly announced, yet the closed ears and eyes of the heedless fail to grasp it.

This story, and particularly this verse, emphasizes the Quranic concept of 'He is with you wherever you are' (و هو معکم اینما کنتم). God's companionship (معیت) is constant in all events, in the very fabric of every moment, and at the heart of every scene—not a virtual or metaphorical presence. The dog, with its bark, acts like a herald, proclaiming this immediate presence. But only one whose heart is awake can 'hear' and 'see' this sign. The other thieves pass by the dog's bark and their friend's interpretation with indifference; precisely like many human beings who see and hear signs of God's presence in daily life but pass by them unheedingly.

Mevlana later in the same story identifies the intelligent thief who recognizes the King as a symbol of the 'Gnostic' (عارف). A Gnostic who, in the dark night of nature and the prison of materiality, has recognized the King of the world, namely God, and has engaged in a night-long love affair with Him. This Gnostic perspective, unlike the heedless one, finds the King's (God's) presence even in a simple dog's bark and extracts profound meaning from it. This is the language of Gnosis, carrying within it a paradoxical truth, as it expresses realities for which ordinary language was not made and which transcend conventional logic. Thus, this verse is not just a story, but a mirror for gauging our own degree of awareness or heedlessness in confronting the continuous Divine Presence.

Key takeaways

• Divine presence is constant and manifest, yet heedlessness veils our perception of it.
• Signs of God's presence can appear through simple, mundane events (like a dog's bark).
• Heedlessness (غفلت) is the primary reason for our failure to recognize the 'Sultan's' presence among us; proximity does not guarantee perception.
• Perceiving the Divine Presence requires an awakened inner self and a sensitivity characteristic of Gnostics ('arifs).
• This verse underscores the Quranic concept of 'He is with you wherever you are' (و هو معکم اینما کنتم), even in seemingly dark and misguided circumstances.
• Mevlana teaches us to always be alert, as the 'Sultan's' message can arrive from the most unexpected places.