M6:3008 — پس تو هم الجار ثم الدار گو / گر دلی داری برو دلدار جو

Translation: So you too, say: 'First the neighbor, then the house,' / If you possess a heart, go seek the Heart-Taker. Meaning: This verse emphasizes the paramount importance of seeking a spiritual guide or Beloved, who alone can reveal the true nature of one's own heart, even before attending to worldly affairs.

Mowlana opens this verse with the ancient Arabic adage, “Al-Jār thumma al-Dār” – “First the neighbor, then the house.” This common wisdom, advocating for the importance of one's immediate surroundings before settling into a dwelling, is here transmuted into a profound spiritual imperative. He suggests that in the spiritual journey, finding a “Heart-Taker” (del-dār) precedes all other concerns, even the understanding of one's own heart (del). This reordering is crucial and deliberate.

As I have frequently emphasized, one must first seek a del-dār. Why? Because many people either lack a 'heart' in the true sense, or they remain entirely oblivious to its presence. Mowlana states elsewhere: “You will not find your heart save through being taken by a heart” (del nayābi joz ke dar del-bordagi). This is a deeply insightful expression: our heart does not reveal itself to us unless we have loved, unless we have been enchanted by a true Beloved. It is akin to someone who loses a precious item and only then recognizes its value, embarking on a quest to recover it. Our heart is a hidden treasure, brought into manifestation only through its surrender to a real Beloved. This self-discovery through the discovery of the Other is a central theme in mysticism.

Iqbal Lahori, with his profound insight, beautifully echoes this sentiment in a couplet, complaining to God: “One night I cried out to God in distress: / Why are Muslims abject and wretched? / A voice came: Do you not know that this people / Possesses a heart, yet lacks a Heart-Taker?” Indeed, this people has a heart, but they know not to whom to entrust it, and thus remain lost and unprotected. Mowlana’s instruction is clear and decisive: “If you possess a heart, go seek the Heart-Taker”; initiate this quest before all others.

Who is this del-dār, and how is he found? This Beloved is one whose “very dust becomes the essence of the soul / And the kohl for the eyes of the dear ones” (khāk-e u ham-sīrat-e jān mi-shavad / surma-ye chashm-e azīzān mi-shavad). This means their very being, even the dust under their feet, possesses such potency that it transforms the essence of the soul and bestows inner sight. Even more remarkably, venerable departed souls, if they possessed a powerful spiritual presence in life, prove “better than a hundred living in benefit and diffusion” (beh ze sad aḥyā be nafʿ o intishār). “Their shadow has departed, yet their dust casts a shade / A hundred thousand living ones are beneath their shade” (sāya burda u o khākasḥ sāyemānd / sad hezārān zenda dar sāye-ye way-and). This signifies that great souls, even after shedding the constraints of the body, exert a profound influence upon the world and can inspire seekers. This influence is not merely gained through physical presence at their graves, but through spiritual affinity and resonance with those souls.

Mowlana, in another passage, explains that for worldly skills, the path is practice and finding a master; but for faqr (which is Sufism, faith, love, and enchantment), the path is solely sohbat (companionship): “If you seek faqr, it rests upon companionship / Neither speech, your tongue will avail, nor hand” (faqr khwāhi, ān be sohbat qā’im ast / na kalām, zabānat kār mi-āyad, na dast). Here, it is no longer about language, books, or argumentation; it is about presence and association. This presence and companionship, like the fragrance of a rose permeating oil, perfumes the human being and makes them paradisiacal. This mode of transmitting knowledge and spiritual states is the most fundamental mystical method, occurring ‘naturally’ and 'without mediation.' Therefore, it is a foundational recommendation for any seeker striving for perfection and self-identity, to first find a Heart-Taker for their own heart.

Key takeaways

• Seeking a del-dār (spiritual Beloved or guide) is a prerequisite for discovering and understanding one's own del (heart or true self).
• Lacking a del-dār leaves one adrift in the quest for ultimate purpose and blind to self-knowledge.
• The worldly wisdom of 'first the neighbor, then the house' transforms into the spiritual imperative of 'first the Heart-Taker, then the heart' in the path of spiritual journey.
• The spiritual influence of the del-dār is so profound that even their physical presence or grave can emanate sacred power and serve as a source of inspiration and blessing.
• The acquisition of faqr (mysticism and love) is achieved through sohbat (companionship) with people of heart, not through mere words, arguments, or isolated actions; it is a form of spiritual contagion.
• This contagion transforms the seeker, aligning their essence and spiritual 'fragrance' with that of the Beloved or guide, leading to profound inner change.