M6:4047 — طفل داند هم نداند شیر را / راه نبود این طرف تدبیر را

Translation: The child knows the milk, yet does not know it; On this path, there is no way for deliberation (tadbīr). Meaning:* This verse describes a direct, non-conceptual knowing, akin to a child's understanding of milk—an innate, existential connection that transcends intellectual reasoning or deliberation.

Mowlana, in his ongoing portrayal of the gnostic (ʿārif) submerged in the Divine, offers a beautiful analogy of the child and milk, which further illuminates the state of the fish in water. The child knows the milk and, simultaneously, does not know it. This expression reveals the profound depth of gnostic insight. The child, existentially, is drawn to the mother's breast and the milk, recognizing it on a plane of pure being and absolute attachment; yet, mentally, the child does not conceptualize it. The child does not articulate: 'This is milk, I am hungry, milk will alleviate my hunger.' Such a rational analysis belongs to adults and thinkers, not to a child. This, I contend, is precisely what is meant by 'emptying the mind of thought' (khālī shudan az zehn va fekr), a theme I have frequently emphasized.

It is my firm conviction that this 'knowing without knowing' is the pivotal point for understanding mysticism. The child has but one concern, recognizing only one thing in this world: the mother's breast. This unparalleled focus—unmediated and devoid of any intellectual analysis or conceptualization—is the very model for the seeker. Here, 'there is no way for deliberation (tadbīr) on this path.' Tadbīr signifies thinking, planning, and intellectual conceptualization. In the presence of the Real, there is no place for such deliberation; knowledge must be direct and intuitive, not inferential or rational. The gnostic does not strive to define God, nor to argue for His existence; rather, the gnostic is submerged in God, breathing God, just like the shepherd in the story of Moses, whose heart overflowed with love, even though his language was not that of a philosopher.

This state brings to mind the words of Jesus Christ, who said: 'Unless you become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.' Commentators on the Gospel have spoken extensively about the virtues of children that pave the way to the divine kingdom. Undoubtedly, one of the most prominent of these virtues is simplicity, purity, and sincerity. A child is not cunning, not deceitful, not a liar; these do not find a way into their nature. The child knows no 'meddling' (fozūlī) or intrusive interventions of the intellect. This primal simplicity and clarity are so desirable that one must strive to preserve them in adulthood. This preservation is only possible through companionship with those of the heart and truth.

As I have said before, this state of immersion is like being within the Ka'aba, where 'there is no custom of the qibla.' When you are inside the Ka'aba, whichever way you turn, you are facing the qibla. The gnostic, immersed in the Real, is likewise; whatever emanates from them carries the scent of truth, because the intermediaries and intellectual barriers have fallen away. To experience even a single moment of this unmediated presence, where veils lift and one finds oneself submerged in an existential ocean grander than oneself, is worth a lifetime. This is the zenith of connection and attachment, beyond all intellectual constraints and rational deliberation.

Key takeaways

• Child-like knowing: An existential understanding that transcends mental concepts and rational analysis.
• "Tadbīr" as an impediment: On the unmediated mystical path, thinking, planning, and conceptualization have no place.
• The gnostic as child or fish: Immersed in the reality of being, needing no philosophical definition or argument for it.
• Child-like simplicity and purity: A desirable quality, paving the way to the divine kingdom, free from cunning and deceit.
• Unmediated connection: A direct bond with the Beloved, devoid of intellectual and mental intermediaries.