M6:4251 — پای پیش و پای پس تا ثلث شب / که بخواهم یا بخسپم خشک‌لب

Translation: One foot forward, one foot back, until a third of the night passed, Whether to beg or to sleep, parched-lipped, in despair. Meaning: This verse captures the intense inner struggle of a man, destitute and starving, caught between his dignity and the desperate need to beg for sustenance in the deep of night.

This verse vividly portrays a profound inner indecision, a struggle common to the seeker or, in this context, the treasure-hunter facing life's hardships. The man, having traveled from Baghdad to Egypt in search of a hidden treasure, now finds himself destitute and hungry. Once a man of means, he is now caught in the dead of night between his dignity and the desperate pangs of hunger. The phrase "one foot forward, one foot back" is a poignant symbol of this agonizing hesitation: one step towards the honor of patience, another towards the perceived humiliation of asking from others. This internal tug-of-war continues until a third of the night has passed, signifying the intensity and duration of his inner conflict. To beg, or to sleep with dry, parched lips? This is the agonizing question that gnaws at his soul.

Mowlana, however, elevates this specific scene from a personal narrative to a universal lesson within his worldview: that no state, neither joy nor sorrow, is permanent in this world. It is, paradoxically, one of the "virtues" of this world that it is in constant flux. A person caught in the throes of adversity often suffers from a "poverty of imagination," leading them to believe that their current predicament is eternal. Mowlana, drawing upon Quranic verses and prophetic traditions, teaches us not to judge by appearances or to be short-sighted. The Quran states: "And it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you" (2:216), and "Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease" (65:7), and "Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease" (94:5-6).

This verse, then, is a small drop in the vast ocean of patience. The Quranic message that "patience and victory are old companions" finds its manifestation here. Moreover, the prophetic narration, "Ishtaddī azmah, tanfarijī" (Tighten, crisis, you will break open), uttered by the Prophet in times of distress as he struck his knee with his fist, holds profound meaning. It suggests that hardship has its limits. When it reaches its peak, like a fountain that rises high only to inevitably descend, it gives way to relief and liberation. The man wavering between begging and starving, if he were to embrace patience and heed this deep truth, would realize that this state, too, will not endure. The history of the world has not ended, nor will he remain in this predicament forever. Life is a flowing river, and after every difficulty, ease is on its way. This verse, in essence, is a lesson in resilience and hope in the heart of despair.

Key takeaways

• Hesitation and internal struggle in the face of destitution reveal the conflict between dignity and survival instincts.
• No worldly state, whether sorrow or joy, is permanent; this transience is itself a blessing.
• A 'poverty of imagination' often leads individuals to perceive their current crisis as eternal.
• Patience and perseverance are the keys to ultimate relief and victory; 'patience and triumph are old companions,' and 'after every hardship, there is much ease.'
• When a crisis reaches its peak, relief and breakthrough are imminent; 'tighten, crisis, you will break open.'