M6:443 — چون به آخر فرد خواهم ماندن / خو نباید کرد با هر مرد و زن

Translation: Since at the end I shall remain singular (alone), I should not grow accustomed to any man or woman.

Meaning: This verse, spoken by a deceptive hunter, argues that because a person will ultimately face solitude in death, it is wise to preemptively detach from all human connections and cultivate familiarity with being alone.

This verse is uttered by a deceptive hunter who seeks to ensnare a bird. Concealing himself amidst foliage, he adopts the guise of a reclusive ascetic, arguing to the small bird: "Since in the end I shall remain singular, I should not grow accustomed to any man or woman." His words seemingly carry the weight of wisdom, postulating that death ultimately brings solitude to every human. As that philosopher famously remarked, 'We all die alone.' Therefore, he suggests, it is better to distance oneself from others from this very moment, to habituate oneself to solitude and find solace in it. This appears to be an invitation to seclusion and detachment from worldly attachments.

Yet, is this the definitive view of Mawlana? By no means. In the Masnavi, characters frequently express perspectives that serve as mirrors to incomplete wisdom or even delusion, allowing Mawlana to elaborate his deeper insights. This hunter, with his seemingly ascetic pronouncements, aims to deceive. His argument carries an existentialist resonance of 'loneliness' (tanhāʾī), where one feels abandoned and companionless. Mawlana, however, speaks of 'separation' (judāʾī), not mere 'loneliness.' Separation from the origin and the Beloved is always accompanied by remembrance and the hope of reunion. In judāʾī, even if one is distant from others, one is not separated from the Beloved; He is closer to you than you are to yourself, and it is you who are distant from Him. This judāʾī differs fundamentally from the tanhāʾī that the hunter emphasizes. The hunter's tanhāʾī stems from a form of 'poverty of morsels' (faqr-e luqmeh) that leads him to greed and avarice, rather than the 'poverty of truth' (faqr-e haqq) and gnostic insight.

In the subsequent verse, the hunter elaborates his argument: "I will eventually turn towards the grave / it is better to grow accustomed to the One." He claims that if one is ultimately to be alone with God, then one should cultivate intimacy with 'the One' (Ahad) from now on and cut ties with strangers. This too, on the surface, seems like a refined spiritual statement. However, in its core, it can serve as a pretext for withdrawing from society and human responsibilities. While Mawlana indeed stresses the importance of seclusion and detachment from all but God, he sharply distinguishes the path of true poverty and asceticism from the avarice of khanqah Sufis or the deception of individuals like this hunter. In his view, 'growing accustomed to the One' arises not from fear of death's solitude, but from love and longing for reunion and return to the original homeland. Mawlana repeatedly highlights 'divine sustenance' (qūwat-e haqq) which frees one from greed and covetousness; otherwise, poverty alone can lead to disbelief and falling into deception. Thus, the hunter's words must be understood within the context of the cunning trap he has set for the bird, rather than as Mawlana's final and comprehensive discourse on spiritual journeying.

Key takeaways

• This verse is spoken by a deceptive character (the hunter) and does not fully represent Mawlana's ultimate view.
• The hunter's argument is based on an existential 'loneliness' in death, not the mystical 'separation' from the Beloved.
• The 'loneliness' espoused by the hunter leads to withdrawal from society, whereas Mawlana's 'separation' points towards reunion with the One.
• The hunter's emphasis on 'growing accustomed to the One' serves as a pretext to justify his deceptive actions, not genuine spiritual practice.
• Mawlana condemns poverty born of avarice (faqr-e luqmeh), distinguishing it from 'poverty of truth' (faqr-e haqq) which accompanies gnostic insight.