M6:2155 — در میان آن دو لشکرگاه زفت / چالش و پیکار آنچ رفت رفت

Translation: Between those two vast encampments, / Whatever strife and battle occurred, it occurred. Meaning: This verse indicates the conclusion of significant conflicts and struggles between two opposing forces or fundamental principles, whose battle has clearly taken place, and its outcome is now recorded in history.

This verse from the Masnavi offers a concise yet profound statement on the philosophy of history and the theology of opposition. Mowlana, in his exposition on the wisdom behind the creation of opposites—a wisdom essential for the recognition of God—arrives at this beyt. God, being without nidd (equal) or zidd (opposite), created a 'vicegerent' (Khalīfa), namely humanity, which can have opposites. Indeed, the entire cosmos revolves around the human being, serving its journey of self-knowledge; concepts like sorrow, joy, suffering, and gnosis only gain meaning through human presence.

Mowlana illustrates this philosophy of opposition through the metaphor of 'two banners,' one white and one black, handed to Adam and Iblis respectively. These two represent the archetypal good and evil, justice and injustice, which have shaped human history from its very beginning. This beyt points to this primordial battle: the initial conflict between Adam and Iblis, which served as the genesis for all subsequent struggles and contentions throughout human history. This is a 'philosophy of history' that views conflict and strife not as incidental events but as an intrinsic part of human existence.

It is my firm conviction that this eternal battle is an epistemological necessity: one can only truly know things through their opposites. Just as a fish cannot appreciate water until it is cast ashore, or a human cannot fully grasp friendship until its loss, we come to know justice by witnessing injustice, and light by understanding darkness. The experience of these oppositions is what prepares the mind for growth and evolution. This beyt, in essence, is a report on a factual development in the trajectory of human knowledge. The phrase 'whatever strife and battle occurred, it occurred' signifies that this foundational struggle has taken place, its nature is established, and its consequences are manifest in history, providing an ongoing lesson.

Mowlana then extends this primal conflict of Adam and Iblis to a series of historical battles: from the fratricide of Cain and Abel, which recorded the first human sin, to the contention between Abraham and Nimrod, where fire became the arbiter, and finally to the clash of Pharaoh and Moses, where the sea was the ultimate judge. All these are manifestations of the very 'strife and battle that occurred.' This verse posits that the initial, foundational struggle has transpired, opening the path for the comprehension of opposites and the learning derived from them. Undoubtedly, we are perpetually in need of learning from these antitheses; as I have often stated, 'Satan is not dead,' and the conflict between good and evil continues within us and in our societies. We learn from these oppositions, from our mistakes, to approach true knowledge.

Key takeaways

• For divine recognition, God created opposites through His vicegerent (humanity), as the Truth itself is without antithesis.
• Adam and Iblis represent the archetypal 'two vast armies' of good and evil, whose primordial conflict is referenced in this verse.
• The presence of strife and battle in the world is not a flaw, but a necessary wisdom for discerning truth and distinguishing good from evil.
• Human history is a continuous manifestation of this primal opposition, from Cain and Abel to Abraham and Nimrod, and Moses and Pharaoh.
• Mowlana emphasizes that we attain knowledge through experiencing opposites—e.g., seeing injustice to understand justice, or loss to grasp value.
• Past conflicts are not mere historical events; they are ongoing lessons for our present, as the forces of good and evil persist.