M6:4580 — ای هزاران جبرئیل اندر بشر / ای مسیحان نهان در جوف خر

Translation: Oh, you mortals within whom dwell thousands of Gabriels! / Oh, you Messiahs hidden within the belly of a donkey! Meaning: This verse underscores the immense, hidden spiritual grandeur within human beings, suggesting that true essence often lies concealed beneath seemingly ordinary or even contemptible outward appearances.

Mowlana, in this profound couplet, warns against a peril that perpetually threatens humanity: the danger of superficiality and judgment based solely on outward appearance. I must insist that this is the affliction of the 'Iblisian gaze' (balīsān nazar); a gaze that led Satan to see Adam merely as a handful of clay, oblivious to the spirit breathed into him. The prince in the story of the groom remained ignorant of his servant's inner truth for the very same reason.

I believe Mowlana here points to the hidden essence of humanity, which is vastly superior to its earthly and animalistic frame. Man, this dual-natured being, manifests outwardly as 'mortal' (bashar) and even in the guise of a 'donkey' (khar), yet inwardly, he hosts 'thousands of Gabriels' and 'Messiahs.' Gabriel symbolizes revelation and connection to the unseen, while the Messiah represents regeneration and life-giving breath. These divine aspects reside within a physical form that, to the superficial eye, is nothing more than flesh and bone.

This is precisely the point Mowlana emphasizes repeatedly: 'How many a person has been misled by mere form / He aimed at form, but struck at God!' This means that if one clings solely to appearances and fails to grasp the meaning behind the form, ultimately, this superficiality will alienate them from the truth of existence and the divine reality. The arrow shot at the form eventually strikes God; that is, humanity's connection with its spiritual essence and the origin of being is severed. The wretched human fails to know himself, exchanging the silken essence of his being for a tattered cloak. This verse serves as a warning: beneath this animalistic skin lies a hidden treasure, perceptible only to the inner eye. It is an invitation to self-knowledge, to the discovery of that potential Messiah and dormant Gabriel within each of us.

Key takeaways

• The primary danger lies in judging by appearance; a 'Satanic' gaze substitutes superficiality for true essence.
• The human being possesses an earthly and animalistic form, yet conceals within itself a treasure of divine powers (Gabriel and the Messiah).
• Superficiality deprives humanity of its true self and its connection to the Origin of Being.
• Mowlana invites us to 'self-knowledge' (khwīsh-tan-shināsī); the discovery of hidden jewels within each individual.
• Irrespective of outward status, every mortal is potentially a host to revelation and spiritual revitalization.