M6:487 — حکم او هم حکم قبلهٔ او بود / مرده‌اش خوان چونک مرده‌جو بود

Translation: His decree is like his qibla (direction of prayer/aim); call him dead, for he is a seeker of the dead. Meaning: This verse states that a person's spiritual state is determined by their ultimate aim or "qibla." One whose aspirations are directed towards perishable, worldly things is himself spiritually dead and should be considered as such.

I read this couplet within the context of the hunter's deceptive argument with the bird, where the hunter falsely advocates for isolation. He claims that one must avoid the company of those whose qibla—their ultimate direction or aim—is bread, stomach, or wealth; for such people are themselves spiritually dead. A person's qibla reveals their ultimate destination and existential orientation. If one's qibla is worldly and physical matters, specifically "bread and stomach," then they are, in essence, oriented towards decay and non-being. Such an individual is, in a deeper sense, a "dead" person who constantly seeks after "dead" things—perishable, transient affairs.

Mowlana, through the hunter's words here, clearly elucidates that a "physical companion" whose face is turned towards death and oblivion, offers ominous companionship and must be forsaken. The inner being of these individuals is like clods and stones: lifeless and without true essence. Indeed, they are worse than inanimate clods and stones, for they can inflict harm and bring calamity. In truth, one must refrain from associating with those whose aspirations do not gaze upon the heavens and who have not turned towards the ultimate realities of existence.

This argument, though voiced by a deceitful hunter, nonetheless conveys a profound truth about the "dead-hearted"—those whose souls are bound to materialism and whose hearts are given to fleeting concerns; they too are drawn into the realm of non-being. It is fascinating that the bird, later in this very dialogue, seizes upon the hunter's own argument to establish the necessity of jihad—a struggle to clear the path of these "roadblockers" and "dead-hearted ones" who impede seekers on their journey of transcendence.

Key takeaways

• A person's ultimate aim and orientation (their qibla) determines their identity and destiny.
• One whose qibla is perishable, material matters is himself among the spiritually dead, as he is oriented towards oblivion.
• The companionship of those immersed in materialism is not only fruitless but also ominous and harmful.
• This couplet, though spoken by a deceptive character, conveys a profound mystical truth.