M6:3813 — کین جهان خوردی و خواهی تو ز طمع / کان جهان با این جهان گیری به جمع

Translation: You have devoured this world, and out of greed, you wish To seize that world too, in unison with this one. Meaning: This verse is a sharp critique from a greedy jurist to a high-ranking official who, having enjoyed worldly riches, now hypocritically seeks to secure the afterlife as well. It accuses the official of wanting to combine both worlds out of sheer avarice, rather than genuine piety.

This verse, uttered by the greedy jurist in the story of the Worldly Leader (Sadr-e Jahān), carries a profoundly sharp and meaningful critique, targeting the very essence of spiritual opportunism. The jurist, himself an embodiment of greed, responds to the Leader's accusation of “shamelessness” by turning the mirror back: the truly shameless one, he asserts, is the Leader himself. He declares, “You have devoured this world with all its pleasures – and mind you, not from your own rightful earnings, but from public funds and taxes levied upon the people. Now, out of sheer avarice, you wish to acquire that world too, by making meager donations, thereby seizing both realms at once?”

This statement is the pinnacle of scorn directed at those who wish to be “a stick gilded on both ends” (چوب دو سر طلا); that is, to benefit from both this world and the next, yet not through rightful means or proper conduct. The Leader, in this sense, has opened a “two-front shop” (دکان دو نبش); he has cultivated his worldly affairs and simultaneously attempts to secure his afterlife through superficial piety. Mawlana here delves into the depth of this spiritual profiteering: Are these fortunes legitimate? Are these donations born of sincerity, or merely a transaction to buy the hereafter?

This verse reminds me of Ghazali’s extensive discussions on accepting stipends and gifts from rulers. Ghazali, with immense caution, suggested that while some poor individuals might be justified in accepting funds from a king (on the premise that it is the people's wealth held by the monarch), such an act is always fraught with moral ambiguity. Yet here, the greedy jurist asserts his right to declare: “You are the more avaricious, for with the wealth of others, you seek to possess both worlds.” This, indeed, is the zenith of shamelessness. It is, in fact, through the mouth of this greedy jurist that Mawlana unveils his latent critique of those outwardly religious figures, the powerful and the wealthy, who don the cloak of faith. I have no doubt that this sting is Mawlana's own jab at the hypocrisy of his era.

Key takeaways

• The verse critiques spiritual opportunism: the attempt to secure both worldly and otherworldly gains through hypocrisy.
• The greedy jurist accuses the Worldly Leader of operating a 'two-front shop' (دکان دو نبش) – desiring both this world and the next, but not through legitimate means.
• It condemns the use of ill-gotten wealth to gain spiritual merit and maintain a facade of piety.
• Mawlana, through this verse, subtly reveals his underlying critique of outwardly religious figures and powerful individuals.
• The beyt implicitly references Ghazali's discussions on the legitimacy of governmental wealth and the caution required in accepting it.