M6:3880 — گر هزاران سال باشد عمر او / او نگردد سیر خود از جست و جو

Translation: Should his life be a thousand years long, He will never grow weary of searching.

Meaning: Mawlana states in this verse that the true quest for knowledge is unending; a sincere seeker, no matter how long they live or how much wisdom they gain, will never be satiated by this pursuit.

This verse presents a brilliant depiction of the insatiable thirst of the seeker in the boundless ocean of gnosis. I have often remarked that Mawlana is not merely a poet and mystic, but a first-rate thinker who reflects with subtlety on Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions. Here, we observe that same subtlety.

Mawlana commences his discussion by portraying knowledge as “a sea without limits or shores,” and the seeker of knowledge as “a diver of these oceans.” In such a sea, the diver is never sated by exploration. This is precisely where this verse finds its place: “Should his life be a thousand years long, / He will never grow weary of searching.” This unending quest is a testament to the nature of Truth itself, which is infinite.

However, Mawlana connects this point to a famous tradition (hadith) from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), also narrated by Imam Ali (AS) in Nahj al-Balagha: “Two hungry ones are never satisfied: the seeker of worldly things and the seeker of knowledge.” Here, Mawlana performs a crucial interpretive move. He posits that if this 'knowledge' were of the 'worldly' kind, the Prophet’s categorization would become meaningless, as 'the seeker of knowledge' would merely be a subset of 'the seeker of worldly things,' leading to redundancy. Thus, this 'knowledge' must undeniably be 'other than worldly knowledge.' He states emphatically: “What else, then, can be other than the world? The Hereafter, / Which lifts you from here and is your guide.” Hence, the insatiable quest Mawlana describes in this verse is the pursuit of knowledge of the Hereafter—knowledge that frees a person from 'here' (the ephemeral world) and guides them towards absolute Truth.

This knowledge differs fundamentally from those forms of learning that are 'heedlessness-inducing' and ensnare one in self-conceit and arrogance. The knowledge Mawlana speaks of is 'awakening' (mustanbe); it lightens the soul, enabling it to soar on the path of servitude and gnosis, rather than weighing it down and holding it back from the caravan. This is the 'lightness of soul' I have always emphasized in my readings of the Masnavi. The ceaseless quest for Truth, far from bringing weariness, makes the soul light and ready for flight.

Key takeaways

• The true quest for knowledge is unending; a sincere seeker is never sated by this pursuit.
• Mawlana links this verse to the Prophetic tradition of “Two hungry ones are never satisfied: the seeker of worldly things and the seeker of knowledge.”
• The 'knowledge' Mawlana refers to is spiritual, pertaining to the Hereafter and divine gnosis, not merely worldly learning.
• This knowledge is 'awakening' (mustanbe), leading to lightness of soul and spiritual ascent, unlike 'heedlessness-inducing' sciences.
• The continuous thirst for truth is a reflection of truth's own boundlessness.