M6:7 — یا بیانی که بود نزدیکتر / زین کنایات دقیق مستتر

Translation: Or a statement that might be closer Than these subtle, hidden allusions.

Meaning: Mowlana expresses a hope that in the future, he may be granted permission to articulate profound spiritual truths more directly and explicitly, rather than through the veiled and intricate allusions he has employed thus far.

This verse appears at the very beginning of the sixth book of the Masnavi, addressed to Husam al-Din Chalabi. I have emphasized in my lectures that Mowlana here demonstrates a profound self-awareness regarding his own mode of expression. He states: "Perhaps in what comes hereafter, permission will be granted, a license extended, for the secrets that are to be spoken to be uttered in a clearer, more direct language; a statement that is closer than these subtle, hidden allusions he has employed thus far."

This is a crucially important point; Mowlana, in effect, acknowledges the complexity and veiled nature of the language used in the preceding five books. He longs for the veils to be lifted, for the secrets to be presented with greater clarity. However, Mowlana immediately qualifies this yearning with a fundamental condition: "A secret does not share itself with one who knows no secrets; a secret is no secret in the ear of the denier." This statement by Mowlana is an absolute, unequivocal decree. It means that even if he were to speak with explicit and clear language, these secrets would only be revealed to those who are themselves privy to secrets and are 'secret-knowers'. For someone whose ear is not prepared to hear a secret, or whose heart denies it, even if they hear the secret, they will not recognize it as such. For them, these words will appear ordinary, empty, and devoid of significance. It is like someone who does not understand Russian; even if the most beautiful Russian poetry is recited to them, they will hear nothing but incomprehensible sounds. Thus, Mowlana's desire for a 'closer statement' is connected, on one hand, to his own existential capacity, and on the other, to the preparedness and receptivity of the listener. Book Six, in this respect, promises greater unveilings, but always with the understanding that every unveiling depends on the degree of the recipient's insight.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana, at the outset of Book Six, expresses his aspiration for a more direct and explicit articulation of spiritual secrets.
• He acknowledges the intricate and allusive nature of his discourse in previous books, longing for greater clarity and unveiling.
• The clarity of Mowlana's expression is contingent upon the listener's capacity and 'secret-knowing'; a secret remains hidden to those unprepared.
• This verse reveals Mowlana's self-awareness of the evolving stages of his own teaching methodology.
• Book Six promises a closer and more lucid transmission of knowledge, provided the audience is receptive.