M6:3658 — نهی بر اهل تقی تبغیض شد / نهی بر اهل هوا تحریض شد

Translation: Prohibition for people of piety led to aversion; Prohibition for people of desire led to incitement. Meaning: Mowlana explains how a divine prohibition or command to abstain elicits entirely opposite reactions in two distinct groups of people: the pious become repulsed by the forbidden, while those driven by caprice become even more eager to pursue it.

I have often said, and reiterate now, that Mowlana is a consummate visionary and anthropologist of the human condition; and this beyt stands as a testament to that assertion. We frequently hear the common saying, “Al-insān ḥarīṣ ʿalā mā munuʿa” (Man is greedy for what is forbidden). This captures a general truth about the nature of many, perhaps most, human beings. However, Mowlana, in the manner of true sages, never contents himself with generalizations. He immediately provides a subtle and profound elaboration, introducing a crucial exception, for not all human beings are alike.

In this beyt, Mowlana clearly articulates that the effect of a “prohibition” (nahy) on two distinct groups is precisely inverse: Firstly, there are the “Ahl-e Taqwa” (people of piety); those who have reined in their lower selves and submitted to the divine command. For this group, God’s prohibition of an act leads to “tabghīḍ”—that is, aversion and hostility towards the forbidden thing. In other words, the divine injunction increases their detestation for the forbidden act, naturally distancing them from it. Here, the prohibition not only restrains but also renders the nature of the object odious in their perception.

On the other side are the “Ahl-e Hawa” (people of desire or passion); those whose reins of selfhood have fallen into the grip of caprice, lacking the capacity for self-restraint. For this group, prohibition not only fails to deter but precisely transforms into “taḥrīḍ”—that is, encouragement, incitement, and intensified allure. It is as if the very act of prohibition becomes an agent for augmenting their desire and eagerness, driving them more avidly towards that transgression. For the Ahl-e Hawa, prohibition acts like fuel upon the fire of lust, rather than water to quench it.

This fundamental distinction, in essence, conveys a deeper point: God’s intention in prohibiting is none other than to reveal true natures. Divine prohibition is a test. As Mowlana himself indicates, through this very act of prohibiting, God “yughwī qawman kathīr” (misguides many people) and simultaneously “yahdī qalban khabīr” (guides aware and discerning hearts). This is not to imply predestined misguidance, but rather that divine prohibition lifts the veil from human essences, demonstrating who is patient in obedience to truth and who is subject to their own passions. Thus, divine prohibition is a tool for distinguishing truth-seekers from adherents of caprice, not merely a simple command.

Key takeaways

• Divine prohibitions, or nahy, do not affect everyone equally; their impact varies according to different human natures.
• For the Ahl-e Taqwa (pious), divine prohibition leads to tabghīḍ (aversion) towards the forbidden, causing them to shun it.
• For the Ahl-e Hawa (those driven by desire), divine prohibition results in taḥrīḍ (incitement), making them more eager to pursue the forbidden.
• Divine prohibition is not an act of predestination but a tool for revealing the true essence and inner nature of human beings.
• The distinction between tabghīḍ (aversion) and taḥrīḍ (incitement) unveils an individual's intrinsic disposition.