M1:85 — باز گستاخان ادب بگذاشتند / چون گدایان زلّه‌ها برداشتند

Translation: Again, the insolent abandoned propriety; / Like beggars, they gathered the crumbs. Meaning: This verse recounts how the impudent, despite receiving divine sustenance again, showed ingratitude and treated the heavenly gift as mere leftovers.

This verse, following the narrative of the heavenly "Manna," points to the profound depths of human impropriety and ingratitude. Mowlana, throughout these verses, emphasizes the importance of adab — not in the superficial sense of observing outward manners, but in the deeper sense of attunement to the cosmic order and gratitude for divine grace. Adab, from Mowlana's perspective, is not merely an individual virtue; it is a universal principle that upholds the very fabric of existence.

In the story of the Manna, alluded to here, the people of Moses initially exhibited impudence and greed, demanding earthly food, thereby severing themselves from a continuous divine bounty. However, after the intercession of Jesus (peace be upon him), the heavenly feast was sent again. This verse reveals that a segment of these same people, "again, the insolent" (bāz gustākhān), that is, even this time and despite their previous experience, cast aside adab. Instead of showing appreciation and respect, they regarded that blessed food as "dhilla" (crumbs); that is, mere leftovers that beggars gather out of disdain. This act of "gathering crumbs" speaks to a contemptuous and ungrateful gaze upon the generous gift of the Lord.

This is a crucial point: impropriety here is not just an undesirable behavior; it is a form of practical disbelief, an act of unfaithfulness before the Master's table. A covetous eye and a greedy soul not only fail to recognize grace but also forfeit the grace itself. Lack of adab creates a veil that deprives one of the boundless divine favor. It is this perceptual error, this suspicion and avarice, that closed the door of mercy to this group, not any lack of divine kindness. It is a law of existence that anything met with impudence and insolence will not endure or continue. Through this example, Mowlana seeks to convey that the root of many misfortunes lies in our own impropriety and ingratitude, not in a deficit of divine bounty.

Key takeaways

• Propriety (adab) is not mere etiquette but an alignment with divine grace and cosmic order.
• Impropriety and ingratitude lead to deprivation of divine favor, even if the blessing is renewed.
• A contemptuous and greedy gaze diminishes generous divine gifts to mere 'crumbs' (dhilla).
• Even after repeated forgiveness, the insolence of the impudent can again sever blessings.
• The root of much human suffering lies in one's own impudence and ingratitude.