M6:1353 — پر مساز از کاغذ و از که مپر / که در آن سودا بسی رفتست سر

Translation: Do not make wings of paper and straw, nor try to fly with them, for in that endeavor, many a head has been lost. Meaning: This verse warns against reckless ventures and attempting tasks for which one lacks the necessary skill or knowledge, as many have perished in such pursuits.

Mowlana, in this verse, unequivocally warns us against undue audacity and plunging into ventures for which we lack the necessary capacity and knowledge. He speaks of those who, with wings of paper and straw, harbored aspirations of flight, only to meet with disaster and ruin. Consider the famed Jawhari, who, by attaching planks to himself, sought to fly and perished. This echoes the earlier counsel in the story of the fall from the minaret: you know not tightrope walking, be grateful for your feet and walk on the ground; do not imitate the rare fortunate ones.

Of course, if we were to apply Mowlana's advice universally to all domains, the world of science and industry would never have achieved its current advancements. Many pioneers in science, from the discoverer of fluorine gas to the forerunners of aviation, risked their lives, and often lost them, in the pursuit of discovery and informed audacity. Sufis, including Mowlana, truly wished for humanity not to over-engage with the world, nor to multiply their mental preoccupations with material and worldly affairs, but rather to direct their hearts towards another realm. But history, as we know, took a different path; for the past three or four centuries, human beings turned their gaze from within to without, from heaven to earth.

However, the key point and my focus in this verse is that Mowlana extends this admonition to the realm of thought and philosophy. He likens philosophers who harbor the ambition of uncovering the mystery of divinity and the essence of God to those with paper wings. In Mowlana's view, this intellectual audacity, these paper wings of the intellect, instead of elevating man, casts him into a perilous abyss, leading to his downfall. In traditions, it is narrated that when Imam Ali (peace be upon him) was asked about divine decree (qadar), he replied: “It is a dark path, do not traverse it; it is a deep sea, do not enter its depths; it is God's secret, do not burden yourselves with it.” Meaning, this is a dark path, a deep sea, and God’s secret; do not trouble yourselves and do not approach it.

Mowlana himself articulates this elegantly: “O one who has crafted bows and arrows, the prey is near, but you have shot far away. Tell the philosopher who has killed himself with thought, that his back is towards the treasure.”

He believes that the more the philosopher strives and endeavors, the further he gets from his goal, not closer. This directly contrasts with the Quranic command, “Jahidū fīnā” (Strive in Us), not “Jahidū ʿannā” (Strive away from Us). Thus, these paper wings of philosophical speculation arouse a desire within you, but instead of true flight, they cast you to the ground and impede true understanding, which passes through the heart and not merely through rational means.

Key takeaways

• Avoid unnecessary audacity and reckless risks in endeavors for which one lacks the requisite ability.
• A warning against blind imitation of experts or those merely favored by luck, without possessing genuine skill and knowledge.
• The extension of this counsel to the realm of thought and philosophy: refraining from probing divine mysteries beyond the capacity of our limited intellect.
• Unrestrained philosophizing constitutes paper wings, leading to a fall and divergence from the true goal, rather than genuine ascent.
• Contrary to the path of scientific and industrial history, Sufis emphasized limiting material engagement and avoiding unnecessary intellectual preoccupations.