M6:1752 — علم و حکمت بهر راه و بی‌رهیست / چون همه ره باشد آن حکمت تهیست

Translation: Knowledge and wisdom are for the Way and the waylessness; / If all were the Way, that wisdom would be empty. Meaning: This verse suggests that the very existence of knowledge and wisdom presupposes the presence of choices between right and wrong paths. If only one path existed without possibility of deviation, wisdom would lose its function and become meaningless.

This verse is a profound response to a crucial question posed by the Sufi to the Qazi: Would it not be better if there were no Satan or lower self (nafs) in the world, so that people would not stray? Mawlana's answer, articulated through the Qazi, is deeply philosophical and theological. I have repeatedly emphasized that our world is one in which 'knowledge and wisdom' find their meaning, and this meaning-making is contingent upon the existence of antinomies and challenges. If all were the straight path, if there were no crookedness, no deviation, no evil, then what purpose would 'knowledge and wisdom' serve?

Wisdom is the tool for distinguishing truth from falsehood, and the 'way' from 'waylessness'. Its mission is selection, a guide for moving along the correct path. If everything were uniform, if all people were 'Rostam' or 'Hamzeh' without the 'effeminate' existing alongside, then courage would lose its meaning. As Mawlana says: 'Rostam and Hamzeh and the effeminate would be one / Knowledge and wisdom would be void and destroyed.' This means that if these distinctions did not exist, knowledge and wisdom would be devoid of content and rendered futile. It is precisely like a school without exams; if there are no examinations, a diligent student cannot be distinguished from an idle one, and no talent is awakened or revealed.

I believe that the existence of opposites, from Satan and the nafs to sufferings and challenges, forms the ground for the emergence of free will and human perfections. Human free will, which distinguishes man from angels and animals, depends on the pull of two poles; if there were only one pull, man would act instinctively, and free will would be absent. Satan, in Mawlana's interpretation, is the awakeness of our dormant free will. This is a deception of the world, where a good appears in an evil guise. If we correctly grasp his role, we will see that he makes us more human, because he makes us more free, and free will is the highest attribute of humanity.

This world is, in essence, a stage for the purification of the soul and the awakening of talents. It is a stage for 'challenge' where 'the good are separated from the bad, they are sifted.' In this midst, knowledge and wisdom are vital tools for discerning this good and bad and for guiding us through this great challenge. If this distinction did not exist, if everyone were uniform and on the same path, then wisdom, whose function is to open and illuminate the ways, would become empty of meaning and function. This is precisely what we read in the Quran, where trials are for distinguishing 'the impure from the pure.' This verse, in direct alignment with this Quranic teaching, posits the existence of knowledge and wisdom as dependent on these very antinomies and tests.

Key takeaways

• Knowledge and wisdom only find meaning in a world with choices between 'the Way' and 'waylessness'.
• If all were on the straight path, wisdom would be devoid of function and rendered futile.
• The existence of opposites and challenges is the primary ground for the emergence of human virtues and perfections.
• Satan and the lower self, by creating conflicting pulls, awaken humanity's dormant free will.
• The world is like a school whose examinations reveal human talents and true essence.