M6:2035 — یا به نوبت گه سکوت و گه کلام / احولانه طبل می‌زن والسلام

Translation: At times, by turns, with silence and at times with speech, Beat the drum in a cross-eyed manner, and that's it. Meaning: This verse offers a strategy for conveying truth in a world of multiplicity: the mystic must sometimes be silent and sometimes speak, but even when speaking, must do so in a dualistic or "cross-eyed" fashion, adapted to the audience's understanding, because language itself creates multiplicity.

What enters the realm of maqāl – the domain of language and discourse – invariably becomes multiplicity, or dovī, a state of manyness. The unitary truth, that oneness hidden beneath these multiplicities, simply does not lend itself to language. This is not due to the speaker's inadequacy, but arises from the very nature of language itself. As Mawlana states: "Except for duality, nothing enters the arena of discourse." Language, per se, is an analytical tool; to convey understanding, one must separate, classify, and this is precisely multiplicity.

Faced with this truth of language and its inability to express unity, the mystic has two paths: either to embrace silence (as in, "Either sew shut your mouth and be sweetly silent"), or if compelled to speak, to "beat the drum in a cross-eyed manner." To speak in a "cross-eyed" (احولانه) fashion is akin to someone who is cross-eyed and perceives one thing as two. This means the mystic's speech, while rooted in unity, must adopt the hue of multiplicity and duality for a general audience, who can only perceive multiplicity, to comprehend it.

This is a pragmatic strategy for communicating with the "cross-eyed" (احولان), those whose inner eye has not yet opened to perceive unity. In this station, the mystic "speaks in a polytheistic (mushrikāne) manner," not out of actual polytheism, but out of the necessity of transmitting the message within the limited capacities of public understanding. This is an "existential taqiyya" (dissimulation) practiced by prophets and mystics alike. Even Ibn Sina believed that the Quran, to be accessible to the general populace, had to diverge from pure monotheism and describe God with attributes such as light or king, whereas the divine essence transcends all forms and descriptions. Thus, even divine speech at times assumes a "cross-eyed" aspect to accommodate the limitations of the common mind.

Mawlana refers to this mode of speech as "speaking beyond the skin" (bīrūn-e pōst ḥarf rāndan). That is, speech about the depth and essence of truth is spoken through a veil of appearance and multiplicity, so as not to offend unaccustomed ears or debase profound realities. However, this strategy is reserved for encountering those "sacks full of cunning and pretense" (mushk-e por-makr-o majāz); with a "confidant" (mahram), one can speak the "secret of the soul" (sirr-e jān) and use "allusion" (ishārat), and when seeing a "rose" (gol), one can "cry out like nightingales." But for others, sometimes "patience with the unworthy" is essential, for "patience purifies every heart" and ignorance is a "stone" that "breaks the jar." The best course is to "bear with the policies of the ignorant / deal gently with the wisdom from God" and avoid the misguided, for they are "enemies of water" and seek no thirst.

Ultimately, Mawlana alludes to a state beyond this duality, where "words grow without letters" (bī-ḥarf mī-rūyad kalām). This is the ultimate station where communication transcends the confines of language and concept, where the soul is in direct contact with truth, requiring no compromise with the limitations of discourse. But until that station is reached, "beating the drum in a cross-eyed manner" is a necessary resort for truth to reach ears, albeit indirectly.

Key takeaways

• Language inherently creates multiplicity; expressing unitary truth in discourse is only possible through duality.
• For a general audience, the mystic must sometimes be silent and sometimes speak "cross-eyed" to present truth in a way commensurate with their understanding.
• "Cross-eyed" speech is a form of "existential taqiyya," employed even by prophets and divine revelation to accommodate common mental capacities.
• When facing the ignorant and those "full of cunning and pretense," silence and forbearance, protecting the gem of secrets from being debased, is preferable to speaking.
• Mawlana alludes to a state beyond the confines of language where "words grow without letters," representing the pinnacle of the mystic's communication with truth.