M6:2817 — آن یکی گفت ای گروه مکر کیش / تا بگوید هر یکی فرهنگ خویش

Translation: One of them said, "O group, adept in trickery, / Let each one declare their own skill/art." Meaning: In this verse, one of the thieves suggests to his companions that each of them should reveal their unique skill, art, or stratagem in which they are proficient.

This verse marks the beginning of the delightful tale of "The King and the Night Thieves," a story Mowlana employs to elucidate the profoundest truths of existence. In this narrative, Sultan Mahmud, disguised and alone, finds himself amidst a group of night thieves. One of them addresses the others, saying, "O group, adept in trickery, let each one declare their own skill/art." Here, "farhang" (فرهنگ) does not carry its contemporary meaning of "culture." Rather, as Mowlana himself indicates elsewhere in the Masnavi and as was common in classical Persian, it refers to "art," "skill," "ruse," or "cunning." Thus, the thief is asking what particular talent, technique, or trick each person possesses.

Mowlana transforms this simple anecdote into a profound opening for spiritual insight. Before the thieves reveal their particular "farhang," we must pay deeper heed to the setting in which this episode unfolds: the "night." This dark night, where the King (God) remains unrecognized and the thieves (ignorant humans) are engaged in their pilfering, symbolizes our earthly life. We operate within this "prison of nature," veiled by heedlessness, assuming the King is absent. Yet, the King—the divine presence—is always among us, observing our actions without disrupting the system of the night or prematurely ushering in the day.

Mowlana beautifully underscores the truth that God has been, and always is, present and observant in all worldly events, even amidst the boundless suffering and injustices of history. Just as the Sultan is present among the thieves, witnessing their actions without overt intervention, so too does God allow the "system of the night" to run its course. This world is the world of night, and night's essence is concealment and trial. The Day of Judgment, when veils are lifted and the reality of the King's presence is unveiled to all, will arrive after this night. It is then that the thieves realize that the one who was with them in the night, unrecognized, was the King himself. This reflects our existential condition: we fail to perceive the divine presence beneath the veil of heedlessness until the curtain is drawn back, and we comprehend that reality was otherwise.

As the story continues, each thief enumerates their unique art and skill: one understands the barks of dogs, another can recognize by day a face seen in the darkness of night, a third can dig tunnels with brute force, and a fourth can discern hidden minerals by smelling the earth. These are all outwardly mundane skills, but Mowlana refers them back to deeper spiritual truths. For instance, the thief's olfactory skill is linked to the story of Joseph and Jacob, or to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who could perceive the scent of God from Yemen. This approach by Mowlana demonstrates how every outward event and every human skill can become a profound lesson in divine knowledge, if only we possess discerning eyes and ears. This story speaks not only to the symbolic aspects of worldly life but also to the majesty of the hidden divine presence and its manifestation through His saints, who are themselves the eyes, ears, and tongue of God on earth, and approaching them is approaching the Divine.

Key takeaways

• The term "farhang" (فرهنگ) in this verse signifies "art," "skill," "ruse," or "cunning," rather than its modern meaning of "culture."
• The tale of the King and the Thieves is an allegory for God's hidden presence within our worldly life, which unfolds like a dark night.
• God is always present amidst the suffering and events of the world, but does not intervene overtly to preserve the "system of the night."
• The Day of Judgment, arriving after this "night," will be the time when the King's hidden presence is revealed, and the truth of our actions understood.
• The thieves' seemingly mundane skills serve as a starting point for contemplating deeper spiritual truths and divine knowledge.