M6:3616 — گفت حق خود او جدا شد از بهی / تو بدین تزویرها هم کی رهی

Translation: God said: 'He himself strayed from goodness; how will you, with these deceits, ever escape?' Meaning: This verse conveys a divine warning: even one who succumbs to Satan's deception, by accepting that deceit, actively separates themselves from righteousness. Their own subsequent deceptions will offer no path to salvation.

Mowlana, in a decisive tone attributed to God, addresses the destiny of both the deceiver and the deceived in the face of divine justice. This verse is part of a larger narrative where Satan entices humanity with false promises, embellishes vices, leads them into peril, and then abandons them in their moment of dire need. When the deluded human seeks aid from Satan, the latter declares his disavowal, stating that he, unlike the human, fears God’s justice. It is at this juncture that the voice of Truth proclaims to the deceived:

'God said: 'He himself separated from goodness.'

This utterance encapsulates the core of human accountability, even in the position of a victim. The pronoun 'he' refers to the human who has been deceived. God decrees that this individual, through their own volition, negligence, or lack of vigilance, has 'separated from goodness' (بهی) — meaning righteousness, worthiness, the path of truth, and divine grace. This estrangement is not merely the outcome of Satan’s action; it stems from the human’s inner assent or indifference to truth. The deceived human is not a mere passive recipient; they possess agency in accepting the deception and drifting away from the source of virtue. As I have often remarked, they have made choices that distance them from the wellspring of good.

'How will you, with these deceits, ever escape?'

This part is a direct address from God to the deceived human. The term 'deceits' (تزویرها) here could refer to the stratagems the human resorts to after being misled, perhaps in an attempt to absolve themselves, or to their own internal self-deceptions and rationalizations. Yet, God explicitly questions how such deceptions could ever lead to salvation. This rhetorical question negates any possibility of escape. It implies that the path to salvation lies in returning to 'goodness' and sincerity, not in further deceit.

Mowlana immediately reinforces this divine judgment with subsequent verses, stating that both the 'agent and patient' — the deceiver and the deceived — will, on the Day of Reckoning, be 'black-faced and candidates for stoning' (رو سیاه‌اند و حریف سنگسار). This underscores that neither group will be exempt from the consequences of their actions. Here, the 'fool' (گول), meaning the simple-minded and deceived individual, and the 'ghoul' (غول), meaning the deceiver and robber, are both denied 'salvation and triumph' (خلاص و فوز). They will be 'stuck in the mud' (در گل‌اند) of heedlessness in both this world and the next, their fortunes 'setting' (عافل‌اند) into eternal night. This means that in the divine order of justice, indifference and a lack of vigilance against deception do not absolve a human of responsibility. This profound perspective of Mowlana, which I have frequently highlighted, leads us to understand that even within victimhood, there are degrees of responsibility and choice that ultimately shape our eternal destiny.

Key takeaways

• Divine justice holds even the deceived responsible; separation from 'goodness' is a choice.
• Deception, whether by the deceiver or the deceived, offers no path to salvation.
• In the divine order, both the deceiver and the deceived face consequences for their actions.
• Indifference or naivety (being 'gullible') does not exempt one from accountability before God.
• Deliverance from misguidance depends on vigilance, choosing the path of goodness, and avoiding self-justification.