M6:3665 — صد کتاب ار هست جز یک باب نیست / صد جهت را قصد جز محراب نیست

Translation: If there are a hundred books, they are but one chapter; if there are a hundred directions, their intent is but one mihrab (prayer niche). Meaning: This verse underscores the unity of truth, asserting that despite apparent multiplicity in paths and expressions, all ultimately converge upon a single, core reality or destination.

Mowlana, in this verse, which he reiterates in the latter part of the sixth book of the Masnavi, points to a fundamental truth he has consistently championed throughout his monumental work: unity. He asserts with conviction that the entire six books of the Masnavi, with their thousands of verses, anecdotes, and parables, ultimately convey but one central message. I have penned this entire Masnavi to deliver a single, unified truth to the listener, even if I have presented it in a hundred different guises and forms.

As I have conveyed to you before, and as Mowlana himself states elsewhere in the Masnavi: “Our Masnavi is the shop of unity; whatever you see other than unity is an idol.” This means that the commodity the Masnavi offers is precisely this unity. If you interpret or comprehend anything in a way that does not lead you to unity, then that understanding is, in fact, an idol and a highway robber on your path. Amidst the apparent diversity of stories and verses, your mind should not be scattered; do not lose sight of the central thread. All discourse converges upon unity and love, for love itself is a unifying force. A person devoid of love finds their inner self wandering in a hundred directions, their thoughts scattered in a hundred ways; they are a fragmented individual, not a gathered one. To escape this multiplicity and attain unity, a strong unifying axis is necessary, and that is what Mowlana calls love. Thus, if we call the Masnavi a 'book of love' or a 'book of unity,' both are accurate.

This apprehension of unity is illuminated through other profound analogies. Consider a cloth merchant: he offers various silks and fabrics, yet a single iron rod for measuring is also present, not for sale. This indicates that the primary goal is the sale of cloth, and the measuring tool serves this singular purpose. This stands in stark contrast to today's supermarkets, which are truly symbols of multiplicity, where humanity is immersed and drowning in diversity; Mowlana, however, points to a different path.

Similarly, Mowlana uses the example of food. We have hundreds of types of edibles, yet they are all one thing: food. His reasoning is that once you are satiated by one, you lose desire for fifty other dishes. This demonstrates that beneath the apparent multiplicity of foods, there is an inherent unity, which is simply the alleviation of hunger. Indeed, in hunger, a person is like one who is cross-eyed (ahwal), seeing one thing as a hundred, but satiety reveals that in truth, there was only one thing. This analogy vividly explains the meaning of “If there are a hundred books, they are but one chapter.”

This quest for unity also manifests in the spiritual journey and the refinement of the self. We pass from the nafs-i ammara (the commanding self, which is a locus of multiplicity) and the nafs-i lawwama (the self-reproaching self, which still bears signs of duality and critique) to arrive at the nafs-i mutma'inna (the tranquil self). The nafs-i mutma'inna is where multiplicities dissolve, and a unified being is at peace with itself, not at war. This unity brings tranquility and peace with oneself and with others, liberating humanity from the grip of dispersion. This is the ultimate destination where all paths (a hundred directions) converge upon that single mihrab (prayer niche).

Key takeaways

• The essence of the Masnavi, despite the apparent multiplicity of stories and verses, is "unity"; anything other than unity is an "idol."
• Mowlana asserts that all six books of the Masnavi ultimately convey one central message and pursue a singular goal.
• "Love" is the internal unifying force that frees the scattered human being from multiplicity and brings about integration.
• The apparent multiplicity of the world (a hundred books, a hundred directions, a hundred foods) is merely a veil over the deep, unified truth.
• The ultimate goal of spiritual striving is to reach the "tranquil self" (nafs-i mutma'inna), a state of peace with oneself and others, free from fragmentation.
• The verse warns the reader not to get lost in apparent multiplicity but to always seek the thread of unity.