M6:3683 — در پی سودی دویده بهر کبس / نارسیده سود افتاده به حبس

Translation: He ran after profit, seeking to hoard (kabs), But before grasping the gain, he fell into prison.

Meaning: This verse illustrates how the pursuit of material gain and accumulation can lead to an outcome entirely opposite of what was desired, trapping a person in confinement rather than bringing prosperity. It highlights Mowlana's profound insight into the unpredictability of human endeavors.

This particular verse by Mowlana, deeply embedded in a sequence of profound couplets, delves into the philosophy of existence and destiny. Here, Mowlana vividly portrays human endeavor—the relentless pursuit of wealth and accumulation, denoted by the word kabs (meaning to hoard or compress, as in a leap year or a nightmare, kabus)—only for it to culminate in imprisonment and failure. This is not merely a moralistic tale; it is Mowlana's profound critique of a worldview that deems the universe entirely predictable, placing absolute trust in apparent causes and means (asbāb).

Mowlana, of course, does not entirely negate reliance on asbāb. He himself asserts elsewhere that this world operates on a chain of causes and effects, and we must engage with them. The crucial point, however, is that this reliance must not be absolute or dogmatic. As he suggests, 'this horse (of nature) has a rider,' and that rider—the divine power and hidden will—can abruptly alter the course. As he puts it: 'You shot the arrow to the right, but it flew left, did you see?' or 'He dug pits for others, then found himself fallen into them.' These examples serve as testament to the principle that while we rely on means, 'our arrow can always go astray,' and 'the medicine we take can always turn out to be poison.'

This insight aligns profoundly with a critique of historical determinism and scientific positivism. Just as Kant, in his Critique of Pure Reason, viewed continuity and causality as mental frameworks we impose on nature, Mowlana points to a 'hidden agent' (khufiya-kār) who can overturn all equations. This is an insight that, fortunately, is increasingly accepted in modern science: no scientific law possesses absolute certainty, and the future of the world, whether in nature or history, is neither guaranteed nor definite. Our predictions, especially in history, are always fragile, and a 'small pebble beneath the wheels of the train of history' can derail everything. The deterministic thinking that led Marxism to flawed predictions, or Fukuyama's 'End of History,' both suffer from this 'poverty of imagination,' unable to conceive of alternative outcomes.

From a theological perspective, this unpredictability and the 'overturning of resolves' (as expressed in Nahj al-Balagha) serve as a path to knowing God. When our plans go awry and 'the horse disobeys us,' we must realize that another agent is at work. Mowlana seeks to awaken humility within us: both intellectual humility, acknowledging that 'our knowledge is scant and fragile,' and practical humility, recognizing that 'we are not the masters or teachers of this world.'

And it is here that Mowlana, with a touch of irony, declares: 'So, since the turner of causes is like a donkey's tail, it's better to rely less on it.' This implies that causes themselves are not the ultimate movers or controllers; they too have a rider. Furthermore, divine will can sometimes 'make a donkey appear as a goat' (khar rā baz namāyad), inverting realities to reveal how limited and vulnerable our perception is. This inversion of realities is not sophistry or a denial of truth; rather, it is an awakening of insight to see truth beyond appearances, recognizing that the reins of affairs are held by another power.

Key takeaways

• Relentless pursuit of profit or any material goal can lead to entirely opposite and undesirable outcomes.
• Absolute reliance on apparent causes and means (asbāb) is perilous; the world has a 'rider' who can alter its course.
• Nothing in this world, neither in nature nor history, is absolutely certain or guaranteed; the future is inherently unpredictable.
• One must cultivate both intellectual and practical humility, acknowledging the limits of human knowledge and our non-mastery over the world.
• Uncertainty and the 'overturning of resolves' serve as a path to recognizing the hidden divine will; when our plans fail, another hand is at work.
• Divine will can sometimes invert realities, challenging our superficial perceptions to awaken deeper insight.