M1:431 — اندرین وادی مرو بی این دلیل / «لَآ أُحِبُّ ٱلۡأٓفِلِين» گو چون خلیل

Translation: Do not venture into this valley without this proof; say, like Abraham, 'I do not love those that set.' Meaning: This verse admonishes the seeker not to enter the spiritual path without divine guidance or the proof offered by the Friends of God. It reminds us that to attain truth, one must turn away from all that is transient and perishable, loving only an eternal and immutable Beloved.

This profound verse, with its subtle and deep insight, sets forth a guide for the journey of spiritual striving and love. Prior to this beyt, Mevlana states, "How the stretched shadow is the form of the Friends of God, who are the proof of God's sun's light." He now declares, "Do not venture into this arduous valley without this 'proof'" – this very shadow that itself guides to the Sun. This guide is the awliya, the Friends of God, those who have made themselves mirrors of God's attributes, even the less emphasized ones like divine 'creativity' and 'free will.' The seeker must, with their own intellect and free will, turn to such a perfect guide, not to those misguided mystics who would strip away one's reason and agency, reducing them to a 'selfless' being, mere clay in the hands of fate—a distortion Iqbal Lahori too critiqued in earlier Sufism.

But what is this 'proof'? The proof is Abraham's declaration in the Quran: "I do not love those that set." Abraham did not say, "I do not believe in those that set," or "I do not accept them," but rather, "I do not love them." This is a most exquisite point. As Allama Tabataba'i elucidates in his esteemed commentary Al-Mizan, a God who is not lovable is not worthy of worship. Religion is nothing but love; "Is religion anything but love?" Therefore, we must know God in such a way that our hearts love Him, and we must worship this lovable One. This is the worship of the 'free ones' (ʿibādat al-aḥrār)—not of slaves who fear the master's whip, nor of merchants who seek reward. This worship stems neither from fear nor greed, but from pure, unadulterated love and affection. Those that set – anything that wanes, changes, or is confined by time and space – are deprived of such love and are unworthy of it.

For Mevlana, Shams-e Tabrizi himself is the 'Sun,' the eternal and everlasting manifestation that knows no 'setting.' In the very next verse, Mevlana explicitly states, "Go, find a Sun from the shadow; reach for the hem of King Shams-e Tabrizi." Here, Mevlana, for only the second time in the Masnavi, openly utters Shams's name. Mevlana exercised peculiar restraint in the Masnavi, refraining from mentioning Shams's name—save for three instances in all six books. Why? Firstly, to avoid the strife (fitna) and upheaval that his name evoked, which had only recently subsided; Mevlana desired not to "seek mischief, riot, and bloodshed; speak no more of Shams-e Tabrizi." Secondly, he composed the Masnavi not from a state of ecstatic frenzy, but from the stance of a teacher and with rationality, unlike the Divan-e Shams which is entirely immersed in Shams's name, memory, and love. Yet here, when the discussion turns to the 'Sun,' Mevlana loses the reins of his self-control and pronounces Shams's name. This indicates that in Mevlana's eyes, Shams is precisely that un-setting sun that Abraham also sought: a source of light and proof that never declines and transcends all shadows.

Key takeaways

• Spiritual journeying demands proof and guidance (the Friends of God); do not enter this perilous valley without it.
• The primary criterion for worshipping and knowing God is 'love,' not fear of punishment or greed for reward.
• 'I do not love those that set' is the essence of Abrahamic faith, calling to turn away from all that is transient.
• The Friends of God are perfect mirrors of divine attributes, including less emphasized ones like creativity and free will.
• For Mevlana, 'Shams' symbolizes that un-setting sun and the eternal Beloved.
• Mystical insight transcends appearances and shadows, seeking the Sun itself.