M1:441 — خاک شو مردانِ حق را زیر پا / خاک بر سر کن حسد را همچو ما

Translation: Become dust beneath the feet of men of God; And cast dust upon envy's head, just like us.

Meaning: This couplet advises the seeker to cultivate humility and, following the example of mystics, to utterly eliminate envy from their heart.

This couplet presents a direct and unequivocal invitation to humility and to combat one of the great moral vices: envy. Mawlana asks us to "become dust beneath the feet of men of God," meaning to adopt the utmost humility and consider ourselves small and transient before those who have attained truth. This humility is the antidote to envy. He then emphatically declares, "And cast dust upon envy's head, just like us," implying that just as we, the mystics, have crushed envy and expelled it from our being, so too should you. This is a practical, direct instruction.

However, this is not the full extent of Mawlana's message. It is here that we must distinguish between the "first-order" and "second-order" perspectives; a distinction fundamental to Mawlana's thought and that of other mystics. From the first-order perspective, envy is a moral vice to be avoided, and no wise person approves of it. From this viewpoint, envy is a product of narcissism, excessive desire, and ill-will, and it must be eradicated for individual and societal well-being. Mawlana, as a teacher of ethics, calls upon people to fight against it.

Yet, the second-order perspective transcends individual ethics and looks at the philosophy of existence and the administration of the world. From this vantage point, the mystic views the world through the eyes of God and observes that envy and greed, despite being reprehensible on an individual level, play roles in the overall cosmic order. As I have repeatedly stated, Ghazali believed that "God administers the world through the heedlessness of its people." That is, if people were fully aware of the truths of the world and heedlessness did not prevail, they would no longer live. Mawlana takes this idea to its pinnacle, stating: "So the pillar of this world is heedlessness itself; Awareness is a bane to this world. From that world, a faint emanation reaches, Lest greed and envy vanish from this world. If the emanation from the Unseen were to increase, Neither virtue nor vice would remain in this realm."

What do these verses convey? They suggest that this world is founded upon heedlessness, and if absolute awareness from the unseen world were to shine upon it, the entire system would collapse. A measure of awareness and "emanation" reaches this world from that realm, but not so much that "greed and envy" are entirely eliminated. If these were absent, neither good nor evil would remain, for the very game of the world would unravel. This implies that greed and envy, with all their ugliness, are part of this world's structure and are levers that keep the wheel of life in motion. This perspective is a description of reality, not a moral recommendation. Just as the philosophy of science describes science rather than prescribing it, so too do second-order ethics and mysticism describe the moral reality of the world.

Throughout human history, we have witnessed the truth that despite all calls for peace and goodness, wars and vices have always persisted. This persistence indicates that these phenomena have deep roots in human existence and the order of creation. Mawlana even likens envy to a fire that keeps the water of life's bathhouse warm. Although discerning individuals use this water for their own purification and do not fall captive to greed and envy, this fire is necessary to maintain the world's order and will only be extinguished on the Day of Judgment.

In this context, Hafez also shares a similar outlook when he says: "Grieve not over the envious's taunt, my heart / For perhaps when you reconsider, your good lies therein." This saying of Hafez complements Mawlana's second-order perspective; sometimes the envy of the envious can ultimately lead to the good and benefit of the envied, compelling them to achieve a perfection that they might not have attained in the absence of that envy. This illustrates that envy has a dual function and is not purely absolute evil, but can sometimes serve as a catalyst for progress.

Thus, while on the level of individual ethics, one must resolutely fight against envy and cast dust upon its head (the first-order perspective), on the level of the philosophy of existence and divine sociology, one must accept that envy is one of the pillars and driving forces of this world, which God administers through the heedlessness of people and these very vices. These two perspectives are not contradictory but complementary, revealing the profound depth of Mawlana's insight.

Key takeaways

• Fighting envy and embracing humility before men of God is a primary ethical imperative.
• From Mawlana's second-order perspective, envy, despite being a vice, plays a hidden role in the stability and movement of the cosmic order.
• The world is founded upon 'heedlessness,' and if absolute awareness from the unseen were to shine upon it, the wheel of life would cease to turn.
• Both Mawlana and Hafez allude to the dual function of envy; sometimes envy can lead to good and progress.
• Envy is primarily an acquired trait, shaped by social and educational conditions.
• The causes of envy are narcissism, excessive desire, and ill-will, which are fundamental vices in the human psyche.