M6:3701 — آمدند از رغم عقل پندتوز / در شب تاریک بر گشته ز روز

Translation: They arrived, despite the counsel of the advising intellect, In a dark night, having turned their backs on the day. Meaning: This verse refers to those who, defying their guiding intellect, plunge into the darkness of ignorance and desire, turning away from the path of light.

In this verse, Mowlana speaks of those who have deviated from the clear path of reason and rationality, choosing instead a path of darkness. The phrase aql-e pandtūz (the advising intellect) refers to the sagacious and guiding intellect that constantly invites humanity towards rectitude and truth; an intellect that not only thinks but also counsels and indicates the right way. The word raghm signifies 'despite,' 'in spite of,' or 'against,' indicating a form of defiance and disobedience to this inner guide.

I believe the idiom shab-e tārīk bar gashte ze rūz (dark night, having turned their backs on the day) is a deeply metaphorical image. Here, the dark night symbolizes intellectual obscurity and ignorance, not merely physical darkness. These individuals have turned their backs on 'day'; a day that is emblematic of the light of reason, insight, and knowledge. This means their intellects have been suspended, their passions and carnal desires aroused, and the light of reason no longer illuminates their path. This is a state where individuals consciously shut their eyes to truths, immersing themselves in the darkness of ignorance and lust.

This verse appears within a larger narrative in the Masnavi, which tells of a group entering a castle known as zāt-os-sovar (the castle of forms). This castle, as I have explained elsewhere, alludes to the separate imaginal realm (ʿālam-e khayāl-e monfaṣel) in Suhrawardi's philosophy; a world between the natural and the metaphysical, filled with forms, images, and adornments, yet devoid of matter. Entering such a castle, especially az raghm-e ʿaql-e pandtūz (despite the counsel of the advising intellect) and dar shab-e tārīk (in a dark night), signifies delusion and the loss of sound reasoning. A person who surrenders their reins to passion and heedlessness will inevitably enter a world of deceptive forms that keep them distant from truth. Thus, Mowlana teaches us the firm connection between intellect, insight, and treading the luminous path of spirituality, warning against the consequences of disobeying it.

Key takeaways

• The intellect as an essential inner guide and advisor.
• The peril of defying reason and embracing the darkness of ignorance.
• The dark night as a symbol of intellect's dormancy and passion's arousal.
• The day as a symbol of insight and the light of knowledge.
• Entering the 'castle of forms' as a consequence of turning away from reason.