M1:340 — صد هزاران مؤمنِ مظلوم کُشت / که پناهم دینِ موسی را و پُشت

Translation: He slaughtered hundreds of thousands of oppressed believers, / claiming: 'I am the refuge and support for the religion of Moses.' Meaning: This verse describes a tyrannical king who, under the guise of defending the religion of Moses, massacres innocent believers, illustrating how religious claims can become a pretext for oppression and arrogance.

This couplet extends the preceding discussion about the corrupt judge, illustrating how a heart tainted by greed or arrogance loses its capacity for truth. Mawlana here speaks of a king who, "from Jewish rancor became so squint-eyed"—meaning his inner vision became warped by malice and bigotry, rendering him incapable of distinguishing the oppressor from the oppressed. Under the guise of "I am the refuge and support for the religion of Moses"—a sacred claim—he massacres hundreds of thousands of innocent believers. This is where we see how religious declarations can become a pretext for bloodshed and tyranny.

As I have often pointed out, Mawlana occasionally employs "anachronism" in his language; this is neither a flaw nor an error, but rather a tool to convey a deeper meaning. Further in this narrative, he refers to the king's vizier as a "gabr." While "gabr" is commonly used for Zoroastrians, Mawlana employs it to mean any wicked or deceitful unbeliever. He is not concerned with historical chronology or the specific doctrinal details of particular groups; rather, he seeks to portray the vile countenance of those who, by misusing the name of religion, engage in cunning and oppression. Here, "gabr" signifies internal malice and persistence in deceit, irrespective of a person's historical religious affiliation. The core message is clear: when the heart is diseased, even sacred truths are twisted into instruments of tyranny.

Key takeaways

• Abuse of Religion: Claims of religious defense can become a pretext for oppression and massacre.
• Corruption of Judgment: Inner malice and arrogance destroy the ability to discern right from wrong.
• Distortion of Truth: When the heart is diseased, even sacred truths are twisted into instruments of tyranny.
• Mawlana's "Unbeliever": Terms like "gabr" are used to denote any "wicked unbeliever" who rejects truth, not specific historical groups.