M6:4109 — می‌گریزی هم‌چو یوسف ز اندهی / تا ز نرتع نلعب افتی در چهی

Translation: You flee from a sorrow, like Joseph, Only to fall into a well from "we graze and play." Meaning: This verse alludes to the story of Prophet Joseph, warning that escaping a minor distress or constraint imposed by a spiritual guide for the sake of superficial diversions might lead one into a far deeper pit of peril.

This verse, appearing at the zenith of Mawlana's discourse on the absolute necessity of following a spiritual master (pir) in the journey of spiritual quest, draws upon the parable of Prophet Joseph. Mawlana reminds us that sometimes, out of a desire to escape what appears to be a minor sorrow or tribulation, an individual flees; as if escaping the sting of a mosquito, unaware that this flight casts them into the jaws of a scorpion, or drives them from a mere drop of water into a perilous ocean.

The reference to Joseph and his brothers is remarkably precise. Joseph's brothers deceived their father Jacob with the promise of "nartaʿ wa nalʿab" (meaning: "we will go out, graze, and play") to take Joseph with them and cast him into a well. This phrase, nartaʿ wa nalʿab, symbolizes superficial and deceptive amusements that appear attractive and harmless on the surface, but are, in essence, guides to a deeper, ruinous abyss.

Mawlana's most crucial message here is that we must not flee from the potential severities or perceived injustices of a father or a spiritual guide, only to abandon ourselves to street ruffians and scoundrels. A father, even if at times strict, wishes his child well. However, abandoning one's guide means falling into the snare of those who not only do not seek our good but may cast us into a well far deeper than that initial sorrow.

What distinguishes Joseph's story from this cautionary parable is the divine grace and paternal support that ultimately delivered Joseph from the well. Yet, Mawlana warns the reader: what hope do you have for such divine favor? It is not guaranteed that everyone who flees a sorrow and falls into a pit will be so fortunate as to be saved by an unseen hand. This is a vital lesson for seekers on the path of truth: submission and reliance on a pir, though perhaps initially seemingly arduous, is far safer than self-reliance and dependence on naive, individual certainties. As Mawlana stated in preceding verses: "A blind man with a guide is better than a lone certainty; / For that [lone certainty] is a disgrace, and from this [following a guide] is a hundred disgraces." The disgrace of wandering without a guide is a hundred times greater than the perceived disgrace of disciplined adherence to a master.

Key takeaways

• Fleeing from a spiritual guide (father/pir) under the pretext of a minor sorrow is akin to escaping a mosquito only to fall victim to a scorpion.
• The promise of "we graze and play" (nartaʿ wa nalʿab), which led Joseph's brothers to cast him into a well, symbolizes the deceptiveness of superficial diversions as an escape from spiritual discipline.
• Unlike Joseph, who had divine grace and paternal support, abandoning one's guide leaves the seeker stranded in the pit of aimlessness.
• Submission to a spiritual master, even if accompanied by strictness, is safer and superior to wandering aimlessly or relying on illusory personal certainties.