M6:2214 — باز گوید کور نه این سنگ بود / یا مگر از قبهٔ پر طنگ بود

Translation: Again the blind man says, "No, that was a stone, not a camel;" / "Or perhaps it fell from a high dome with a loud clang." Meaning: This verse continues the blind man's conjectures, as he attempts to find a tangible, material explanation for the fear that has gripped him after being struck, moving from his initial guess (a camel) to another possibility.

Here, we arrive at a crucial point in the Masnavi and in Mowlana's thought, a point I have repeatedly emphasized. This verse is part of the story of a blind man who, struck by an unknown force, initially assumed it was a camel's kick, having heard its cry. But in this verse, he moves beyond that initial guess, seeking a more material and rational explanation: "No, that [which struck me] was a stone," he reasons, "or perhaps it fell from a high dome with a loud clang." This materialistic search, in reality, demonstrates the deficiency of our particular intellect and superficial senses.

In this story, Mowlana, much like Kant in Western philosophy, aims to show the limitations of reason. Kant demonstrated that theoretical reason is incapable of solving many fundamental issues, including causality, and falls into contradictions when confronting them. Mowlana, even before him, had realized that "induction is incomplete and does not yield certainty of knowledge" and that "a category of problems, like the conflict of free will and determinism, will remain unsolved until Judgment Day." Yet, Mowlana did not intend to construct a new philosophical edifice; he merely wished to warn us that "this grand philosophy, about which philosophers boast so much, contains considerable exaggerations and renders uncertain, unreliable judgments that will never find rest until Judgment Day." It is here that he points to the path of love (ʿishq) instead of intellect, stating: "Only love resolves the debate / For it becomes the succor from all strife." Love, in this context, unifies existences and can reveal the solutions to these problems.

However, the deeper, pivotal point in interpreting these verses lies in Mowlana's discussion of the reality of "illusion" (wahm) and "falsehood" (dorūgh). Mowlana vehemently rejects the assertion of some "sages" (ḥakīmān) that fear is merely a "wahm." He asks: "How can any illusion be without truth? / How can any heart wander without a true path?" This statement is the key to understanding many levels of reality according to Mowlana. Even if fear of darkness or an unknown object appears to be "imaginary" or "illusory," this illusion itself is not "without truth"; meaning, it must have a real source or origin, even if that source is external conditioning in childhood or invisible "talismans." In other words, Mowlana insists that we do not create something out of pure nothingness; every falsehood and every illusion carries the trace of a truth. Just as: "How can a lie gain value without truth? / In both worlds, every lie originated from truth." A counterfeit coin, in reality, derives its meaning from the existence of a real coin, and a lie merely conceals the truth.

The blind man in this verse, by positing a "stone" or a "dome with a clang," seeks the cause of his fear in the material world. But Mowlana further responds: "It was not this, nor that, nor the other / He who created fear, these were but its manifestations." None of these material causes are the ultimate cause. The root of all fears lies in "He who created fear." Therefore, attempting to fully explain phenomena solely through material causes is a futile endeavor. "Mowlana had grasped these insights. He had awakened perfectly from dogmatic slumber. But he did not wish to construct a philosophy; he merely came to tell us, 'O people, know that the matter is thus.'" This perspective opposes materialists and naturalists who confine causes to natural phenomena. Mowlana believes that recourse to natural causes is insufficient for explaining natural events, and beyond them, "He who created fear" is the ultimate source of all causes. Thus, any assertion by a "philosopher" (mofallasif) that a fear is "illusory" and baseless is, in Mowlana's view, a miscomprehension of the lesson of reality.

Key takeaways

• Every illusion or falsehood, however invalid it may seem, has roots in truth and reality; nothing arises from pure non-existence.
• Seeking the cause of phenomena solely in the material world, like the blind man's conjectures, is insufficient and misleading; ultimate causes lie beyond.
• The analytical intellect has limitations in grasping fundamental issues and cannot alone resolve dilemmas such as free will vs. determinism; the path of love offers an alternative route to truth.
• With these verses, Mowlana challenges mere philosophizing and guides us towards intuitive knowledge and an understanding of the unseen.
• Fear, even if outwardly originating from imagination, stems from the subconscious or external influences (like childhood conditioning), and therefore possesses existential authenticity.