M6:481 — رنج بدخویان کشیدن زیر صبر / منفعت دادن به خلقان هم‌چو ابر

Translation: To endure the torment of ill-natured ones with patience And to benefit people, like a cloud.

Meaning: This verse speaks to the virtues of social living, advocating for enduring hardship from the ill-tempered with patience while consistently bestowing benefit upon others, much like a benevolent cloud.

This verse, articulated by the bird in the debate with the hunter, serves as a decisive argument against monasticism and reclusion. The bird here raises the crucial point that living among people and enduring the hardships that come with it is not a flaw; rather, it leads to perfection.

I have said this repeatedly: tolerating the harshness of others is conditional. Enduring the offenses that come from those beneath us or our equals is a virtue. This suffering from the ill-natured, in fact, purifies the soul; it is like a sack you wear on your body to cleanse away impurities. But, yes, but tolerating the oppression of superiors and tyrants is by no means a virtue; it is an act of submission to injustice and a vice, absolutely reprehensible. The Masnavi in no way teaches us to bow before tyranny; rather, it teaches us to embrace the minor hardships arising from daily interactions with people and to consider them a stepping stone for the refinement of the self.

The second part of the verse, "And to benefit people, like a cloud," offers another elucidation of the benefits of social living. How can one benefit people while keeping aloof from them? Benefiting others, like the rain from clouds, requires presence and generosity. This alludes to the noble prophetic tradition, "Khayr al-nās anfaʿuhum li’l-nās" (The best of people are those most beneficial to people). This benevolence and good deeds are undoubtedly impossible in solitude and isolation; rather, their arena is society and interaction with others. Here, Mawlānā decisively adopts a stance that prioritizes active and beneficial participation in society over withdrawal and seclusion, provided that its hardships are borne with patience and a clear distinction between minor offenses and genuine oppression.

Key takeaways

• The virtue of enduring hardship from others is conditional; it applies to offenses from equals or subordinates, not from oppressors.
• Bearing minor social discomforts is a path to self-purification and moral refinement.
• Benefiting people, like a cloud bringing rain, is a fundamental teaching of social living and benevolence.
• Islam, contrary to monasticism, calls Muslims to active presence and beneficial engagement in society.
• This verse emphasizes that serving others is impossible in isolation and requires interaction.