M6:8 — راز جز با رازدان انباز نیست / راز اندر گوش منکر راز نیست

Translation: A secret is only shared with the secret-knower; A secret is not a secret in the ear of its denier. Meaning: This verse asserts that profound truths and existential secrets are only revealed to receptive hearts and those who possess the inherent capacity to perceive them. For those who deny or are unprepared for such truths, they remain ordinary and meaningless words.

In my deep study of the Masnavi, I have consistently emphasized Mowlana’s relentless pursuit of unveiling secrets that have remained hidden. Here, at the pinnacle of Book Six, he explicitly expresses a hope for divine permission to arrive, allowing him to articulate “sayable secrets” with a more direct and transparent language, free from the “subtle, veiled allusions” he has employed thus far. However, he immediately introduces a crucial caveat: even if these “secrets” are spoken with the utmost clarity, not everyone possesses the capacity to grasp them. A secret, like a foreign language, gains meaning only in the ear of the “secret-knower” (raazdān); for the “denier of the secret” (monker-e raaz) or one unfamiliar with such truths, these profound words remain but meaningless babble. I liken this to the Russian language: if one does not understand Russian, speaking it will convey nothing but noise. The secret operates similarly. Mowlana intends to convey that he has entrusted secrets within the hidden layers of this Masnavi—not by concealing them, but by expressing them through “subtle, veiled allusions.” Yet, to what avail? Unless hearts are prepared, these secrets remain veiled.

Nevertheless, Mowlana advances one step further, asserting that despite all these circumstances, “the invitation has come from the Creator” (daʿwat wāred ast az kerdegār). This means the imperative to speak, to utter and reveal these secrets, is a divine command that must be fulfilled. The speaker’s duty is to deliver the message, “regardless of acceptance or rejection” (bā qabool o nāqabool u rā che kār). Whether the listener accepts or rejects, understands or fails to understand, the obligation rests upon the speaker. Mowlana compares himself to Noah, who preached for nine hundred years while his people’s denial only grew, yet he never ceased speaking. Or consider the radiant moon: as it casts its light across the night, does it halt its journey and luminosity because of the barking of dogs? Never. As Mowlana says, The moon sheds light and the dog barks / Each acts according to its own nature.

This perspective of Mowlana, in my view, is the same prophetic stance inherent in the very first word of the Masnavi, “Listen!” (beshnow). He perceives himself as the “Tongue of God,” not merely an interpreter or philosopher who solely engages in elucidation. The Tongue of God is bound to speak the truth, irrespective of the audience’s comprehension or acceptance. The secret is spoken because it exists, not for the sake of being understood. Understanding it is the privilege of the listener, not the duty of the speaker.

Key takeaways

• Profound truths are revealed only to receptive hearts and minds, to those who are inherently ‘secret-knowers’.
• For one unprepared to grasp truth or who denies it, a secret becomes mere ordinary words, losing its deeper meaning.
• The duty of the mystic or prophet is to convey the message and speak the secret, irrespective of the listener's acceptance or rejection.
• Mowlana views his words, despite their subtle allusions, as a divine invitation and imperative that must be fulfilled.
• Secrets in the Masnavi are expressed with subtlety and veiledness, such that only the ‘secret-knowers’ can perceive them.