M6:992 — گفت با خود کز کف طفلان گهر / پس توان آسان خریدن ای پدر

Translation: He (Abu Bakr) said to himself, 'From the hands of children, father, A jewel can thus be easily bought.' Meaning: Within the story of Abu Bakr and Bilal, this verse illustrates how precious spiritual virtues, when held by the ignorant, appear cheap, allowing those with insight to acquire them easily.

This verse, for Mowlana, places a profound mystical and ethical point within a historical narrative. We are here amidst the story of Bilal Habashi's liberation by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. Abu Bakr, embodying spiritual insight and astuteness, reflects to himself that "this jewel can be easily bought from the hands of children." The "jewel" (gohar) here refers to Bilal's faith and his unique monotheism; that sublime value shining within him, which to his owners—the "foolish children"—holds no worth. They are oblivious to the price of the jewel they hold, willing to sell it for a trifle.

Mowlana expands this analogy, generalizing it to his worldview. He states that the "Ghoul Devil" (dīv-i ghūl), too, acts similarly in this world. By offering "worldly dominion" (mulk-i dunyā), he snatches away people's "intellect and faith" (ʿaql o īmān), which are far more valuable. Satan so beautifies "carrion" (mardār) that unknowing humans lose "two hundred rose gardens" (do sad gulzār) in exchange. This skill of Satan's is like the sorcery of magicians who make "moonlight" (mahtāb) appear as canvas cloth, taking vast sums from the "ignorant" (khasān, literally 'vile ones' but implying the foolish) for something illusory.

The mission of the prophets stands precisely against this deceit. Prophets came to teach humans a true "trade" (tājerī); to discern what true value is and how one must not sell the jewel of one's existence and faith for the paltry price of the world. They ignited the "candle of religion" (shamʿ-i dīn) to open people's eyes to truth and prevent them from being deceived by false moonlights and adorned carrion. Here, Mowlana emphasizes the importance of "insight" and "discernment" (bīnish o basīrat); insight present in Abu Bakr, but absent in Bilal's owners. A jewel is always precious, but its valuation depends on the buyer and seller. If the seller is ignorant, even the most precious jewel is sold cheaply, a tragedy Mowlana unveils.

This perspective of Mowlana's differs from Hafez in that Mowlana emphasizes the deficiency of vision and insight, not the flawed structure of the world itself. The world, in Mowlana's view, is not crooked; rather, it is our crooked eyes that perceive it as such. Therefore, correction must begin within oneself, not by expecting the world to change.

Key takeaways

• The true value of a spiritual jewel depends on the insight and recognition of its possessor and buyer, not the inherent nature of the jewel itself.
• Ignorance of inner values makes one susceptible to satanic deceptions, where the most precious assets are exchanged for trifles.
• Prophets, through their teachings, emerged as guides of 'true trade,' aiming to liberate people from spiritual deceits and detrimental exchanges.
• Mowlana's perspective emphasizes correcting the 'eye of the beholder'; the world is not crooked, but our deficient vision perceives it as such.