M6:2394 — چون رسیدند این سه همره منزلی / هدیه‌شان آورد حلوا مقبلی

Translation: When these three companions arrived at an inn, A pleasing halva was brought as a gift for them. Meaning: This verse begins the story of three travelers (a Jew, a Christian, and a Muslim) who, upon reaching an inn, find a sweet dessert called halva.

This beyt serves as the entry point to the celebrated tale of the three travelers, a story which Shams-e Tabrizi had concisely presented in his Maqalat. Mowlana, however, elaborates on it with profound depth, refashioning it to expound upon the hidden facets of spiritual journeying and the distinction between intrinsic 'intention' and the extrinsic 'form' of religions. The three companions consist of a Jew (Jahud), a Christian (Tarsā), and a Muslim. The word Muslim itself presents an etymological curiosity; it lacks a clear origin in Arabic, Persian, or Turkish, yet it has become universally accepted. Tarsā is synonymous with Nassāra (Christian), which Mowlana derives from rāhib (monk) or rahbat (fear of the world), alluding to Christian monasticism. This ascetic practice, while generally commended in the Quran, is also noted for its practitioners' failure to uphold its full spiritual demands. Jahud is equivalent to Yahud (Jew), and Mowlana, noting the interchangeability of the letters 'j' and 'y', uses both. I often observe Mowlana employing harsh terms for Jews, but never for Christians. He interacted with Christians and their monks, admiring their humility and good character, for he regarded Jesus, in a sense, as a patriarch of Islamic Sufism, tracing many Sufi teachings back to Christian asceticism. Upon reaching an inn, these three travelers discover a 'gift': a halva that is muqabbili, meaning delightful and agreeable. A subtle but crucial point here is that in Shams-e Tabrizi's rendition, the travelers made the halva themselves. In Mowlana's narrative, however, the halva was 'brought to them'; it was a divine gift, not the result of human endeavor or cleverness. This seemingly minor detail signifies a fundamental difference in perspective: the halva is not a product of human exertion but a divine bounty brought into the caravanserai of the world, serving as sustenance for the wayfarers. Among the three, the Christian and the Jew were satiated and without need, but the Muslim was fasting (sā’im) and hungry (gorosne). This hunger of the Muslim is key to understanding the subsequent events; it is an inner hunger and need that compels him to consume the halva and then claim a superior dream the following morning. As Mowlana himself advises elsewhere in this very story, devoid of any prejudice: 'Do not look down upon any unbeliever, for it is hoped that he may die a Muslim.' This demonstrates that the story's aim is not to condemn a specific religion, but to uncover the truth of intentions and spirits beyond outward appearances. What becomes important in this narrative is not the label of religion, but the inner yearning and need that attracts sustenance and brings forth true visions, even if outwardly recounted differently; this is the meaning of the pluralism of salvation in the Masnavi.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana's story of the three travelers, derived from Shams-e Tabrizi, serves as an allegory for diverse paths of spiritual journeying.
• The halva appearing as a 'gift' in Mowlana's version, unlike being 'made' in Shams' account, underscores divine providence and unseen sustenance for spiritual travelers.
• The Muslim's inner hunger and need in the story are central to understanding the primacy of inner yearning over external religious forms.
• Mowlana explicitly champions a pluralism of salvation in this narrative, advocating against judging or condemning any individual based on their religious label.
• Mowlana's depiction of the Christian (Tarsā) and the Jew (Jahud) in this tale reflects his nuanced view on different religious traditions and the significance of mystical experiences within each.