M6:2422 — هرکه خوابش بهتر این را او خورد / قسم هر مفضول را افضل برد

Translation: Whoever's dream was better, they consumed this (food). The portion of the lesser one, the superior one took.

Meaning: Mawlana here alludes to the story of three travelers who agree to award a shared meal to whoever recounts the best dream; ultimately, the most deprived traveler, guided by a dream that leads to immediate action and sustenance, consumes it, thereby proving his dream superior and himself 'the superior one' in that context.

This couplet is a profound entry point into one of the Masnavi's most vibrant and insightful tales: the story of the three travelers—a Jew, a Christian, and a Muslim—who discover a morsel of food and agree to award it to the one who recounts the 'best dream.' This narrative, originally found in Shams-e Tabrizi's Maqalat, is masterfully developed by Mawlana.

I have always emphasized that in Mawlana's intellectual framework, 'reality' is that which leads to tangible action and results, not merely to imaginative or transcendent visions. This story serves as a perfect illustration of this principle. The three hungry travelers decide to wait for 'the best dream' before consuming the food. In their midst, the Muslim, who is fasting and 'maghloub' (meaning compelled to agree with the others' decision), rises in the middle of the night, driven by intense hunger, and eats all the food. The next day, when each recounts their dream, the Jew speaks of encountering Moses on Mount Sinai, witnessing the mountain shatter and experiencing a pinnacle of divine manifestation. The Christian recounts Jesus's ascension to the fourth heaven and being lifted alongside him. These are dreams rooted in profound religious worldviews and high spiritual experiences, yet ultimately, they are deemed 'khayal va batil' (imagination and invalid) because they remain solely within the realm of fancy and fail to address the urgent need of 'the present moment.'

However, the Muslim recounts his dream thus: 'Muhammad came and said: O wretched one, one was carried by Jesus to the fourth heaven, and the other by Moses to Paradise. You, deprived and wretched, now rise and eat this halva.' He then rises and eats the halva. The pivotal line of the story follows: 'All our dreams were but imagination and invalid; by God, the dream you saw was the true one.' Even the other two acknowledge that the Muslim's dream was 'real.' It was a dream that led to action, addressed an immediate need, and ended their hunger. Here, the 'better' quality of the dream is not found in its visionary grandeur but in its practical, earthly function.

This story demonstrates Mawlana's distinction between theoretical knowledge, even imaginative mystical insights, and an experience that responds to the human's vital and ontological needs. It reflects the Sufi teaching of being an 'Ibn al-Waqt' (son of the moment), appreciating the 'now' and not being bound by past or future. 'The portion of the lesser one, the superior one took' means that the share of the 'lesser' (mufdhūl), who initially seemed 'dominated' and weak, ultimately falls to the 'superior' (afdhāl). 'Superior' here does not refer to religious rank, but to the one who, with genuine insight and attention to the 'naqd-i hāl' (report-of-present-state), made and acted upon the best 'decision.' This is a significant lesson: between grand, awe-inspiring dreams and a small, effective action, Mawlana places the latter as superior in terms of salvific power and reality. For Mawlana, 'reality' is never separate from 'usefulness' and 'problem-solving capacity.'

Key takeaways

• Mawlana values practical, problem-solving 'reality' over merely imaginative or grandiose manifestations.
• This tale underscores the Sufi teaching of being an 'Ibn al-Waqt' (son of the moment): the present moment and real needs take precedence over distant dreams.
• The 'better' dream in this story is one that leads to tangible action and addresses immediate needs, rather than one that is merely magnificent.
• The title 'afdhāl' (superior) in this context refers not to religious rank but to 'naqd-i hāl' (attention to the present state) and pragmatic decision-making.
• Even sublime religious visions, if they do not address present needs, are placed in a lower rank compared to an action born of a simpler yet more effective insight.