Concept

Sanai's Metaphor of the Deceitful Worldly Beloved

In Section 10 of the Hadiqat al-Haqiqah, Sanai critiques the superficiality of worldly love and the deceitful nature of physical beloveds. He famously compares these earthly beauties to being 'Joseph to the eye, and a wolf to the heart' (چشم را یوسفند و دل را گرگ). This metaphor illustrates that while physical beauty may appear pure and captivating outwardly—like the prophet Joseph—it harbors an inner destructive nature that can spiritually devour the lover. Sanai uses this imagery to warn spiritual seekers against attachment to the material world, urging them to look past deceptive physical forms and seek true, divine beauty instead.

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Updated 2026-07-03

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course