In the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai critiques superficial asceticism through a dialogue between a wise man (*dānā*) and an ascetic (*zāhid*) who has isolated himself on a mountaintop. When the ascetic admits that his lower self (*nafs*) remains his constant companion day and night, the wise man explains that physical isolation is futile. This narrative illustrates the Sufi principle that true renunciation (*zuhd*) cannot be achieved merely by fleeing physical society; rather, the ultimate spiritual struggle is the internal conquest and discipline of the *nafs*.

The Illusion of Solitary Asceticism and the Ubiquity of the Nafs in Sanai's Hadiqat

In Section 32 of the 'Hadiqat al-Haqiqah', Sanai defines true piety (parsai) through the dual themes of social detachment and theological moderation. He characterizes the pious as those who withdraw from worldly crowds ('hid their faces from the crowd of creation') to focus entirely on divine devotion. Crucially, Sanai defines their religious identity by their rejection of sectarian extremes, noting they were neither Kharijites (Haruris) nor Murji'ites. By positioning them as the 'central gem of the necklace' who adhere strictly to the prophetic tradition (Sunnah), Sanai argues that true piety maintains spiritual balance, which in turn grants them cosmic authority and divine sustenance (symbolized by Gabriel's wing).

Sanai's Portrayal of Pious Detachment and Moderation in the Hadiqat

In Section 29 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai advocates for complete withdrawal from the ignorant masses (the 'rabble' or *awbash*), asserting that people are full of deceit and traps. He uses the metaphor of the sun, which travels alone and shines brightly, to argue that a wise person should embrace solitude (*tanhayi*). Sanai claims that true mastery over the world and spiritual beauty are achieved only through isolation, warning that associating with superficial people diminishes one's spiritual standing and peace of mind.

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## Original content
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خلق جز مکر و بند و پیچ نیند 
همه را آزمودم ایچ نیند
گر همه در برت فرو ریزد 
مرد عاقل درو نیاویزد
گر نه ای همچو مه به نور گرو 
همچو خورشید باش تنها رو
مهر پیوسته یک سواره بود 
ماه باشد که با ستاره بود
هرکه تنها روی کند عادت 
همچو خورشید شب کند غارت
مرد را دلشکسته دارد جفت 
تیر را پای بسته دارد جفت
با چنین تیرها و جوشنها 
دانکه تنها ترا به از تن ها
ملک عالم به زیر تنهاییست 
مرد تنها نشان زیباییست
با کسان در نگاهداشت بوی 
با خود آسوده شام و چاشت بوی
جفت باشی خدای ندهد بار 
فرد باشی خدای باشد یار
چون تو تنها نشینی از سرو بن 
با خودت هرچه آرزو می کن
چون تو تنها بوی ز نیک و ز بد 
کم ز تیزی بود نیاری زد
چون دلت شد به فرد بودن شاد 
تیز بی شرم کس به یاری داد
گرد توحید گرد با تفرید 
چه کنی صحبتی که آن تقلید
به دمی از تو اندر آویزد 
پس به بادی هم از تو بگریزد
تا همی در تو نیک خود بیند 
با تو یک دم به رفق بنشیند
گر شود والعیاذ باللٰه بد 
تا چه بینی ازو به جان و خرد
دل نخواهد ترا ز دل بگسل 
بر بخیلان بخیل بهتر دل
در دهان دار تا بود خندان 
چون گرانی کند بکن دندان
هرکه ما را نخواهد از همه دل 
گر همه دل بود از او بگسل
چکنی با حریف بی معنی 
بس ندیم تو شعر چون شعری
بس جلیست کتاب با خردت 
تا نگوید به خلق نیک و بدت
عزبی به که جفت کوته بین 
ماه تنها به از دو صد پروین
هرکجا داغ بایدت فرمود 
چون تو مرهم نهی ندارد سود
هرزه دان هم شریف و هم خس را 
کو یکی کو یکی بود کس را
کو در این روزگار یار بیار 
بر که باشیم استوار بیار
اهل این روزگار بی سر و بن 
از برای نو و ز بهر کهن
دوستی از پی درم دارند 
زهر و پازهر را به هم دارند
گرچه خوش بوی و روی و خوش گله اند 
زود سیرند و تنگ حوصله اند
رنج کاران و گنج لاشانند 
زر نگهدار و راز پاشانند
مرد صورت پرست کس نبود 
هوش او جز سوی هوس نبود
روز نیکی چه خوش بود با تو 
چون بدی دید بد شود با تو
چون تو از ابلهان گزینی یار 
یار غار تو عار باشد عار
یار عاقل اگرچه بدساز است 
چون درای شتر خوش آوازست
جملهٔ درد خویش شویی به 
یار درخورد خویش جویی به
نیک و بد دان در این سپنج سرای 
جفت بد دست یار ناهمتای
این یکی نای نی کند به دو دم 
وآن دگر پای پی ز بهر شکم
یار نادان اگر ز روی نیاز 
هم چو داود برکشد آواز
صوت او موت روح احرارست 
فوت او غوث مردم آزارست
شاخ ماذون چو پر گره باشد 
مرگش از برگ و بار به باشد
بیخ نردی که راست شاخ بود 
سال تنگی دلش فراخ بود
هرکرا هست دوستی دم ساز 
به شهی در جهان دهد آواز
من به عالم درون نمی دانم 
دوستی زان همیشه حیرانم

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## English translation
People are nothing but deceit, traps, and twists;
I have tested them all, they are nothing at all.
Even if everyone pours out before you,
A wise man will not cling to them.
If you are not indebted to light like the moon,
Be like the sun, walk alone.
The sun is always a lone rider,
It is the moon that is with the stars.
Whoever makes a habit of walking alone,
Plunders the night like the sun.
A companion keeps a man broken-hearted,
A companion keeps the arrow tied down.
With such arrows and armors,
Know that being alone is better for you than being with others.
The kingdom of the world is beneath solitude,
A solitary man is the sign of beauty.
If you are with others, you are constantly on guard,
With yourself, you are at peace evening and morning.
If you are paired, God does not grant an audience;
If you are single, God will be your Friend.
When you sit alone apart from the base of the cypress,
Wish whatever you desire with yourself.
When you are alone from good and bad,
You will not suffer from sharpness.
When your heart became happy in being solitary,
A shameless sharpness offered help.
Circle around Unity through isolation;
Why do you keep company that is mere imitation?
For a moment they cling to you,
Then with a breeze they flee from you.
As long as they see their own benefit in you,
They sit with you gently for a moment.
If, God forbid, things get bad,
What will you see from them in soul and mind!
If a heart does not want you, break away from that heart,
Against the stingy, a stingy heart is better.
Keep the tooth in your mouth as long as it is smiling,
When it causes heaviness, pull it out.
Whoever does not want us with all their heart,
Even if they are all heart, break away from them.
What will you do with a meaningless companion?
Poetry is enough of a companion for you.
A book is an open companion with your wisdom,
So that it does not tell people your good and bad.
Celibacy is better than a short-sighted mate,
The lone moon is better than two hundred Pleiades.
Wherever you must apply a brand to cauterize,
When you apply an ointment instead, it is of no use.
Consider as useless both the noble and the base;
Where is one, where is one who is a real person?
Where in this age is a friend? Bring one!
Upon whom can we rely? Bring them!
The people of this age are without foundation;
For the sake of the new and for the sake of the old,
They maintain friendship for the sake of money.
They hold poison and antidote together.
Although they have a pleasant smell, face, and herd,
They are quickly satiated and have narrow patience.
They work for pain and hoard wealth like corpses;
They guard their gold and spill secrets.
A form-worshiping man is not a real person;
His intellect is directed toward nothing but lust.
On a good day, how pleasant he is with you,
When he sees bad, he becomes bad with you.
When you choose a friend from among fools,
Your intimate friend will be a disgrace, a disgrace.
An intelligent friend, even if difficult to get along with,
Is like a camel bell, sweet-sounding.
It is better to wash all your own pain,
It is better to seek a friend worthy of yourself.
Know the good and bad in this transient inn;
A bad mate, an unequaled friend.
This one plays the reed pipe with two breaths,
And that other follows the foot for the sake of the belly.
An ignorant friend, if out of need,
Raises his voice like David,
His voice is the death of the souls of the free,
His death is the relief of tormentors.
When a branch is full of knots,
Its death is better than its leaves and fruit.
The root of a board that has straight branches,
In a year of hardship, its heart is expansive.
Whoever has an intimate friend,
Proclaims kingship in the world.
I do not know anyone in this world,
As a true friend, therefore I am always bewildered.

بخش ۲۹ - فی ترک المخالطة مع‌الاوباش / Section 29 - On Abandoning Association with the Rabble

In Section 28 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai warns learners against associating with bad companions, gambler-rogues (*maqamar o qallash*), and superficial friends who only seek pleasure (*pey-e piyaleh*). He emphasizes that an individual's character is judged by their social circle and cautions that having fewer friends is better than keeping insincere ones. A central ethical teaching in this section is the assertion that a wise enemy (*khasm-e dana*) is far superior to and safer than a foolish or ignorant friend (*dust-e kana*). This theme strongly mirrors later Persian literary works, such as Rumi's Masnavi, which similarly warn against the destructive nature of foolish friendship.

The Preference of a Wise Enemy Over a Foolish Friend in Section 28 of Sanai's Hadiqat

## Sanai's Critique of the Ignorant Masses and Commoners in Section 10 of the Hadiqat

In Section 10 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai delivers a sharp critique of the common folk (*awam*), merchants, and the ignorant, contrasting them with the spiritual and intellectual elite (*khawass*).

### Key Themes:
1. **The Ignorance of the Masses:** Sanai describes the commoners as being asleep in the boat of worldly desires, lacking spiritual wakefulness and discernment.
2. **Social and Spiritual Contrast:** He contrasts the miserly and envious nature of the commoners with the generosity and wisdom of the elite, arguing that association with the ignorant diminishes the soul.
3. **Benefit of Exposing Vices:** Sanai posits that mentioning the vices of the common folk to the elites serves a general benefit, acting as a cautionary guide and reinforcing the moral boundaries required for spiritual progression.

Sanai's Critique of the Ignorant Masses and Commoners in Section 10 of the Hadiqat

In Section 18 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai praises spiritual seclusion (khalwat) as the only true source of solace for the soul. He sharply critiques worldly association by comparing the pursuit of material gain to the behavior of scavenging animals. Using metaphors of flies, cats, dogs, and tigers fighting ruthlessly over mere morsels of food, Sanai illustrates the degradation of the intellect when one engages in the worldly struggle for survival. He concludes that true wisdom and peace are found only by withdrawing from the corrupt masses and embracing joyful solitude.

Sanai's Defense of Spiritual Solitude and Critique of Worldly Association

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Sanai's Praise of Solitude and Rejection of the Rabble in Section 29 of the Hadiqat

Sanai's ethical teaching in Section 28 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah* asserts that a wise enemy (*khasm-e dana*) is superior to a foolish friend. This concept is later expanded and dramatized by Rumi in Book 2 of the *Masnavi* through the allegorical *Tale of the Bear's Friendship*. While Sanai presents this warning as a direct homiletic counsel on selecting companions, Rumi uses a narrative demonstration to illustrate the fatal consequences of relying on the affection of an ignorant companion, reinforcing Sanai's earlier philosophical position.

Comparison of Foolish Friendship in Sanai's Hadiqat and Rumi's Masnavi

In Section 57 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai contrasts the spiritual condition of the common people (*'amma*) with that of the Sufi elite (*khassa*). While the common folk remain trapped by material attachments (*band-e mal*) and ignorance, the true Sufis are characterized by spiritual witnessing (*mo'ayaneh*), self-mortification (*riyadat*), and absolute detachment. Sanai metaphorically describes these spiritual seekers as 'cage-breakers' (*qafas-shikan*) who uproot worldly desires and remain 'needless' (*bi-niyaz*) of the material world because of their absolute need (*por-niyaz*) for God. He asserts that this path of Sufism is binding and essential for the salvation of leaders or successors (*khalifah*) to prevent them from drowning in worldly affairs.

The Distinction Between the Materially Bound Masses and the Sufi Elite in Sanai's Hadiqat

In Chapter 16, Poem 6 of the Mokhtar Nameh, Attar of Nishapur highlights the Sufi emphasis on spiritual seclusion (khalwat). He cautions that excessive mingling with society distracts the seeker and leads the heart toward 'shirk'—in this context, a divided loyalty or spiritual association that draws one away from absolute focus on the Divine. By practicing patience and retreating to a solitary corner, the seeker purifies their focus, allowing the heart to witness profound mystical wonders that remain hidden amid worldly noise.

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