1Cademy - The Distortion of Truth by the Tongue of Envy in the Masnavi

Learn Before

دفتر ششم - بخش ۹۹ - دیدن خوارزمشاه رحمه الله در سیران در موکب خود اسپی بس نادر و تعلق دل شاه به حسن و چستی آن اسپ و سرد کردن عمادالملک آن اسپ را در دل شاه و گزیدن شاه گفت او را بر دید خویش چنانک حکیم رحمة الله علیه در الهی‌نامه فرمود چون زبان حسد شود نخاس یوسفی یابی از گزی کرباس از دلالی برادران یوسف حسودانه در دل مشتریان آن چندان حسن پوشیده شد و زشت نمودن گرفت کی وَ کانوا فیهِ مِنَ الزّاهِدینَ / Book Six - Section 99 - Khwarazmshah, may God have mercy upon him, seeing a very rare horse in his cavalcade during a ride, and the King's heart becoming attached to its beauty and agility; and Imad al-Mulk cooling the King's heart toward the horse, and the King preferring his word over his own sight, just as the Sage, may God's mercy be upon him, said in the Ilahi-Nama: 'When the tongue of envy becomes the broker, you will find a Joseph to be worth no more than a yard of canvas'; through the envious brokering of Joseph's brothers, so much beauty was concealed in the hearts of the buyers and began to appear ugly, such that 'and they were of those who were indifferent to him.'

Concept

The Distortion of Truth by the Tongue of Envy in the Masnavi

In the Masnavi, Jalaluddin Rumi explores how envy (hasad) acts as a distorting filter that blinds individuals to objective beauty, worth, and truth. Using the Quranic story of Joseph's brothers as a recurring archetype, Rumi demonstrates that when an envious person acts as a mediator or advisor, they can make something as peerless as Joseph seem as worthless as a cheap piece of fabric. This psychological and spiritual hazard is exemplified when King Khwarazmshah allows the envious whisperings of Imad al-Mulk to override the direct evidence of his own eyes regarding a rare horse's beauty, warning seekers that relying on the counsel of the envious corrupts one's perception of spiritual value.

Updated 2026-06-23

Contributors are:

Who are from:

References

Ganjoor

Learn Before

Related