In Section 35 of the Silsilat al-Dhahab (from Jami's Haft Awrang), the poet expounds on the Sufi aphorism transmitted by Imam Shafi'i: 'Time is a cutting sword' (الوقت سیف قاطع). Jami emphasizes that time passes swiftly and irrevocably, leaving permanent spiritual marks on the soul.

Crucially, Jami explains that this 'sword' of time is meant to be a 'slayer of the enemy' (دشمن‌کش), referring to the lower self (nafs) or spiritual heedlessness (ghaflah). He warns the spiritual wayfarer against turning this weapon inward to destroy the 'friend' (one's spiritual potential or relationship with the Divine) through worldly distractions and procrastination. Wasting the precious present moment is thus characterized as a tragic self-sabotage, where the very instrument meant for spiritual liberation is instead used to slay one's own spiritual life.