SHOW ME THE WAY
علم چہ بود آنکہ رہ بنماید
زنگِ گمراہی زدل بزدایدت
This couplet is a beautiful companion to the previous one. If Baha’i warned us of what knowledge is not, this verse—attributed to the great sage Hakim Sanai Ghaznavi (the same master who inspired Moulana Rumi’s own spiritual awakening)—now gives us the luminous definition of what knowledge truly is.
Translation
What is knowledge? That which shows the Way,
And rubs the rust of misguidance from the heart away.
Knowledge as a Guide and Polisher
This couplet by Hakim Sanai (Rahmatullahi alayh) is a masterful definition of beneficial knowledge (Ilm-e-Naafi’). It establishes two essential criteria for any learning that claims to be sacred:
- “That which shows the Way” (آنکہ رہ بنماید)
True knowledge is directional. It is not a destination in itself but a compass pointing towards the ultimate Destination—Allah. It is الْهُدَى (Al-Huda), the guidance that illuminates the path of servitude.
If what you learn does not clarify your purpose in this world, does not sharpen your sense of right and wrong, and does not draw you closer to the Straight Path, then it is merely information, not knowledge. As the Qur’an says:
“Those who are given true knowledge see that which has been revealed to you (O Nabi) as the truth, and it guides to the Path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.” (Saba,6)
This Path (Raah) is not just about knowing that Allah exists, but knowing how to reach Him—through sincerity, through love, through surrender.
- “Rubs the rust of misguidance from your heart away” (زنگِ گمراہی زدل بزدایدت)
This is the cleansing function of knowledge. The heart, in its natural state (fitrah), is a pure mirror meant to reflect Divine Light. But sins, heedlessness, and false beliefs accumulate like rust (zang) upon this mirror, darkening it until it can no longer reflect the truth.
True knowledge acts as a gentle but firm polish. It does not merely fill the mind; it scrubs the heart. It removes:
- The rust of doubt (shakk)
- The rust of arrogance (kibr)
- The rust of worldly attachment (hubbud-dunya)
- The rust of following desires (hawa)
When the rust is gone, the heart can once again perceive reality as it is. This is the “opening” (fat’h) that the Sufiyah speak of—the eye of insight (basirat) awakens.
Connecting the Threads for the Seeker of the Path
Now, let us bring together the essence of the three couplets we have explored, for they form a perfect trilogy on the nature of knowledge:
Focus: Direct your knowledge inward. Don’t use it to judge or build empires in others’ lives.
Warning: Beware of knowledge that remains mere talk, producing no inner transformation.
Definition: True knowledge is that which guides you and purifies you.
Together, they form a complete curriculum:
- Hakim Sanai gives you the criterion: Does your knowledge guide you? Does it cleanse you? If not, it is not yet true knowledge.
- Bahai gives you the caution: Do not settle for the husk of debate (qeel o qaal) and miss the kernel of spiritual taste (kayfiyat) and divine presence (haal).
- Moulana Rumi gives you the application: Once knowledge begins to guide and cleanse you, apply it to yourself. Mind your own garden. Let the transformation be inward before it is outward.
A Final Thought for the Student of Deen
Hakim Sanai’s couplet is a litmus test. At the end of each day, a seeker should ask:
“What did I learn today? And has it shown me more of the Path? Has it removed any rust from my heart?”
If the answer to either question is “no,” then one must reconsider the quality of one’s pursuit. For the knowledge that pleases Allah Ta’ala is not an accumulation of facts but a gradual unveiling of the Truth that heals the heart and straightens the step.
May your knowledge always be of this kind.
(Munsha’ib)