The dervish possesses nothing other than the basic declaration of faith ('There is no god'), while the city jurist has hoarded the linguistic treasures and religious lexicons of Hijaz just like Korah.
Iqbal draws a striking contrast between raw spiritual essence and empty academic pretension. The free-spirited dervish owns nothing except the pure conviction of 'La ilaha'—the utter negation of everything false. Meanwhile, the city’s theologian hoards sacred Arabic lexicons like a greedy miser hoarding treasure, possessing endless vocabulary yet missing the living fire of faith.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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