Apart from his celebrated status as a poet, Saadi is also recognized as a social thinker. Nevertheless, his social teachings have been subject to diverse and often contradictory interpretations due to a perceived lack of coherence in his sociopolitical views. A particularly illustrative example is the wide range of readings of his famous couplet: “Adam’s children are members of one body / Created from the same essence.” While many interpret this couplet as a declaration of human equality, portraying Saadi as a proponent of egalitarianism, others have offered alternative, and at times opposing, interpretations. This study first presents the main conflicting readings of the couplet. Then, it explores the underlying reasons for such interpretive divergence. Finally, it proposes a new interpretation of the couplet along with its broader social implications. Within the tradition of Iranian political thought—from antiquity through Saadi’s era—the analogy between society and the human body has been both established and prevalent. According to conventional understandings of this analogy, just as the organs of the body differ in value (with, for example, the head deemed more valuable than other parts), individuals within society are not considered of equal worth. This article argues that Saadi’s use of the body metaphor in the aforementioned couplet is not a call for human equality but rather a reflection of inherent social hierarchy. In other words, much like the differentiated roles and values of bodily organs, Saadi viewed members of society as varying in importance and social value.