M6:1315 — چون به آثار این همه پیدا شدت / چون نشد پیدا ز تاثیر ایزدت

Translation: Since by their effects all these became manifest, Why did Your God's influence not become manifest?

Meaning: This couplet poses a rhetorical question, presuming that God's influence is indeed manifest in the world. Rumi questions why, if all things are revealed through their effects, the influence of the Creator should not also be apparent, urging attention to the divine presence through its myriad manifestations.

Here, Rumi poses a foundational, yet rhetorical, question that points to one of the most vital paths of knowledge in Sufism: How do we perceive the unseen through the manifest? He asks, if every phenomenon in this world reveals itself through its effects and signs — like the wind, which, though unseen, announces its presence through the rustling of leaves and rising dust, or intoxication, which is revealed by languid eyes — then why should the influence and presence of your God not be similarly evident? This is not a question of denial, but rather one of reminding and emphasizing: God, like the wind, is present in the world through His effects, and it is our duty to recognize these signs and infer the Agent from them.

I have repeatedly stated that we are beings "distant" from the Divine Essence. Hence, we are never able to directly perceive the absolute Essence. Our path to knowledge is through His "description of Essence," which reaches us through His "Messenger and miracles." These miracles are not merely the parting of the sea or the splitting of the moon, which affect inanimate objects. Rather, even beyond this, in the Friends of God (Awliyāʾ) and the "purified elders" (pīrān-e ṣafī), there exist "hidden" (khafī) miracles that directly impact souls.

These Awliyāʾ are like glowing furnaces; whoever sits beside them feels warmed. "Within them are a hundred ready Resurrections"; meaning, in their very being, a perpetual resurrection of spiritual death and life is underway, transcending their individual selves. The least effect of this "Resurrection-site of Love" is that "the neighbor becomes intoxicated"; their spiritual fervor and warmth radiate to those around them. This is precisely the divine influence (taʾthīr-e īzadī) that manifests through perfected human beings. Therefore, if you cannot grasp the inner reality and truth of things, pay attention to the outward manifestations, for "the effects are visible to the senses," and these effects "report on the Agent."

Another crucial point Rumi makes is that miracles affecting inanimate objects are merely transient and temporary. However, if the same miracle directly impacts your "soul" without mediation, it becomes "connected to the hidden relationship." It is this inner, unmediated impact that brings forth a hidden relationship with the world and the inner reality of existence. Here, there is no need for the "substance of dough" (hayūlā-ye khamīr); meaning, no pre-existing potential is required, but rather, bread without dough is bestowed upon you, and this is the ultimate manifestation of divine influence. This miracle is like an ocean that drowns the "deficient" (nāqiṣ) but makes the "waterfowl" safe; it incapacitates the uninitiated but empowers those who are intimate and sympathetic. Thus, one must be receptive and prepared for these influences to have a beneficial effect. Ultimately, Rumi asserts that existence means God. All beings are filled with God. Some possess more existence and a greater "existential intensity," being more thoroughly imbued with divinity. The influence of God can be seen more vividly in these individuals. Divine influence is neither hidden nor absent; it is we who are sometimes oblivious to its presence.

Key takeaways

• God, like the unseen wind, is present and knowable in the world through His effects and influences.
• Knowledge of God's Essence is attained through observing His "description of Essence" in His messengers and saints, not by direct perception of the Essence itself.
• Saints and purified elders possess "a hundred ready Resurrections" within them, and their spiritual influence on others is a "hidden" divine miracle.
• The true divine influence on the human soul creates an unmediated, hidden relationship, more profound than outward miracles on inanimate objects.
• Existence is God; all beings are filled with God, but some, with greater "existential intensity," manifest more potent expressions of divine influence.
• To perceive divine influence, we must cultivate receptivity within ourselves; this influence can be destructive for the unprepared but empowering for those who are ready.