M1:89 — ابر بَر ناید پی منع زکات / وَز زِنا افتد وَبا اندر جهات

Translation: The cloud will not rise (to rain) due to the withholding of zakāt (alms), And from zinā (adultery/fornication), wabā (plague/epidemic) falls in all directions. Meaning: This verse posits a direct, divine causality between human moral transgressions—specifically the failure to pay alms or the spread of illicit sexual acts—and severe natural and societal calamities like drought and epidemics.

Mowlana, in this beyt and the verses preceding and following it, emphatically puts forth one of the most fundamental principles of the religious worldview: the indissoluble link between human actions and cosmic and social consequences.

This perspective, rooted in sacred texts and ancient religious traditions, is based on the belief that the cosmos is not merely a collection of lifeless material laws, but is intimately interwoven with human ethics and behavior. From Mowlana’s point of view, as I have frequently emphasized, the world in the eye of the seeker is a world of adab (propriety, decorum), and any bi-adabi (impropriety, disrespect) towards the Creator and His Law (Shari'at) leads to cosmic disorder. This bi-adabi can manifest as disobedience to religious injunctions; for instance, the failure to pay zakāt (alms), which is a crucial financial obligation, or the widespread practice of grave sins like zinā (adultery/fornication).

The withholding of zakāt, meaning abstaining from paying the right that God has placed upon one's wealth, leads to the cessation of heavenly blessings, causing clouds to hold back rain, which results in drought and famine. Mowlana asserts here with certainty that this phenomenon is not merely a natural occurrence, but a cosmic response to societal moral aberration.

Similarly, the prevalence of zinā, as an act contrary to divine purity and order, leads to the spread of wabā (plagues and epidemics) in all «جهات» (directions, or the whole world). The term wabā here signifies, in a broad sense, any contagious disease that threatens collective health, not merely its precise modern medical definition. This view of illnesses, not just as biological phenomena but as a form of divine retribution and the world's response to human sins, is common in many religious traditions, and I have often referred to examples in other religions, such as certain Christian preachers' interpretations of AIDS or events like 9/11.

Mowlana extends this idea, stating that any «ظلمات و غم» (darkness and sorrow) that befalls an individual or a society originates from «بی‌باکی و گستاخی» (recklessness and impudence). This implies that no calamity or suffering is outside the realm of moral and spiritual causality, and any neglect or disobedience somehow leads to dire consequences. This is the very truth to which the Holy Quran also refers in numerous verses, including the story of the people of Saba, whose ingratitude led to the flood of Arim, or the village that, through ingratitude, was afflicted with the garment of hunger and fear. Conversely, it promises that if the people of towns believe and are pious, the blessings of heaven and earth will be opened to them.

This beyt, alongside Quranic verses such as "Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves," indicates a deep cause-and-effect relationship between humanity's internal and external transformations. God does not change His blessings unless people themselves create negative changes within themselves and gravitate towards bi-adabi and disobedience. This perspective not only emphasizes human moral responsibility but also establishes a continuous dynamic between the divine command and human action.

Key takeaways

• Human actions have cosmic and social consequences; the world is not indifferent to our behavior.
• Disrespect towards divine law (Shari'at) and disobedience to God's commands lead to the cessation of blessings and the descent of calamities.
• Withholding zakāt (alms) results in drought, and the prevalence of zinā (illicit acts) leads to widespread epidemics.
• Every suffering and calamity in life stems from human recklessness and impudence towards the divine order.
• This worldview, linking individual and collective actions to destiny, is common across many religions.
• The concept of "Allah will not change what is in a people..." means the decline of blessings is a result of humanity's negative internal changes.