M3:3117 — گفت زانک مصطفی دست و دهان / بس بمالید اندرین دستارخوان

This couplet provides the miraculous explanation for why the tablecloth, when thrown into a blazing oven, not only failed to burn but emerged clean. The story features Anas ibn Malik (انس), a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, hosting guests. After a meal, Anas instructs his servant to throw the soiled tablecloth into a fiery oven. The guests are astonished when, after some time, the cloth is retrieved, pristine and white.

Anas's explanation, delivered in this beyt, attributes the miracle to the Prophet Muhammad's blessed presence. The 'hand and mouth' (دست و دهان) of Mustafa (مصطفی), a title for the Prophet, had frequently touched and partaken from this specific tablecloth. In Sufi thought, and particularly within the reverence for the Prophet, his touch or presence imbues objects with baraka (برکت – divine blessing), making them immune to harm or granting them extraordinary properties. This is a common theme in hagiographic accounts, illustrating the transformative power of spiritual proximity to the divine.

The deeper ethical point Rumi draws from this story, as seen in subsequent beyts, is an analogy for the human soul. If a mere inanimate object like a tablecloth can be protected and purified by the Prophet's touch, how much more will a conscious, loving soul be elevated and saved from the 'fire' of suffering and spiritual defilement if it aligns itself with such a blessed presence? It encourages seeking proximity to those imbued with divine grace.