M6:2614 — غیرت حق پرده‌ای انگیختست / سفلی و علوی به هم آمیختست

Translation: God's jealousy has drawn a veil, / thereby mixing the lower and the higher together. Meaning: This verse suggests that divine will, or "God's jealousy" (ghayrat-i Ḥaqq), has caused a blending of the higher and lower aspects of existence in this world, making their distinction challenging.

This verse is deeply pivotal, for it speaks to the mixed and impure nature of this existence, a world where discerning the pure from the tainted, or the real from the illusory, is no easy task. I believe that Mawlana, in speaking of "God's jealousy" (ghayrat-i Ḥaqq), lifts a veil on a mystery—a veil that is itself the cause of the world's complexity and admixture. Ghayrat-i Ḥaqq is a profound concept in Sufism. At times, out of intense "jealousy" and love for His own essence, God conceals certain truths or shrouds them in a multiplicity of manifestations. It is like a lover who does not utter the beloved's name directly, but hints at it, to protect it from the unworthy. Recall that Mawlana himself does not begin the Masnavi with Bismillah; I attribute this to the same "jealousy of love"—the Beloved's name is too sacred to become common currency. It is this very "jealousy" that has drawn a veil, causing the "lower and higher" (suflī-o ʿulvī) to become intermingled. What is meant by suflī-o ʿulvī? These encompass various aspects of existence. ʿUlvī refers to beings of the higher realms, pure thoughts, noble and transcendent souls, or even wise and insightful individuals. Conversely, suflī refers to the lower world, base thoughts, murky and mundane souls, or people dominated by a "partial intellect" (ʿaql-i juzvī). Our world is a world of "impurities"; everything in it is mixed together. Outwardly, it is not easy to distinguish which thought is pure and which is tainted, which soul is clean and which is muddied. This mixing is the result of ghayrat-i Ḥaqq. It is as if God did not wish for truth to be easily accessible to all. This concealment is itself a test for sincere seekers. If truth and falsehood, higher and lower, were clearly separated, what need would there be for spiritual journeying, for contemplation, or for "self-knowledge" (khīshatan-shināsī)? It is this very admixture that provides the arena for effort and ascetic practice. One must journey, not only outwardly but inwardly, to find that "lamp" (miṣbāḥ) that "is ignited by celestial light." That prophetic intellect, or illuminated soul, which has surpassed others, is hidden within this mixed world, and finding it requires an inner eye and continuous search. This verse shows that Mawlana does not view the world as crooked or flawed, prompting complaint; rather, he considers its complexity and mixture to be part of the divine architecture, arising from God's jealousy and will.

Key takeaways

• "God's jealousy" (ghayrat-i Ḥaqq) has caused the intermingling of truths in the world, making it difficult to distinguish the higher from the lower.
• This mixture is not a flaw but a divine strategy to conceal truths from the unworthy and to test true seekers.
• "Lower" (suflī) refers to the material and base aspects, while "higher" (ʿulvī) refers to the spiritual and transcendent dimensions of existence and humanity.
• Discerning the genuine from the impure in this world requires journeying both outwardly and inwardly, and cultivating insight.
• The apparent mixing is a divine concealment, stemming from God's intense love and jealousy, akin to Mawlana's omission of Bismillah at the Masnavi's opening.