M6:2237 — خصم هر شیر آمد و هر روبه او / کل شیء هالک الا وجهه

Translation: He is the adversary of every lion and every fox; for 'everything perishes except His Face.' Meaning: This verse underscores that every existent being, whether powerful like a lion or weak like a fox, is ultimately transient and perishable before the singular Divine Essence, with only God's Face (essence) enduring.

This verse, appearing amidst the discourse on the 'fire of the soul' and the 'fire of unity,' unveils a profound truth repeatedly emphasized in the Masnavi: the absolute perishability of all multiplicity before Divine Unity. Here, Mawlana explicitly draws upon the noble Quranic verse, "Everything perishes except His Face" (Quran 28:88), to assert this meaning decisively.

I am convinced that when Mawlana speaks of "He is the adversary of every lion and every fox," he directly refers to this very point. The lion and the fox serve as symbols, manifestations of all dualities, all strengths and weaknesses, all determinations and conceptual as well as existential frameworks. It matters not who you are, how much power you wield, or how cunning or weak you may be; this 'fire of unity' and the truth of 'everything perishes' is an adversary that triumphs over all such distinctions, obliterating them. Neither lion nor fox remains; neither wolf nor sheep. All are equally swept away, for they possess no existence independent of that 'Face' (wajh).

The Quranic term "hālik" (perishing) is exceptionally crucial here. The Quran does not say "sayahlak" (it will perish) but "hālik" (it is perishing, it is already perished). This implies that non-existence and annihilation are not future occurrences, but are inherent in the very essence of existence, in this very moment. Every existent being, at the moment of its being, is simultaneously non-existent in itself, for it does not stand on its own but relies on another. The contingent identity of all possible beings conveys precisely this meaning of being "hālik"; an existence that possesses nothing of itself, and all that it has is on loan from the Divine 'Face.' This is the profound meaning of the inherent poverty and need of all creation, which Sufis express by saying, "A Sufi is one who is not." The aware dervish realizes this inherent poverty and perishability of their own being and surrenders to it, but this truth applies to all beings, whether they recognize it or not.

As for "wajhih" (His Face); this Face of God, this essence of the Lord, does not signify a particular or localized aspect. Just as Imam Ali (A.S.), in response to the question "Where is the Face of God?" stated: "Tell me, where is the face of fire?" and when the questioner said "All of it is face," Imam Ali replied: "So too, God has no back; all of Him is Face." Therefore, "Wajh-Allah" signifies the entirety of the Almighty's Essence; just as Mawlana says about Love: "Does Love itself have a back? / From head to toe, it is Face." It is this Divine Face that grants existence to beings when they are turned towards Him and are confronted by Him. If beings do not turn towards Him, or if He does not turn towards them, they cease to exist. In truth, all that exists is from His Face and turned towards Him, and anything other than this is perishable.

This is a lesson in the unity of acts (tawhīd afʿālī) and the unity of essence (tawhīd dhātī), which obliterates all multiplicities in a single, unified moment. When this fire of unity blazes, not only our imagination and mental images, but even the concepts of 'truth' themselves are removed, for all these are frameworks that our multiplicity-seeking mind creates for cognition. Our intellect is fond of multiplicity and lacks the capacity to grasp pure unity. But this fire, this true seeing (ruʾyat), burns away all these frameworks so that the singular essence may be perceived directly and undivided. This is the state Mawlana illustrates with the analogy of the alif in Bism: "Be included in His Face and faces, like the alif in Bism / That alif remains hidden in Bism." The alif, which is not written in Bism-Allah but whose presence is essential and meaningful, symbolizes the annihilation of the seeker in the Divine Face; an absence that is itself presence. This is the 'reliance on another' of all existents, reaching its peak of expression in this verse.

Key takeaways

• Every existent being, whether strong or weak, is transient before the absolute Divine Reality.
• Perishability (being 'hālik') is intrinsic to existence; non-being is not accidental but inherent in the very moment of their being.
• The 'Face of God' (Wajh-Allah) signifies the entire Divine Essence, not a specific part or location; all that exists is from and directed towards His Face.
• The fire of Divine Unity obliterates all multiplicities and distinctions, leaving no form or framework intact.
• For Mawlana, understanding this unity is possible through 'ruʾyat' (holistic vision), not merely 'ʿilm' (fragmented knowledge).