M6:2340 — چون چنان چشم اشک را مفتون بود / اشک من باید که صد جیحون بود

Translation: Since such an eye was captivated by tears, My tears should be a hundred Oxus rivers.

Meaning: This verse asserts that if highly esteemed spiritual leaders, such as the Prophet, were eager to shed tears for God, then their followers, who are less accomplished, ought to demonstrate even greater yearning and effort in weeping for the Divine.

Mawlana, as he frequently reiterates in the Masnavi, and being himself, it seems, a person prone to tears, attaches profound importance to genuine and purposeful weeping. He believes that authentic tears bring lightness and spiritual openness, yet he strongly discourages wasting this precious gem on worthless pursuits. As he puts it: “Tears shed for the sake of God, people consider them tears / But they are pearls.” Tears for God are not mere drops of water, but veritable pearls.

A jurist, when asked about the ruling on weeping during prayer, replied: “Tears are the water of the eye / Let us see what the eye has seen.” This implies that the value of tears lies in what has been seen and has prompted them to flow. If they stem from the awe of God or the contemplation of His beauty, those tears are the most virtuous. Now, the great Mawlana, in this verse and the surrounding ones, brings forth the Noble Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as an example. The Prophet, with all his divine favor, glory, and antecedent mercy, himself sought tears from God: “He sought tears from God's generosity / With such favor, glory, and precedence.” So, if the Prophet’s pure eye was so captivated by weeping and sought tears, how could I, who am empty-handed and begging, not be in dire need of shedding tears? My tears, he proclaims, should be a hundred Oxus rivers.

A subtle and profound point is hidden here. Although ostensibly Mawlana states that he should shed more tears than the Prophet, he immediately qualifies this: “A single drop of that is better than two hundred Oxus rivers / For by that one drop, jinn and humans were delivered.” This means that a single tear from the Prophet (PBUH) is more exalted than a hundred Oxus rivers of my tears, because the liberation of jinn and humankind lay in his weeping. This shows that quantity alone is not the criterion; the quality and spiritual station of the one weeping play an essential role in the value of the tears. The Prophet (PBUH) was like a “garden of paradise” that sought rain (tears); how then should I, “ugly, salty earth,” not seek water? This comparison highlights the intensity of spiritual need and thirst.

Such sincere weeping is itself a form of prayer; a prayer whose aim is not merely the granting of a request, but the very act of connecting with God. Prayer, beyond merely asking for needs, is a continuous link with the Divine; it is pouring out one's heart, glorifying and praising God. As Hafez famously said: “Hafez, your duty is but to pray / Do not worry if He heard or not.” The act of prayer and weeping itself holds intrinsic desirability. This act strengthens us, even if the secondary desired outcome (granting of the request) is not achieved. From this perspective, weeping for the sake of God is, in itself, union and connection, not merely a means to it. It is here that Mawlana, emphasizing the effect of lawful sustenance on the tenderness of the heart, says: “Tears and tenderness arise from lawful bread.” Lawful provision softens the heart and prepares the ground for these pearl-like tears.

Key takeaways

• Genuine tears, shed for the Divine and not for worldly affairs, are pearls that bring spiritual lightness and openness.
• The tears of the Prophet (PBUH), despite his exalted station, serve as an exemplar of yearning for God, a model for every seeker.
• If the Prophet (PBUH) yearned for tears, the less-accomplished seeker must possess even greater eagerness for weeping before the Divine.
• The quality of tears and the spiritual standing of the one weeping are more crucial than their quantity; one tear from the Prophet (PBUH) surpasses a hundred Oxus rivers of others' tears.
• Weeping for the Divine is an authentic and intrinsically desirable form of prayer that, irrespective of immediate fulfillment, strengthens a profound connection with God.
• Lawful sustenance softens the heart and creates the fertile ground for these pearl-like tears to flow.