M6:3053 — مالک الملک است بدهد ملک حسن / یوسفی را تا بود چون ماء مزن

Translation: He is the Owner of the Kingdom; He grants the sovereignty of beauty / To a Joseph, that he may be like water from the clouds (rainwater). Meaning: God, the absolute Sovereign, bestows the dominion of beauty upon a figure akin to Joseph, rendering their charm as delicate and radiant as life-giving rainwater.

Following our prior discussion on jam'iyyat (inner unity and potency) versus mere numerical plurality, Mowlana turns to the pervasive power and influence of divine will. Just before this verse, he states: He is the Owner of the Kingdom; He grants inner strength / To a lion, that it may leap upon a herd of wild asses. That is to say, it is God who bestows upon a single lion the fortitude and unified strength to overcome hundreds of zebras, for a hundred thousand ununited zebras are naught before the lion's prowess. Continuing this very thread, Mowlana extends the same idea to the realm of beauty, asserting: Yes, He is the Owner of the Kingdom; again, He is God, He grants the sovereignty of beauty / To a Joseph, that he may be like water from the clouds. He, the absolute Owner and Sovereign of all existence, bestows this power and dominion of beauty upon a figure like Joseph. A beauty so delicate and pure; delicate like māʾ-i muzn, meaning rainwater. Mowlana here alludes to a rare word in the Holy Quran, which appears only once in Sūrat al-Wāqiʿah: Is it you who send it down from the clouds (al-muzn), or are We the Sender? Mowlana highlights the Quranic eloquence in choosing this specific term (muzn instead of saḥāb) for its poetic resonance with al-munzilūn. This Joseph-like beauty, like rainwater, is not merely delicate and pleasing, but deeply penetrating and commanding. This verse demonstrates that the origin of beauty's power and effectiveness lies in divine will and bestowal. Mowlana then clarifies this point with further examples: He places the radiance of a star upon a face / So that a king becomes a slave to a maiden. That is, God places such a light, even of a mere star, upon a person's face that a world-conquering king becomes a bondservant to that maiden. Historical accounts, such as Napoleon's infatuation with Josephine, often cited in my lectures, exemplify this type of divine bestowal. Here, one observes how an inner, hidden force triumphs over outward power and military might. Divine bestowal is not limited to mere outward beauty. Mowlana continues: He places the light of script upon another face / So that he may discern good and evil in the middle of the night. That is, God grants "the light of script" (nūr-i khaṭṭ) to another individual, empowering them to see and distinguish good from evil in the dark of night, much like a blind shaykh who could read the Quran and perceive in darkness. These are all instances of extraordinary divine gifts that God bestows upon anyone and in any form He deems fit, for the dominion and sovereignty of every blessing belongs to Him.

Key takeaways

• The ultimate source of all power, whether in conflict or in beauty, is the absolute will of God, not superficial multitude or independent internal potency.
• Joseph-like beauty is a divine gift, possessing a captivating power and influence akin to the 'Owner of the Kingdom,' conquering hearts.
• The metaphor of 'water from the clouds' (māʾ-i muzn) signifies the delicacy, purity, and yet life-giving and penetrating power of beauty.
• This verse emphasizes that God, as He wills, bestows extraordinary gifts—be they beauty, insight, or strength—upon His creatures.
• The power of beauty can overcome the strongest worldly authorities (such as kings) and captivate them.