M6:3624 — آن‌چنان لرزد که مادر بر ولد / دستشان گیرد به بالا می‌کشد

Translation: It trembles as a mother for her child, / (God) takes their hands and lifts them upward. Meaning: This verse illustrates that the trembling of the Divine Throne or God's heart in response to a sinner's repentance is akin to a mother's loving tremor as she tenderly takes her child's hand and lifts them up.

This verse paints an extraordinarily beautiful and moving picture of divine mercy in response to the repentance of sinful servants. Just prior to this beyt, Rumi states that "The Throne trembles from the lament of the sinful" (عرش لرزد از انین المذنبین); that is, the sinner's cry of remorse is so profound that it shakes God's Throne. However, this trembling is not one of anger or punishment, but rather a tremor born of boundless compassion, tenderness, and infinite love.

Rumi compares this trembling to that of a mother for her child. No tremor in the world is more expressive than a mother's heart trembling for her offspring; a tremor imbued with concern, love, and the fervent desire for her child's salvation and well-being. This simile serves to convey the zenith of divine mercy. Although God does not possess a "heart" or "emotions" in the human sense, nor is His Throne a material seat, Rumi employs such anthropomorphic metaphors to make comprehensible the immense acceptance of repentance and the joy God feels at a servant's return.

The phrase "takes their hands and lifts them upward" (دستشان گیرد به بالا می‌کشد) continues this imagery of God's active and loving involvement. God does not merely observe the servant's remorse from afar; He actively takes their hand, lifting them from the abyss of sin and ignominy towards the exalted stations of grace and proximity. This is not a passive benevolence, but an active, benevolent intervention that rescues the servant from the snares of pride and deception.

This is precisely the point where, as mentioned earlier, God is "Tawwāb," meaning He both accepts repentance and instills the grace of repentance in hearts. The trembling of the Throne, followed by the active taking of the hand and elevation, is a sign of the enthusiastic welcome of all creation and angels to this return. It is as if God Himself becomes the buyer, redeeming the servant from the grip of the "vile self" and the "thieves of pride." This direct intervention is the aspiration of every mystic who yearns to receive eternal provision and sustenance "from the air of truth" (از هوای حق), not through the "spout" (ناودان) of intermediaries. Here, the repentant servant, "like a fish, plunges into the ocean of God's generosity," reaching the "gardens of grace" and a "seat of truth in the presence of an omnipotent King" (مقعد صدق عند ملیک مقتدر).

Key takeaways

• Divine mercy in response to repentance is akin to a mother's boundless love for her child.
• The trembling of God's Throne and heart is a metaphor for immense compassion and welcoming of repentant sinners.
• God not only accepts the repentant but actively takes their hand and lifts them towards Himself.
• This verse emphasizes God's active and direct role in the salvation and liberation of the repentant servant.
• The concept of God 'redeeming' the servant from the clutches of the self and pride is vividly portrayed in this image.