M6:1835 — بی ز جهدی آفریدی مر مرا / بی فن من روزیم ده زین سرا

Translation: Without any effort, You created me; now, without my skill, grant me sustenance from this abode. Meaning: This verse represents the prayer of a needy servant, pleading with God to provide sustenance without demanding their labor or skill, just as their very existence was bestowed upon them effortlessly.

Here, I discern the plea of a suffering pauper who, in the depths of his helplessness, articulates a compelling argument to his Lord. His logic is straightforward: "Without any effort, You created me." This implies a twofold reality: firstly, God's act of creation is devoid of weariness, a truth affirmed by the Quran itself in Ayat al-Kursi, stating, "Nor does the preservation of both [heavens and earth] tire Him." Secondly, the supplicant acknowledges his own complete passivity in his creation, having entered this world without any personal toil or exertion. Drawing upon this premise, he extends his request: "Now, without my skill, grant me sustenance from this abode." He asks that, just as his very existence was bestowed as a gratuitous gift, demanding no prior effort from him, so too should his daily sustenance in this worldly dwelling be provided without the need for his skill, craft, or cunning. This initial prayer, however, serves as the opening gambit for a much profounder narrative that Mawlana intends to unfold. The tale of the 'poor seeker of sustenance' ultimately culminates in the realization that to find one's true 'treasure' and provision, one must turn inward. What we seek, I contend, is often far closer than we initially imagine. This pauper, at first, seeks provision, much like existence, as an external and effortless bounty. Yet, the unfolding of the story and Mawlana's insightful elucidations teach us that the hidden treasure and the ultimate source of sustenance and peace reside within the depths of our own being. We often needlessly prolong our journey by seeking it afar. God, as the Quran explicitly states, is perpetually and tirelessly engaged in creation and orchestration; "Every day He is in [some] affair." Thus, "without any effort, You created me" is not an indication of neglect or indifference, but rather a testament to His perfect power and agency. This pauper's prayer, therefore, is a manifestation of this very truth: that the Creator who bestowed existence upon us without toil is fully capable of providing sustenance without the intermediary of our own efforts, even as the path of true gnosis lies in turning inward and delving into the profound well of our own being.

Key takeaways

• The Prayer for Effortless Sustenance: This verse encapsulates humanity's initial plea for provision without the need for toil or skill.
• God's Untiring Creation: God experiences no weariness or effort in bringing beings into existence, a truth affirmed in the Quran.
• Connecting Provision to Creation: The supplicant's logic implies that, having received existence without effort, they now desire sustenance under the same premise.
• The Genesis of the Inner Treasure Narrative: This seemingly external request for sustenance serves as the prelude to discovering the existential treasure within oneself, a theme Mawlana will further elaborate.