M6:1852 — این جهان با این دو پر اندر هواست / زین دو جانها موطن خوف و رجاست

Translation: This world, with these two wings, soars in the air; from these two, souls are the abode of fear and hope. Meaning: This verse asserts that the world is in a constant state of flux and transformation, and consequently, human souls perpetually reside in a state of apprehension and aspiration.

Mowlana, in this beyt, points to one of the most fundamental characteristics of existence: perpetual change. "This world, with these two wings, soars in the air" – these two wings are none other than khafḍ va rafʿ (lowering and raising) that God has made manifest in the world. This expression is directly drawn from Sura al-Waqi'a, which describes Judgment Day as "khāfiḍatun rāfiʿah" (that which lowers and raises). However, Mowlana extends this truth not only to the Day of Judgment but to all of history and existence. Khafḍ va rafʿ here signifies relentless transformations, inversions of states, and continuous contractions and expansions (qabḍ va basṭ).

These transformations are not limited to mere physical ascent and descent. They encompass the state of the earth (from autumn to spring, from barrenness to greenery), the passage of time (from day to night, from sorrow to ease), and even the human temperament (from health to illness). The world, like a trembling leaf, is positioned between shamāl (pleasant, fertile winds) and samūm (noxious, scorching winds). These two are symbols of baʿth va marg (renewal and death); changes that sometimes lead to life and flourishing, and other times to destruction and annihilation.

Mowlana's imagery of the world is that of a long alleyway where the wind of God's self-sufficiency (bād-i bī-niyāzī-yi Khodāvand) blows, opening and closing windows. This opening and closing of doors constantly alters human conditions; some become hopeful, others despair; some rejoice, others grieve. These transformations are not accidental; rather, they stem from the will of the Creator, for "no work can proceed without these two" (bī az īn do barniyāyad hīch kār).

The consequence of this ceaseless restlessness and transformation in the world becomes evident in the second half of the beyt: "From these two, souls are the abode of fear and hope." Human souls, in this cycle of khafḍ va rafʿ, perpetually oscillate between apprehension and aspiration. There is neither absolute, lasting hope nor a fear that never subsides. Every moment, a new state of hope or fear overtakes the souls, because all of existence is in a state of changing conditions (taqallub-i aḥvāl), and the human soul is not separate from this cosmic rhythm. This beyt, in essence, presents a dynamic and unstable image of the world and an restless psyche, ever subject to change, finding its meaning solely within this motion and oscillation.

Key takeaways

• The world is in a constant state of transformation and upheaval (khafḍ va rafʿ), stemming from the very essence of God.
• The "two wings" in this verse symbolize the fundamental dualities of existence, such as the pleasant north wind (shamāl) and the noxious desert wind (samūm), representing renewal (baʿth) and death (marg).
• This restlessness and flux of the world perpetually keeps the human soul in a state of fear and hope (khawf va rajāʾ).
• The conditions of humanity and the world are inseparable; both partake in the eternal rhythm of divine change and evolution.