M6:2099 — تا قیامت تف برو بارد ز رب / هم‌چو تبت بر روان بولهب

Translation: Until the Resurrection, spit will rain upon him from the Lord, like the curse (tabbat) upon the soul of Abū Lahab. Meaning: This verse warns of the dire fate awaiting one who presumptuously claims divinity or stands in arrogance against God; such a soul will forever be cursed and subjected to divine wrath, just as Abū Lahab was.

In elucidating this verse, I situate it within the broader discourse of "Anā al-Ḥaqq" and the station of annihilation (fanā). Mawlānā asserts that when the servant's ego, their "I" (anā), is effaced, what remains but "He"? It is at this juncture that the true Shaykh is entitled to utter "Anā al-Ḥaqq," for their being has become annihilated in Truth, utterly emptied of self. However, those who, like Pharaoh, or as Mawlānā puts it, the "Jew" (jahūd) – meaning the denier – claim divinity without having attained this station, or who exhibit arrogance before the Truth, are akin to spitting towards the moon or the heavens. This "spit" will, without doubt, return to their own faces, finding no path to the celestial sphere. Mawlānā then likens this dire outcome to the fate of Abū Lahab. Just as Sūrah al-Masad (Tabat) rained curses upon the soul of Abū Lahab, subjecting him to divine wrath, so too will divine "spit" rain upon the soul of every false claimant until the Resurrection. This "spit" is a metaphor for eternal condemnation, rejection, and ignominy. The term tabbat itself, in its linguistic root, signifies severance and perdition, which aligns with the act of spitting at someone as a profound expression of anger and contempt. Mawlānā here underscores the crucial distinction between the "Anā al-Ḥaqq" of the mystic and the "Anā al-Ḥaqq" of Pharaoh. The mystic, in a state of annihilation, speaks from a place of genuine insight and spiritual condition; their "I" has dissolved, and Truth has manifested through them. Pharaoh, however, makes this claim out of arrogance and ignorance, thus deserving the curse. This is a key point in Mawlānā's thought: the truth or falsehood of certain statements depends entirely on the state of the speaker, much like the sentence "I am twenty years old" is true for a youth but false for an old man. Therefore, uttering "Anā al-Ḥaqq" is only legitimate when one sees nothing but "Truth" and nothing of oneself remains; otherwise, the consequence is the perpetual "spit" of the Lord. This divine "spit" stands in stark contrast to the healing "spit" of the Prophet, to which tradition attributes the cure of Ali's eye with his blessed saliva. This illustrates that "spit" can have two faces: one a sign of curse and rejection, the other a sign of blessing and healing, depending on its source and intent. Thus, this verse serves as a potent warning to those who, without transcending their ego, make grand claims.

Key takeaways

• Any claim to divinity or arrogance before the Truth, without complete self-annihilation, leads to eternal curse and ignominy.
• The truth or falsehood of mystical statements depends on the speaker's spiritual 'state' (ḥāl), not merely the literal words.
• Divine 'spit' is a metaphor for eternal wrath and rejection, sealing the fate of false claimants.
• This verse serves as a potent warning to those who have not transcended their ego yet make grand claims.