M6:2102 — زانک لولاک است بر توقیع او / جمله در انعام و در توزیع او

Translation: For 'Lawlāka' is upon his decree's seal, And all creation lies within his bounty and his distribution's wheel.

Meaning: This verse asserts that the entire cosmos, with all its blessings and existence, is sustained through the grace of the Men of God (awliyā), who act as the divine channels for the distribution of bounties.

This verse unveils a foundational truth in Rumi's perspective and in Sufi metaphysics: the existential centrality of the Men of God (awliyāʾ al-Ḥaqq) in the cosmos. The utterance of 'Lawlāka' here refers immediately to the well-known Hadith Qudsi, 'Lawlāka lamā khalaqtul-aflāk,' meaning, 'Were it not for you, I would not have created the heavens.' This sacred tradition, holding immense status in Sufism, is generally attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and identifies his existence as the ultimate cause of creation.

However, Rumi's profound and critical insight, as we discern it, is that this station of 'Lawlāka' is not exclusively confined to the blessed being of the Prophet; rather, it extends, in a certain sense, to all true Men of God, the divine saints. Mystics consider these divine figures as manifestations of a singular, unified truth that appears in diverse forms. As Rumi himself asserts: 'The souls of wolves and dogs are separate, / But unified are the souls of God's lions.' This unity of souls links them to a single 'pole' (qutb) or 'Perfect Man' (Insan al-Kamil), by whose grace the world subsists. Therefore, the 'tawqīʿ' — the divine decree and signature of 'Lawlāka' — is inscribed not merely upon the scroll of the Prophet's existence, but also upon the very tablet of being for each of the divine saints; it is a divine document bestowed upon them, serving as the cause and foundation of their creation.

When the verse states, 'And all creation lies within his bounty and his distribution's wheel,' it elevates this existential link further. The Men of God are not merely the ultimate cause of creation; they are also the conduits of divine grace and the channels through which divine blessings (anʿām) are distributed (tawzīʿ) throughout this world. All blessings, from the rotation of the heavens and the emanation of light, to the emergence of treasure from the earth and the blossoming of flowers, even the fish in the sea and the advent of spring on land—all exist by virtue of these Men of God. Without them, none of these manifestations of existence and beauty would come into being. They are not merely the bestowers of bounty, but the true 'benefactors' of the entire cosmos, and all creation is 'nourished' and 'sustained' by them.

Here, Rumi introduces a profound enigma: the discrepancy between the outward and inward reality of the world. Outwardly, these saints may sometimes appear poor and destitute, and we are commanded to give them charity. Yet, the truth is that we ourselves and all our possessions, from 'gold and silk' to everything we hold, are all due to their existence. This 'inverted' and topsy-turvy state of the world has cast a veil over truth, making its discovery difficult. But for seekers, this is an unequivocal sign of the unparalleled stature of these pure souls within the cosmic order, and the ceaseless flow of divine grace through their luminous beings.

Key takeaways

• The Hadith Qudsi 'Lawlāka lamā khalaqtul-aflāk' extends beyond the Prophet to encompass the divine saints (awliyāʾ), who are the axes of existence.
• These Men of God are not merely the final cause of creation; they are the conduits of grace and the distributors of divine blessings throughout the cosmos.
• The rotation of the heavens, light, oceans, earthly treasures, and the blooming of flowers all depend on the blessing and existence of these divine figures.
• The world's outward appearance is deceptive: he who seems poor (the wali) is, in reality, the source of all abundance and blessings in the universe.