M6:2104 — گر نبودی او نیابیدی بُحار / هیبت و ماهی و دُر شاهوار

Translation: Were it not for him, the seas (buḥār) would not have been; neither awe nor fish nor royal pearls (durr-i shāhvar) would have been found. Meaning: This verse emphasizes the pivotal role of the divine person (the man of God) in existence, asserting that the very being of seas and their precious treasures depends on his presence and blessed existence.

Mowlana presents a profoundly radical assertion in this and preceding verses: that the very existence of the cosmos—from the celestial spheres to the earth, from light to the seas and all within them—is entirely due to the blessed presence of the awliyāʾ (divine saints or friends of God). This man of God is the existential axis of the universe, and what we perceive as natural phenomena is, at a deeper level, the outcome of his overflowing grace.

As I have discussed concerning the Lūlāk lamā khalaqtu al-aflāk (Were it not for you, I would not have created the heavens) Hadith Qudsi, Mowlana, contrary to common interpretations that limit it to the Prophet Muhammad, extends this divine utterance to all true awliyāʾ. For Mowlana, these divine friends are 'all one' (hamah yakī-and), their souls united in divine oneness. Thus, the address of Lūlāk can be understood as directed to any perfected walī. In this vein, Mowlana states that the walī carries God's 'divine decree' (tawqīʿ) on his very being, signifying that it is for his sake that the heavens were created, and all sustenance (rizq) is bestowed and distributed (tūzīʿ) through him.

This particular verse specifically uses the example of the seas. If the divine man were absent, not only would the seas not exist, but their 'awe' or 'majesty' (haybat), the fish that inhabit them, and even the 'royal pearls' (durr-i shāhvar)—among the most precious earthly treasures—would likewise not be found. These are all manifestations and blessings that flow into the world through the presence of this perfect human being. This perspective aligns perfectly with philosophical and mystical views that consider the cosmos as a manifestation of divine grace, with the crucial distinction that Mowlana posits this grace flows through the perfect human being.

This theme also ties back to Mowlana's concept of the 'inversion of worldly affairs' (vārūnagī-ye awẓāʿ-e jahān) in the Masnavi. What appears on the surface of the world often contradicts its inner truth. The awliyāʾ may seem poor and without worldly possessions, but in reality, they are our benefactors (walī-niʿmat) and the source of our sustenance. We are their 'bread-eaters' (nān-khāh). It is here that Mowlana emphatically declares: 'Give charity to your own benefactor' and 'O poor one, give zakat to this rich one.' Therefore, the existence of seas and their treasures, though seemingly independent, is in truth the result of that very grace pouring into the world through the divine walī.

Key takeaways

• The existence of the cosmos, including seas and their treasures, is contingent upon the presence of the divine awliyāʾ (saints).
• Mowlana extends the Hadith 'Lūlāk lamā khalaqtu al-aflāk' to encompass all perfected divine friends.
• The awliyāʾ serve as channels for the distribution of divine grace and sustenance in the world.
• The intrinsic spiritual role of the awliyāʾ fundamentally differs from their outward worldly status.
• Despite their apparent poverty, these divine figures are, in essence, absolute benefactors and the truly rich.