M6:2165 — هم نکر سازید از بهر ثمود / صیحه‌ای که جانشان را در ربود

Translation: And you made a 'nakar' (instrument/servant) for Thamūd / A shriek that snatched their very souls away.

Meaning: God, in His wrath, sent a devastating heavenly shriek to the people of Thamūd, instantly seizing their lives and utterly annihilating them.

This verse is uttered in the context of Mowlana's discussion on historical conflicts and the eternal struggle between truth and falsehood, ranging from Nimrod and Abraham to Pharaoh and Moses, and later the Prophet Muhammad and Abu Jahl. Here, Mowlana refers to the story of the people of Thamūd, illustrating how God employs instruments from nature to enact His justice and establish His ultimate decree.

Let us dwell on the pivotal word in this couplet: 'nakar'. This term is not found in conventional dictionaries, leading to diverse interpretations among commentators. However, I find Nicholson's reading, that eminent English scholar, to be the most compelling: 'nakar' is essentially a variant of the Persian word 'nokar', meaning 'servant' or 'instrument'. Thus, God rendered that 'shriek' His 'servant' and instrument. This is a consistent method God has used throughout history to confront oppressors and manifest His judgment. Just as He made fire a servant and judge for Abraham to settle his dispute with Nimrod, and the sea for Moses and Pharaoh, in the case of Thamūd, He appointed the 'shriek' (ṣayḥa). This shriek, as the Quran recounts, snatched the lives of that disobedient people.

This is not merely an isolated historical incident; it is part of a grander pattern. Mowlana intends to convey that these conflicts, these struggles, and this divine wrath (qahr-e ilāhī) that appears in history, ultimately lead to divine knowledge. These are not merely narratives of the past; rather, they reflect our own inner antagonisms. As I have often remarked, one must seek Moses and Pharaoh within oneself, not solely in history. This shriek that annihilated Thamūd signifies the absolute power of the Divine, capable of transforming even the most natural phenomena into instruments of wrath and retribution. This very point resonates elsewhere in the Masnavi: if God imbues our bread with wrath, that very bread, which sustains our body, can become stuck in our throat like diphtheria, choking us. Or a garment that offers warmth and shelter from the cold can acquire the 'temperament of zamharīr' (extreme cold), making us shiver. Thus, this shriek became the servant of divine wrath to consign Thamūd to oblivion, demonstrating that the entire cosmos serves as God's army and instrument, ready at any moment to be tasked with His commands.

Key takeaways

• The term 'nakar' signifies a divine 'servant' or instrument, highlighting God's absolute command over all phenomena.
• Divine wrath (qahr-e ilāhī) is a transformative force in nature, turning ordinary elements into tools of retribution.
• The story of Thamūd and the devastating shriek exemplifies God's direct and decisive intervention in history.
• Mowlana views historical conflicts not merely as past events, but as manifestations of humanity's inner struggles and pathways to divine knowledge.