M6:2171 — این لباسی که ز سرما شد مجیر / حق دهد او را مزاج زمهریر

Translation: This garment that became a shelter (mojīr) from the cold, God (Haqq) can grant it the temperament of zamharīr (bitter cold). Meaning: This verse asserts that God, if He wills, can transform even our protective garments into a source of bitter cold and suffering, demonstrating His absolute power over all things.

This couplet is one of Mawlana's precise statements emphasizing divine omnipotence and the role of "divine wrath" (qahr-e ilāhī) in transforming the very essence of things. I would say: the warm clothing you wear to shield yourself from the biting cold becomes your mojīr, your protector and savior. Yet, the Almighty God, if His wrath and indignation are directed towards someone, can turn this very refuge into a source of suffering and torment. Mawlana explicitly states: "God (Haqq) can grant it the temperament of zamharīr." Zamharīr is a word stemming from the root "zam," meaning cold, a sense also present in words like zemestān (winter) and zamīn (cold earth/soil). This word appears in the Quran, but not as a punishment. Describing Paradise, it says: "They will not see therein a sun nor a zamharīr," meaning that in Paradise, there is neither the scorching heat of the sun nor the deadly cold of zamharīr; rather, moderation and peace prevail. However, in Dervish and mystical understanding, zamharīr is itself a form of torment. It is not a fire that burns, but a cold that afflicts the soul, leading one to a "cold-storage of suffering." This illustrates how divine wrath can alter the nature of what we perceive as comfort. Just as in the preceding couplet, Mawlana speaks of bread meant to sustain the body, yet if divine wrath resides within it, it seizes one's throat like khanāq (diphtheria) and chokes them. Or in the subsequent verse, the "exquisite jobba" (luxurious fur coat) that provides warmth, itself transforms into "ice and snow." This is not merely poetic expression; it is a profound mystical principle. God, being sovereign over all causes and effects, can make what serves as a cause itself become a hindrance, and what is a path to comfort become a path to affliction. This teaching calls us to humility before the boundless power of the Divine and reminds us that no comfort is permanent except by His leave. Everything is in His grasp, and at any moment, it can be transformed; this reveals the inherent contraries in human nature and the world, showing that we are constantly subject to change and transformation by divine power.

Key takeaways

• Divine wrath can transform any comfort or refuge into a source of suffering.
• The inherent nature of things is mutable before God's absolute will and power.
• Zamharīr in mysticism symbolizes a torment of deadly cold, distinct from fiery punishment.
• The verse warns against reliance on superficial means and emphasizes humility before divine power.
• What appears as salvation can become destruction; all things are held in His grasp.