M6:2697 — شمس هم معدهٔ زمین را گرم کرد / تا زمین باقی حدثها را بخورد

Translation: The sun, too, warmed the earth's stomach, so that the earth might consume the remaining impurities. Meaning: This verse describes the sun's role in activating the earth's capacity to digest and transform waste, likening it to a cosmic alchemy that transmutes defilement into purity within the fabric of existence.

This verse continues Mawlana's profound interpretation of the sun and ḥadath (impurities), expanding on a seemingly minor but deeply significant point. He first established that the sun shines upon ḥadath, drying it and transforming it into firewood. This firewood, in turn, is used in a golchan (bathhouse furnace), producing light and heat. What was once the very embodiment of defilement thus becomes a source of warmth and adornment. This initial, apparent alchemy is a mere prelude to a deeper, more profound alchemical process—one that is both cosmic and divine.

Here, Mawlana reveals another layer of this grand alchemy: 'The sun, too, warmed the earth's stomach, so that the earth might consume the remaining impurities.' He states that the sun not only dries the ḥadath but also 'warms and activates the earth's stomach.' This is a metaphorical way of saying that the sun prepares and energizes the biological and decomposition processes within the soil. The earth, invigorated by the sun's warmth, acts like a functioning stomach, ready to 'eat'—that is, absorb and decompose—the remaining waste and impurities. This is a clear reference to the natural, biological cycles of nature—the carbon cycle, the nitrogen cycle, and similar processes—where organic waste is broken down by bacteria and microorganisms, eventually transforming into vital nutrients for plants.

Mawlana then draws a breathtaking conclusion: 'It became a part of the soil, and from it grew vegetation; hākadhā yamḥī al-ilāhu al-sayyiʾāt (thus God erases sins).' These impurities, now integrated into the soil, give rise to plants, which in turn nourish humans and animals. This entire process serves as a tangible illustration of how God 'erases sins.' This world, in Mawlana's profound vision, functions as a divine factory where God transmutes poison into nectar, and impurities into purity. Even the malevolence and wickedness of evildoers in the world, though outwardly bitter and distressing (and we are morally obligated to resist them), are ultimately, within the grand cosmic cycle, destined to culminate in goodness. This is akin to the oil hidden deep within the earth for millions of years, which today serves human needs.

The profound implication of Mawlana's perspective is this: if God deals with ḥadath—perhaps the lowliest and most repulsive of substances—in such a transformative manner, turning it into narcissus and wild roses, then what will He bestow upon the ṭayyibīn (the pure and righteous)? Their reward is that which 'no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived.' This is a Quranic-hadithic expression Mawlana employs to convey the immense grandeur of divine recompense, emphasizing its formless and unimaginable nature in this material world. This verse, therefore, embodies Mawlana's deep hope and faith in the benevolent and merciful divine order, which perceives seeds of purity and goodness even within the heart of defilement.

Key takeaways

• The world is a divine factory where poison is transmuted into nectar, and impurity into purity.
• The sun plays an alchemical role in nature, not merely drying but activating the earth's vital processes.
• Mawlana interprets natural phenomena (sunlight, decomposition of waste) as symbols of God's erasure of sins.
• Mawlana's perspective emphasizes hope in the ultimate good outcome of the cosmic cycle, even amidst apparent evil.
• If the lowliest substances (ḥadath) are transformed into goodness, the reward for the pure is beyond human conception.