M6:3054 — در رخی بنهد شعاع اختری / که شود شاهی غلام دختری

Translation: On a face, He places the ray of a star, Such that a king becomes a slave to a girl.

Meaning: Through bestowing a mere glimmer of beauty, even as slight as a star's ray, upon a face, God can create such an allure that powerful kings will bow in servitude to a young woman.

In this verse, Mawlana unequivocally underscores God's absolute power in bestowing attributes. I contend that God is the "Malik-ul-Mulk," the Owner of All Dominion, and everything that transpires in the world emanates from His will. He is the One who can infuse a lion with strength to overcome a herd of wild asses, just as He grants the sovereignty of beauty ("malik-e hosn") to a Yusuf, whose grace is as delicate as rainwater.

Here, Mawlana speaks of the "ray of a star," not the brilliance of the sun; implying that even a subtle glimmer, no more than a star's radiance, of divine beauty placed upon a face can create such an enchantment that all worldly powers surrender before it. A king, with all his grandeur and armies, becomes a slave and servant to the beauty of a mere girl.

This is not merely a poetic image; history itself bears witness to such truths. I recall the story of Napoleon, who, despite his vast conquests, was profoundly humbled and submissive before Josephine, his beloved. This illustrates the extent to which the power of beauty, when originating from a divine source, can overcome the strongest human wills and overturn power dynamics.

This outward manifestation of beauty is but one form of the divine light's manifestation. Mawlana further states that this same light can reside in the hearts of men of God like Yusuf and Moses, manifesting both in their countenances and within their deepest selves ("dhāt-al-ṣudūr"), as divine knowledge and revelation. Yet, this particular verse specifically focuses on the pervasive and dominant aspect of external beauty that has a divine origin – a power capable of enslaving kings. Such is the grandeur of Truth, which creates everything from nothing, and with a single ray of a star, can dismantle empires.

Key takeaways

• The true source of all beauty is God's absolute power.
• The allure of beauty, even as subtle as a star's ray, can overpower the strongest worldly dominions.
• Mawlana uses historical examples (like Napoleon and Josephine) to affirm the reality of beauty's power.
• Outward beauty is one manifestation of divine light that captivates human wills.
• This verse reminds us of God's grandeur in creation and governance, even in the smallest manifestations.