M6:521 — گر نباشد یاری حبر و قلم / کی فتد بر روی کاغذها رقم

Translation: If there were no aid from ink and pen, how would any mark fall upon the paper? Meaning: This verse underscores the critical importance of collaboration and synthesis, illustrating that even the simplest act of writing requires the harmonious interplay of its constituent parts.

Here, in this verse and those immediately following, Mevlana points to a fundamental principle: the necessity of aid and collaboration for any outcome to manifest. This is a universal law that governs all dimensions of existence, and I consider it a profound lesson that Mevlana extracts from seemingly simple worldly phenomena, imbuing it with ontological depth.

The verse asks: "How would any raqam (mark/writing) fall upon the paper?" Meaning, how could any inscription, any effect, any imprint come into being, "if there were no aid from hebr and pen?" Here, hebr carries two subtle and rich meanings, both of which I am certain Mevlana intends. One is the well-known meaning of 'ink'; without ink, the pen would never leave a mark. The other is the meaning of a 'learned person' or 'scholar,' as the Quran speaks of ahbār (plural of hebr). Thus, it signifies the aid of ink with the pen, and equally, the aid of a scholar with the pen (or with another learned individual).

This is not the only example. Mevlana, in the continuation of this very discussion, offers other illustrations: "If there were no aid from the walls, how would houses and stores be raised?" Walls, roof, pillars—all must collaborate for a structure to stand. Or he states: "This mat that someone spreads, if its threads were not joined, the wind would carry it away." If the warp and weft of a mat are not intertwined, there is no mat, nor is it safe from the wind. These all emphasize that every phenomenon, from the smallest to the largest, requires the connection and intertwining of its elements.

I view this as far more than mere ethical advice; it is a cosmic principle. Mevlana concludes: "Since God created every kind in pairs, then results appeared from their coming together (jamʿiyyat)." The very creation of zawjain (pairs) by God has an ultimate purpose: the emergence of natāʾij (results/offspring), which is only made possible by the jamʿiyyat—the coming together and union of these pairs. This duality and confluence are the genesis of all creativity and fruit in the cosmos. Therefore, the act of writing, which is the subject of this verse, is itself a manifestation of this grand cosmic rule: the pen and the ink are the pairs, and from their confluence, the raqam emerges.

Key takeaways

• The manifestation of any outcome, even writing a single word, necessitates the aid and collaboration of various elements.
• The word hebr in this verse carries a dual meaning: 'ink' and 'scholar'.
• The principle of collaboration is a cosmic law, following from the creation of 'pairs' in the universe to produce 'results'.
• Mevlana uses tangible, everyday examples—from building a house to weaving a mat—to illustrate deep ontological principles.