Lire› Livre 3› Le Prophète (paix sur lui) remplissant d'eau miraculeusement la gourde de l'esclave depuis l'invisible et rendant le visage de cet esclave noir blanc par la permission de Dieu› Verset 3163
M3:3163 — ای غلام اکنون تو پر بین مشک خود / تا نگویی درشکایت نیک و بد
M3:3163
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The Prophet tells the slave to look at his miraculously filled waterskin, so that this direct experience of grace will end his habit of complaining and judging his circumstances.
This couplet is the pivot point in a story about a slave sent to fetch water who encounters the Prophet Muhammad. The slave has likely been complaining about his difficult lot. The Prophet performs a miracle, causing the slave's empty waterskin (mashk) to be filled from an unseen, heavenly source.
Here, the Prophet directs the slave's attention to the evidence of this divine intervention. The command, “see your waterskin is full,” is not just about observing a physical fact; it is an invitation to witness divine grace made manifest. This direct perception of God's providence is presented as the cure for the slave's complaining spirit.
The phrase “so you will not speak of ‘good’ or ‘bad’” points to a core Sufi teaching: moving beyond dualistic judgments. Ordinary consciousness constantly categorizes experiences as favorable or unfavorable, leading to complaint when things seem “bad.” Witnessing a miracle shatters this framework. The slave is being shown that behind the apparent hardships of his life, a boundless divine generosity is always active. Seeing the proof of this reality is meant to silence the ego's complaints and replace judgment with awe and submission.
- مشک
- A waterskin, typically made of leather, used for carrying water. In this context, it is both a literal object and a symbol of the individual's capacity to receive divine grace.
- شکایت
- Complaint, grievance. In Sufi ethics, this often refers to complaining against one's fate or God's decree, which is seen as a sign of spiritual immaturity and a lack of trust (tawakkul).
- نیک و بد
- Literally “good and bad.” This phrase signifies the dualistic judgments of the ordinary mind, which categorizes events and circumstances as either desirable or undesirable. Transcending this duality is a key spiritual goal.
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