M1:86 — لابه کرده عیسی ایشان را که این / دایمست و کم نگردد از زمین

Translation: Jesus pleaded with them that this [bounty] is perpetual and shall not decrease from the earth. Meaning: This verse recounts Jesus's plea to his followers, who, despite receiving heavenly sustenance, were overcome by greed and distrust, fearing the bounty would cease. Jesus assured them that this divine provision was eternal and required no avarice or hoarding.

Here, in the midst of his profound and extensive discourse on adab (propriety and decorum) and bi-adab (impropriety), Mawlana delves into a story from the communities of Moses and Jesus to illuminate the dire consequences of irreverence. This specific verse captures a pivotal moment where Jesus, with earnest pleading, endeavors to rescue his disciples from the abyss of suspicion and greed.

Previously, the people of Moses, out of ingratitude and avarice, scorned the heavenly Manna and Salwa, demanding garlic and lentils instead. The consequence was the withdrawal of the celestial table. However, upon Jesus's intercession, God once again sent forth the table of bounty. It was here that another trial emerged. Instead of expressing gratitude for God's boundless grace and trusting in its continuity, the gostākhan (the audacious and ill-mannered ones) began to dhillaha bar-dashtan, meaning they succumbed to avarice and hoarded the food, fearing it might run out. This lack of trust was itself a great impropriety in the presence of divine generosity.

It is at this juncture that Jesus intervenes, stating: "This [bounty] is perpetual and shall not decrease from the earth." He assures them that this provision is neither temporary nor limited; rather, it is eternal and flawless. There is no need for greed or hoarding, for its source is infinite. Jesus's "pleading" (labah kardan) is, in essence, an attempt to awaken the sense of trust and decorum within his disciples. He wishes to make them understand that heavenly sustenance, unlike earthly provisions, does not diminish, and there is no cause for concern about its reduction or exhaustion.

Mawlana concludes from this narrative that "suspicion and avarice are disbelief (kufr) before the table of the great host." This bi-adab (impropriety) is, in reality, kufr and ingratitude towards divine grace. It is not merely a simple act of disrespect, but an intrinsic denial of God's benevolence and generosity. Those who believe that God grants something temporarily and then withholds it, in fact, harbor suspicion towards the essence of the Lord, and it is this very suspicion that closes the doors of mercy upon them. This is the very point Mawlana emphasizes elsewhere: "The improper one is deprived of the Lord's grace (lutf-i rabb)." God's grace, which is the divine tawfiq (accord) to achieve one's purpose, reaches only those who possess adab – adab not merely in outward conduct, but intrinsically, in heartfelt trust and gratitude.

Key takeaways

• Impropriety and greed close the doors of divine mercy, even when faced with boundless heavenly bounty.
• Trust in the permanence of divine provision is the essence of inner decorum, contrasting with suspicion and avarice.
• The incompatibility of greed with God's endless generosity; assuming deficiency in absolute abundance is itself 'disbelief' (kufr).
• The stories of Moses and Jesus exemplify how the ill-mannered are deprived of the 'Lord's grace' (lutf-i rabb).
• The prophets' pleading for people's guidance signifies the enduring nature of divine grace, even towards transgressors.