M6:1197 — از برون حوض غیر خاک نیست / هر که او در حوض ناید پاک نیست

Translation: Beyond the pool, there is nothing but dust; Whoever does not enter the pool is not pure. Meaning: This verse asserts that purification is impossible without entering the cleansing pool, for outside its bounds lies only dust, and remaining outside guarantees impurity.

In Mowlana's voice, after speaking of liberation from 'chooni' (being bound by forms and qualities) and attaining the 'garden of formlessness' (a realm of infinitude), a moment of self-censorship often arises, prompting him to say: 'Stop, you are ritually impure (jānabat); do not recite this surah.' It is as if my tongue, still belonging to the world of 'chooni' and limitation, is deemed unworthy of uttering such pure and boundless truths. It is here that this verse offers a profound response to this self-criticism, a response born of divine generosity and compassion. It poses a dilemma: 'If I am impure, and the water tells me not to enter the pool until I am clean, then what am I to do?' Mowlana delicately resolves this paradox. Outside the pool, there is only dust; that is, outside the sea of divine knowledge and grace, there is nothing but spiritual impurity. To be purified, there is no other path but to enter this pool. The very function of water is to accept the impure and cleanse them. If water were to reject the impure, it would fail its essential duty and generosity. This is the same point expressed elsewhere in the Mathnawi: 'The water said: 'Hurry, O defiled one, into me!' / The defiled one said: 'I am ashamed of the water!' / The water said: 'How can this shame depart without me? / How can this impurity be removed without me?'' These verses are, in essence, an unconditional invitation towards purity and hope, negating any despair or despondency regarding God's grace and mercy. Mowlana emphasizes that the Mathnawi is a book of hope, and this hope extends to all who, despite their weaknesses and shortcomings, yearn to return to their origin and purity.

Key takeaways

• Spiritual purity is only possible by entering the source of divine grace; outside it, there is only impurity.
• The very function of water (divine grace) is to accept and cleanse the impure, not to repel them.
• Feelings of shame due to impurity should not prevent one from approaching the source of purity; the water itself will wash away that shame.
• Mowlana extends a message of hope: God welcomes the impure and never turns them away from His mercy.