M6:1402 — چون شکار فقر کردی تو یقین / هم‌چوکودک اشک باری یوم دین

Translation: When you thus surely hunt faqr (spiritual poverty), Like a child you will shed tears on the Day of Judgment (yom-i dīn). Meaning: This verse suggests that when one truly embraces spiritual destitution (faqr) and accepts it with certainty, they will ultimately weep not from sorrow but from profound wonder and joy at its unexpected mercy and benevolence, akin to a child's revelation on the Day of Reckoning.

Undoubtedly, this verse stands as one of the most profound and delicate passages in the Mathnawi, wherein Mevlana unveils the secret of faqr (spiritual poverty). Drawing from the tale of Sultan Mahmud and the Hindu slave boy—where the child, initially terrified by Mahmud's fearsome reputation, found himself enveloped in boundless affection upon meeting him and wept in astonishment—Mevlana extends this parable to the realm of spiritual destitution. He declares: Faqr is your very "Mahmud," O you who have fallen into constraint, O you who have contented yourself with narrow confines. It is your tabʿ (nature, or carnal soul) that perpetually frightens you of faqr, much as the mother instilled fear of Sultan Mahmud in her child. Yet, the truth is entirely different. If you were to recognize this "generous Mahmud," if you were to become aware of the mercy inherent in faqr, you would ultimately exclaim with joyous contentment, "May Mahmud prevail!" This carries a dual meaning: both a prayer for a good end (ḥusn-i ʿāqibat) and a heartfelt wish to attain such faqr. Indeed, when faqr "hunts" you—or, to be more precise, when you surrender yourself to faqr and embrace it—then you will shed tears like that child. However, these are not tears of fear or regret; they are tears of wonder, tears of poignant regret for having evaded this faqr for so long. This is the crying of awakening, realizing how compassionate and soul-nurturing faqr truly is, and how it becomes the very ladder of your spiritual ascent. Mevlana here highlights the contrast between tabʿ and faqr. He likens tabʿ and bodily desires to a mother who, though seemingly nurturing and kind, can become "a hundred times more of an enemy than any foe" if one clings to her excessively. For it is the child's duty to mature and detach from the mother's lap. He asserts that one must transcend the plane of physical and carnal desires. This is the very detachment from the superficial self and attachment to the true self, a theme Mevlana consistently emphasizes. This faqr is not material poverty, but an ontological and spiritual destitution before the Divine; a poverty that, the deeper one enters, the richer one becomes.

Key takeaways

• True faqr (spiritual destitution) initially appears fearsome but is, at its core, utterly merciful and benevolent, much like Sultan Mahmud who initially terrified but ultimately showed profound affection.
• The tears shed upon encountering faqr are tears of wonder and recognition, not of fear or regret; they are tears of awakening to faqr's hidden compassion.
• Our tabʿ (carnal desires and instincts), though seemingly nurturing (like a mother), become worse than a hundred enemies if clung to excessively, hindering genuine spiritual growth.
• Spiritual maturity necessitates detaching from superficial attachments and self-imposed fears; one must leave the 'mother's lap' to truly encounter the benevolent 'Mahmud' within faqr.
• This faqr is an ontological and spiritual emptiness before the Divine, not material poverty; the deeper one enters this state, the richer and more transcendent one becomes.