M6:3317 — آن طرف که بهر دفع زشتیی / باد جویی بهر کشت و کشتیی

Translation: That side where, to ward off some ugliness, You seek wind for your crops and for your ship. Meaning: This verse points to the realm where, in times of distress, one implicitly turns for aid – seeking wind (and rain) for one's crops or to save a ship, thus invoking a higher power to avert misfortune.

This verse is part of a larger section where Mowlana narrates the pleas of a debtor, constantly asking, “Where? Where?” (کو؟ کو؟). Yet, in his characteristic manner, Mowlana ties this outward, material search to an inward, spiritual quest, revealing a deeper longing beneath the surface. He asserts that this “that side” (آن طرف) — where one seeks wind for a ship to avoid sinking, or rain for crops to avert drought, or aid to repel all forms of zıshtī (ugliness, adversity) — is precisely where the divine attributes of mercy, power, and wisdom reside. When humanity faces distress, whether for mundane needs like agricultural bounty and safe passage for a ship, or for deeper spiritual yearnings, it unconsciously turns to the ultimate origin of goodness and beauty, the dispeller of all imperfections. This verse clearly illustrates how, in moments of helplessness and need, one's gaze instinctively turns to the primary source of hope and well-being, even if their tongue does not consciously utter a specific name. The wind and rain sought in this verse are not merely natural phenomena; they are symbolic of unseen aid and boundless mercy that arrive from “that side” in response to human need. This is akin to uttering the spoken invocation “Yā Hū” (یاهو), while the heart points to the hidden “He” (او)—the ultimate reality. I firmly believe Mowlana here suggests that even material and desperate requests possess an unconscious divine orientation, connecting to that eternal fount of perfect attributes.

Key takeaways

• Earthly desires, such as seeking wind and rain, stem from an implicit longing for divine aid.
• In times of calamity and 'ugliness,' the heart unconsciously turns to the divine source of mercy and power.
• The cry of 'Where?' in utter desperation is an unconscious pointer towards the divine 'that side.'
• God is the ultimate source for averting all ill and providing all good, symbolized by the wind for crops and ships.