M6:338 — ور به امر حق بخواهی آن رواست / آنچنان خواهش طریق انبیاست

Translation: But if you ask for it by divine command, that is permissible; Such a asking is the way of the prophets.

Meaning: Any request that arises from God's command or will is entirely proper and praiseworthy, for this manner of asking constitutes the very path of the prophets and saints.

I stated earlier that Mowlana, inspired by the words of the Prophet, teaches us that if we wish to attain Paradise, we must refrain from asking anything of others. This is an important spiritual principle: we should forgo even legitimate requests from people, and, on a deeper level, in the station of contentment (maqām-i riḍā), we should not ask even of God. However, this verse introduces a crucial exception—an exception whose essence is not contradictory but rather confirmatory and complementary to the principle: But if you ask for it by divine command, that is permissible; / Such a asking is the way of the prophets.

Here, Mowlana explains that whenever an asking stems from a divine command—that is, when God Himself has instructed us to ask for something or to perform an action—this asking is not only not blameworthy, but is the very essence of righteousness. The path of the prophets, which involved guiding people towards goodness and truth, appeared outwardly as a form of 'asking' (khwāhish). They 'invited' people to faith and good deeds, rather than compelling them through force. This invitation, this guidance, this leadership, all represent forms of that 'asking by divine command' which is the very path of the prophets. In reality, the prophets were intermediaries for the divine command, and their 'asking' was God's demand from creation, not a personal request. This is fundamentally different from requests made for one's personal needs or even out of human compassion.

Mowlana also introduces a deeper point here, one rooted in Ash'arite thought, though Mowlana speaks beyond the confines of theological schools. He says: That which seems bad will not remain so, once the Friend has signaled it; / Disbelief turns into faith, if that disbelief is for His sake. This means that something which appears outwardly undesirable or even evil, if it occurs by divine indication and command, is no longer bad, but becomes good. This illustrates that at the level of divine command, apparent good and evil give way to divine wisdom and expediency. Whatever is His command transcends our human criteria and ultimately leads to absolute good, even if it does not initially appear so.

To clarify this point, Mowlana uses the metaphor of the oyster: If its shell is also wounded, do not reject it; / For within it are thousands of pearls. He says that if the oyster's shell is damaged or broken, do not be disheartened or spurn it (do not deh madeh—reject with all ten fingers), for within this very damaged shell are thousands of precious pearls. This metaphor beautifully conveys that many unfortunate events or matters that seem outwardly bad, if they originate from God or occur with His permission, inwardly carry immense goodness and blessings that our eyes are unable to perceive. This perspective guides humanity to a state of surrender and contentment before the divine will, preventing hasty and superficial judgments.

Key takeaways

• Asking from others, even for permissible matters, is blameworthy unless that asking is a direct divine command.
• The prophetic mode of asking is an invitation to truth and goodness, which is essentially God's asking, not a personal plea.
• The apparent evil or undesirability of matters is transformed into goodness by divine command, for whatever comes from the Friend is absolute good.
• Adverse events or seemingly bad situations, if from God, inwardly carry hidden blessings and profound benefits.
• This verse guides one to the station of surrender and contentment before the divine will, preventing superficial judgments.