M6:2709 — چون بمیرم فضل تو خواهد گریست / از کرم گرچه ز حاجت او بریست

Two markdown sections: Translation: When I die, Your grace will weep for me, Out of generosity, though It is free from any need. Meaning: This verse expresses the lover's yearning for the Beloved's grace to persist even after death, understanding that this divine compassion stems purely from boundless generosity, not from any need on the Beloved's part.

This verse opens a profound window into the lover's deepest yearning for the Beloved, revealing a truth about the boundless, unconditional divine grace. Here, Mawlana clearly states that the favor and generosity the lover hopes for from the Beloved will mourn over him even after he departs from this world. The crucial point is that this weeping of grace does not stem from any need the Beloved might have for the lover – for God Almighty is the Absolute Rich and free from all needs of both worlds – but solely from His infinite generosity and compassion. This generosity is so unconditional that it demands no merit or worthiness from the lover; 'God's giving requires no qualification.' This is akin to the all-encompassing mercy of the sun that shines upon impurities and filth (حدث), neither diminishing itself nor expecting recompense. Instead, it transforms those very impurities into purity and light, just as animal waste dries under the sun and then yields light when burned in kilns.

However, this yearning holds a deeper layer, immediately revealed in the subsequent verses: the lover's plea is for this grace and remembrance from the Beloved to arrive now, during life, not after death. I draw a parallel here with Mawlana's sweet and poignant words: 'When you wish to kiss my dust, kiss my face now, for I am the same.' What good is it to weep over the lover's dust and kiss it after death? The true value and impact of such kindness and remembrance lie in the lover's lifetime and perception. Therefore, there is a distinctly human request here: 'Show some of that kindness now / Place a ring of that discourse in my ear / What you wish to say to my dust / Sprinkle it upon my sorrowful perception.' That is, bestow those loving words you intend for my dust, upon my living ears and mind, upon my sorrowful faculty of perception. Do not let the opportunity for friendship be lost.

This is not merely an esoteric yearning for divine union; it also contains a profound ethical and social admonition: let us seize the opportunity to love and be loved. Divine universal grace should be sought in this very 'now,' for its essence is absolute freedom from need and pure generosity, requiring no justification or 'deed' to shine forth. Thus, this independence and generosity guarantee that the Beloved's grace, out of its own needlessness, will weep over the lover's deprivation, but the central narrative pertains to how this grace is received in the 'now' of life.

Key takeaways

• Divine grace and generosity stem from absolute benevolence, not from any need for the lover.
• The Beloved's favor should not be deferred until after death; grace must be sought and received during one's lifetime.
• The weeping of grace over the lover testifies to God's boundless independence and generosity.
• God's universal grace is unconditional and does not require worthiness, akin to the sun shining upon everything.
• This verse is an invitation to cherish the opportunity for love and to receive divine favor in the present moment.
• Mawlana pleads for the Beloved's kind words to be bestowed upon his living perception and heart, rather than upon his dust.