M6:1093 — قدح او را حق به مدحی برگرفت / گر تو هم رحمت کنی نبود شگفت

Translation: God accepted his (the shepherd's) uncouth words as praise. If you, too, show mercy, it would not be a wonder (to accept my shortcomings as praise).

Meaning: This verse, spoken by Abu Bakr to the Prophet, refers to the divine acceptance of sincere yet imperfect praise from simple hearts, and asks for mercy despite the inadequacy of human understanding.

This particular verse, nestled within the vast ocean of the Mathnawi, represents a rare moment where Mevlana, with his ever-flowing, forward-looking temperament, harks back to an earlier narrative within the same work. It is an unusual move for him. The Mathnawi, unlike many literary masterpieces, is a book of the present moment, a testament to liberation from the shackles of yesterday. Mevlana neither laments the past nor dwells on it; his gaze is perpetually fixed on the effervescent spring of the 'now.' Yet, here, he deliberately recalls a story from the third book to underscore a profound truth.

The verse in question is spoken by Abu Bakr the Veracious, addressing the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Earlier in these passages, Abu Bakr, with profound humility, deemed his own praise and adoration for the Prophet as a form of 'qadaḥ'—a fault or inappropriate speech—for the Prophet's grandeur utterly transcends the limited vessel of human words. He then, through this verse, appeals to the Prophet's boundless mercy, stating: "Just as the Almighty God, in the story of Moses, transformed and accepted the simple shepherd's seemingly uncouth words into praise and adoration, so too, if you, out of your inherent grace, consider my imperfect utterance as praise, it would be no marvel." This exemplifies the zenith of seeking mercy and humility before absolute Truth. The foundational story of the shepherd, who in his utter simplicity wished to give God milk, mend His shoes, and remove lice from Him—and whom Moses chastised for such ostensibly polytheistic remarks—culminated in God's address to Moses: "I behold his heart, not the outward form of his words." This pivotal narrative is the key to understanding this verse: God "deemed his inappropriate words worthy and accepted them from his lips." Thus, this acceptance of 'qadaḥ' as 'madḥ' (praise) springs from divine grace and compassion.

However, Mevlana elevates this verse beyond mere narrative reference. I surmise that during the composition of these very lines, Mevlana experienced a profound spiritual elation and fresh inspirations; a "new auspiciousness" (iqbāl-i jadīd) descended upon him from the higher realms. This is that moment where, as if lifting his head from beneath his cloak, he gazes around and addresses the "lovers" (ay-yuha al-ushshāq)—and perhaps, more significantly, his own innermost self. He heralds a "new auspiciousness from the ancient-new world" (jahān-i kohne-ye novgar); a world that, in the eyes of gnostics and those with awakened hearts, renews itself moment by moment, utterly devoid of oldness, in stark contrast to the superficial gaze that perceives everything in a cycle of repetition and decay. This verse, in essence, is a window into Mevlana's internal experience of a moment when divine sparks whisper "deliverance" (faraj) and "glad tidings" (bashārat) into his ear, and into the ear of every sorrowful soul, summoning them to rise and grasp the path of auspiciousness. It is as if Mevlana himself, at this very juncture, assumes the role of that "harbinger of glad tidings" who softly murmurs into the ears of the disheartened: "Arise, O heedless one, seize the path of fortune!"

Key takeaways

• God regards pure intention, not the perfection of words or articulation; His mercy transforms even flaws into praise.
• Humility before spiritual masters and divine truth paves the way for divine acceptance and grace.
• Despite his perpetually fresh and forward-looking disposition, Mevlana occasionally references his own earlier narratives within the Mathnawi to highlight deeper meanings.
• Spiritual experiences and mystical inspirations (an iqbāl-i jadīd or 'new auspiciousness') can overcome a gnostic during composition, altering the flow of their discourse.
• From the gnostic's perspective, the world renews itself moment by moment; 'oldness' in this realm is a product of our superficial gaze, not the reality of existence.
• Here, Mevlana acts as a 'bringer of glad tidings,' whispering promises of liberation and a call to seize fortune into the ear of every sorrowful soul.