M6:1308 — معجزه بحرست و ناقص مرغ خاک / مرغ آبی در وی آمن از هلاک

Translation: The miracle is like a sea, and the deficient, a land-fowl; The water-fowl is safe from perishing within it.

Meaning: A miracle, or any profound divine truth, resembles a sea whose effect hinges on the recipient's capacity: it either drowns the unsuited or safely carries the prepared.

I believe this verse profoundly articulates Rumi's perspective on divine phenomena, including miracles and sacred truths. The term 'miracle' here is a potent symbol, an expansive metaphor for every manifestation of truth in the cosmos. Rumi states that a miracle is like a "sea" (bahr), an infinite ocean. Our encounter with this vast sea, however, comes in two forms, and this very encounter depends on our intrinsic nature and inner capacity.

The first type is the "deficient, a land-fowl" (nāqis murgh-i khāk). This epithet describes a human being whose existence is flawed, whose spiritual capacities are undeveloped, and who is, in Rumi's words, "earth-bound." Such a creature, a bird, knows how to fly in the sky but is utterly helpless in water, drowning upon entry. The sea of truth, for such an individual, is not a source of salvation but of peril. Through this imagery, Rumi depicts the inner flaw and unpreparedness that obstruct the reception and assimilation of divine grace. This person not only fails to benefit from the miracle but finds their very being overwhelmed and destroyed by that truth.

The second type is the "water-fowl" (murgh-i ābī). This bird lives in water, knows how to swim, and for it, the sea is not merely safe but a home and sanctuary. Within this sea, it is "safe from perishing" (āmin az halāk). The water-fowl symbolizes those humans who have cultivated their inner aptitudes, whose souls are steeped in the water of truth, and who are ready to receive and comprehend divine miracles and manifestations. For such individuals, the sea of miracles is a source of life and growth, not destruction.

I have repeatedly emphasized that this view of Rumi's is entirely consistent with the Quranic approach. The Holy Quran, in describing itself, states: "He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads none thereby except the defiantly disobedient" (2:26). This very divine scripture, therefore, misleads many and guides many. This misguidance or guidance does not stem from a flaw in the Quran but from differences in human existential capacity. It is analogous to wholesome food, which strengthens a healthy body but weakens, or even kills, a sick one.

The subsequent verse, which continues this discourse, reinforces the same meaning: "It incapacitates the soul of every stranger; / Yet it empowers the soul of every intimate companion." Miracles render the "strangers" (nā-mahram) helpless and weak, while they empower the souls of "intimate companions" (hamdam). This difference in reception demonstrates that the mere unveiling of truth is insufficient; our souls must also possess the readiness to accept it. The pursuit of truth demands a truth-seeking, truth-knowing, and truth-accepting spirit. Without this inner preparedness, even conclusive evidence and arguments fail against denial and fanaticism. Thus, Rumi urges us to cultivate our inner capacity and merit rather than simply awaiting 'bread without dough'—miraculous provision without effort.

Key takeaways

• Miracles and divine truths do not affect all equally; their impact depends on the recipient's inner capacity.
• The 'deficient' or 'earth-bound' individual, lacking spiritual preparedness, perishes in the face of divine truths.
• The 'water-fowl' individual, having cultivated inner capacities, finds safety and benefit in the sea of truth.
• Responsibility for misguidance or guidance lies with human existential capacity, not with the essence of truth itself.
• To benefit from divine grace, one must cultivate the 'capacity and merit' for reception within oneself.