M6:1846 — خافضست و رافعست این کردگار / بی ازین دو بر نیاید هیچ کار

Translation: This Creator is both the Abaser and the Exalter; Without these two, no work comes to fruition.

Meaning: Rumi asserts that khafaḍ (abasement) and rafʿ (exaltation) are two inherent attributes of the Creator that shape the dynamism and transformation of the world and human states; without this duality, existence would lack meaning and movement.

This couplet unveils one of the most fundamental truths of existence and the modus operandi of the Divine. Rumi, following the use of the word taʿāl (come forth) and its implication of loftiness, immediately introduces the attributes of khāfiḍ and rāfiʿ: "This Creator is both the Abaser and the Exalter; without these two, no work comes to fruition." These two attributes, ascribed to the Day of Resurrection in the opening of Sūrah al-Wāqiʿah ("khāfiḍatun rāfiʿatun"), are extended by Rumi in the Mathnavi not merely to the eschatological event, but to all of existence and its continuous flow. God's work is precisely this khafaḍ and rafʿ; that is, to abase and to exalt, to lower and to raise. And without this dynamic duality, nothing in the world can come to pass, for existence itself is the manifestation of this polarity and perpetual transformation.

Rumi expands this concept beyond the literal meaning of 'raising and lowering' to encompass 'transformations and upheavals.' He provides tangible examples: the earth, which is low, and the sky, which is exalted; or the earth itself, which is barren for half a year and green for the other half. The affairs of time are likewise: half day and half night, intertwined with sorrow and distress (karb). Even the human temperament, this amalgamation of diverse humors, at times enjoys health and at times succumbs to illness. The affairs of the world are no exception to this rule: sometimes there is famine, sometimes abundance; sometimes peace, sometimes war – all for the purpose of iftitān, the testing and trial of creation.

This world, propelled by these two wings of abasement and exaltation, moves through the air, never in stillness. It constantly trembles, "like a leaf," exposed to both the auspicious 'north winds' (shamāl) and the scorching, 'poisonous winds' (samūm). This perpetual oscillation and transformation also engenders khawf wa rajāʾ (fear and hope) within souls; fear of adversity and hope for well-being. The entirety of human history can be viewed as a long tunnel through which a wind blows, closing some windows and opening others. This wind is the wind of divine independence, bringing at times baʿth (resurrection and renewal) and at other times marg (death and destruction). This is Rumi's profound philosophy, which perceives the world in every moment as being in a state of flux and pulsation; a transformation that is not a defect, but the very essence of perfection and the core of life itself.

Key takeaways

• Abasing (Khafaḍ) and Exalting (Rafʿ) are fundamental divine attributes that constitute the dynamic core of existence.
• These attributes denote continuous transformation and upheaval across all cosmic levels, from heavens and earth to human states and history.
• The world is in perpetual motion, like a leaf trembling in diverse winds (both benevolent and destructive).
• This constant flux of states engenders khawf wa rajāʾ (fear and hope) within human souls.
• These transformations are not flaws but an integral part of creation, serving as a means of iftitān (trial or testing).
• There is no stillness or stasis in existence; all is in constant flux and reversal, which is the very essence of perfection.