M6:2106 — رزقها هم رزق‌خواران وی‌اند / میوه‌ها لب‌خشک باران وی‌اند

Translation: All provisions are themselves the recipients of his provision; The fruits are the lip-parched rain of him. Meaning: This verse states that all sustenance and blessings, even natural phenomena like fruits, are fundamentally dependent on the existence and grace of the men of God, the divine saints.

This verse is among those where Mawlana explicates the unique and irreplaceable position of the Awliyāʾ-i Haqq (men of God, divine saints) within the cosmos. In Mawlana's view, which has roots in earlier Sufi thought and even Shi'i theology, the existence of these divine figures is not merely individual, but a foundational and causal presence for the entire creation. I have previously noted that he borrows this concept from the Hadith-i Qudsi: "Lāw lāk la-mā khalaqtu al-aflāk" (If it were not for you, I would not have created the heavens). However, he extends this address of "Lāw lāk" not only to the Prophet Muhammad but to all divine saints. Why? Because, in his understanding, "their souls are one," meaning the souls of the men of God are unified and integrated. Therefore, wherever a "man of God" exists, that Hadith-i Qudsi holds true for him as well.

The current verse, with vivid imagery, illustrates this dependence of the cosmos on those sacred beings. "All provisions are themselves the recipients of his provision"; what a striking image! This sentence indicates a fundamental inversion. Typically, it is we humans who consume provisions; but here, Mawlana says that "provisions themselves" are needy and "provision-eaters" of these divine men. This implies that if they were not, no provision would even come into being to be consumed. This demonstrates the ultimate degree of causality and being the channel of divine grace. Provisions are nourished from that sacred source, not just creatures.

He conveys a similar theme in the following line: "The fruits are the lip-parched rain of him." Fruits, which are themselves products of rain and water, are here likened to parched individuals thirsty for "his rain." His rain means the grace and blessing of that divine saint. This rain is not the natural rain from clouds; it is the spiritual rain that is also the source and origin of material rains. That is to say, if his spiritual grace were absent, fruits would be deprived even of material rain and would remain parched. The entire existence, from earth and sky and all within them, from the rotation of the heavens to the treasures within the earth and the flowers blooming upon it, all exist due to the blessing of these men of God. This is precisely the point we find in the Ziyārat-i Jāmiʿa-i Kabīra: "Through his blessing, creation is sustained." It is through the blessing of these revered figures that creation receives its sustenance.

From this, Mawlana refers to the "inversion of worldly affairs." Outwardly, these divine men may appear poor and destitute, needing help from others. But inwardly, it is the entire world and its inhabitants who are "seekers of their bread" and "eaters of their provision." Giving charity to these outwardly poor individuals is, in reality, giving charity to the primary source of one's own sustenance. This is an "inversion" in the order of the world that makes the discovery of truth difficult for us; but Mawlana, with his acute mystical insight, reveals this truth to us.

Key takeaways

• The world and all its provisions subsist through the blessing of the men of God.
• Divine saints are the primary channels of divine grace and the sources of all sustenance.
• This verse reveals a fundamental "inversion" in the hierarchy of provision and sustenance.
• Fruits and natural phenomena are dependent on the spiritual grace of divine men, not solely on material causes.
• The Hadith-i Qudsi "Lāw lāk la-mā khalaqtu al-aflāk" applies to all divine saints, as their souls are unified.
• Giving charity to men of God is, in essence, giving to the very source of one's own sustenance.