M6:2660 — صرصری می‌برد بر سر تخت شاه / هر صباح و هر مسا یک ماهه راه

Translation: A swift wind bore the king's throne upon its head, Each morning and each evening, covering a month's journey.

Meaning: This verse describes the immense speed and power of the wind in service to Prophet Solomon, carrying his throne a distance equal to a month's travel in just half a day. It symbolizes the subjugation of natural elements to the will of God's chosen ones.

Mowlana here alludes to one of the most astonishing narratives in the Holy Quran and Islamic tradition concerning Prophet Solomon and the subjugation of the wind to his command. This wind, termed 'ṣarṣar,' acted not merely as a natural force but as an obedient carrier for Solomon's royal throne, traversing a distance equivalent to 'a month's journey' in every 'morning and evening.' This account powerfully demonstrates divine power in subduing nature.

I have always insisted that when encountering mystical texts, one must distinguish between the core message and the legendary embellishments. The same principle applies here. The Quran explicitly states that the wind was made subservient to Solomon, but the elaborate tale of 'Solomon's carpet' – with its purported square leagues of dimensions, thousands of golden seats for dignitaries, and even spaces for animals and jinn – are in fact legends that emerged in popular commentaries and have no mention in our Quran. This is where the researcher's role becomes clear; we must go to the roots and see what the divine word itself, or the words of the saints, actually state, rather than what people have added to it over time.

Afurther point of contemplation is the 'duality' of this wind's nature. This very ṣarṣar wind, which served Solomon as a carrier and servant, had previously manifested as an instrument of divine wrath for the people of ʿĀd. The same wind that blew for 'seven nights and eight days unremittingly' upon the people of ʿĀd, felling them like hollowed-out palm trunks, now, by divine will, became gentle and obedient, serving another prophet. This indicates that nature, in itself, is neither good nor evil; rather, in the hands of absolute divine power, it is a tool for both wrath and mercy, for destruction and service. This duality exists in the essence of all natural forces.

Mowlana takes this even further, attributing the role of a 'spy' to the wind. The wind was not merely a 'carrier' (ḥammāl); it also 'made the hidden utterance manifest to him.' That is, during its travels, it would hear secret conversations and hidden truths and convey them to Solomon. This is what I previously referred to as the 'language of nature.' Just as you press an elevator button and 'command' it to go to a certain floor, or as David 'spoke' to iron with his 'hand-language' and softened it, here the wind, with its 'ear-language,' hears unspoken words and, with its 'reporting-language,' transmits them to Solomon. It is here that Galileo's 'language of mathematics' comes into play; he saw nature as a book written in mathematical language, and anyone wishing to read it must learn this language. Solomon, similarly, seemed to understand the language of nature and could perceive hidden truths through the wind's 'ears' and 'tongue.' This shows that, from a mystical perspective, natural phenomena are not merely 'things' but 'media' and 'languages' through which, if we have attentive ears and discerning eyes, many truths can be heard and understood. This capacity to hear from the wind, mountains, and iron is nothing less than the vastness and extensiveness of consciousness and communication in the universe, a capacity granted only to divine saints.

Key takeaways

• Divine power commands the elements of nature, employing them in the service of His saints.
• The same natural force that can embody divine wrath (e.g., the storm of ʿĀd) can also become a manifestation of mercy and service.
• It is crucial to distinguish between sacred texts (Quran and Masnavi) and the popular legends and narratives surrounding them.
• In the mystical view, nature is not merely a material phenomenon but possesses a 'language' and hidden communicative capacity, understood by divine saints.
• The wind serving Solomon was not only a carrier of his throne but also a spy that heard hidden words and reported them to him, illustrating the expanded awareness in the cosmos.
• Mowlana, through this narrative, points to the profound connection of special individuals with the universe and the possibility of 'dialogue' with it.