M6:3123 — گرچه خواجه بس سخاوت کرده بود / هیچ آن کفو عطای تو نبود

Two markdown sections: Translation: Though the master had bestowed much generosity, None of his gifts were ever equal to Your bounty. He gave a cap, and You, a head full of wisdom; He gave a cloak, and You, stature and form.

Meaning: These verses express the repentance of a man who had placed his hopes in a worldly master, now realizing that no human gift can compare to God's fundamental and life-giving blessings.

What Mawlana expresses in these verses, through the voice of a remorseful man, is a fundamental lesson in the tawhīd al-afʿāl (unity of divine acts) and the nature of true tawakkul (trust in God). This man, who had previously placed his heart in a benevolent master and was lost in his generosity, now looks back with keener insight and realizes that no human generosity, however munificent, can ever equate with the bounty of the Creator of existence. This is where Mawlana uses the word kufw (equal) to point to this essential inequality: the master’s gift was "never equal to Your bounty."

This narrative illustrates the difference between asbāb (means) and Musabbib al-Asbāb (the Causer of Causes). The master here is a manifestation of the asbāb; one who fulfills superficial and external needs through his generosity. God, however, is the manifestation of the Musabbib al-Asbāb; He not only addresses fundamental needs but also brings the means into existence and grants the capacity to utilize them. The master gave caps and cloaks, but God creates the wise head and the stature and form. His bounty is foundational and existential, whereas the master’s gifts are merely superficial and secondary.

I have repeatedly emphasized that tawakkul does not mean laziness or abstaining from effort. True tawakkul means that while one employs all available means and instruments, one's heart is tied to God, recognizing Him as the ultimate source of all good. The Prophet's story of tying the camel's knee, or the tale of a bicycle owner who believed his bicycle would be safe from theft through tawakkul, are prime examples of a misunderstanding of this concept. This remorseful man, at first, seems to have left the 'camel's knee' of his heart untied, placing full trust in the asbāb rather than the Musabbib al-Asbāb. He now understands that even a master of great generosity is only an outward reflection of divine mercy, to be seen in his proper place, not to become the 'qibla' (direction of prayer) of the heart, thus forgetting the 'original.' Mawlana himself clarifies this truth in the very next couplet: "I made him my qibla; I cast aside the original Qibla-maker."

Another point Mawlana alludes to in these verses is that even the master’s good qualities and generosity ultimately stem from God: "Even that generosity and mercy, You bestowed upon him." This is not only from the perspective of the creation of actions, where every good in the world originates from God, but also from the perspective of the manifestation of divine names and attributes. The attributes of creatures are reflections and manifestations of divine attributes. The master's generosity is but a ray of God's infinite generosity, manifested through him. As Mulla Sadra says, light shining on impurities does not become impure but merely illuminates them, and impurity and purity make no difference to light. God, as pure light, illuminates all existence, and all attributes are reflected in Him. Therefore, whenever our hope and trust lean towards a creature, it is as if a veil is cast over that original light, preventing us from beholding the Causer of Causes.

Key takeaways

• Absolute trust in creatures serves as a veil over the Causer of Causes.
• Divine bounty is foundational and existential, whereas human gifts are secondary and superficial.
• True tawakkul involves engaging with means while placing ultimate trust in God, not negating the means.
• All good attributes in creation are but reflections of God's infinite attributes.
• Establishing a 'qibla' other than God means turning away from the ultimate truth.