M6:3281 — گوسفند از ماندگی شد سست و ماند / پس کلیم الله گرد از وی فشاند

Translation: The sheep, from weariness, became weak and stopped moving; / Then Kalimullah (Moses) brushed the dust off it. Meaning: This verse illustrates Prophet Moses's profound compassion and tender care for an exhausted, stray sheep, highlighting how such a deep capacity for mercy qualified him for prophethood.

This verse, in my view, unveils a crucial condition for prophethood through a deeply moving anecdote about Prophet Moses (peace be upon him). A lamb has strayed from the flock, and Moses, who at this point had not yet been named Kalimullah, pursues it tirelessly until nightfall. It is at this moment that the turning point arrives.

The verse describes: The sheep, from weariness, became weak and stopped moving. I have often emphasized in my lectures that in classical Persian literature, mānda (مانده) signifies exhaustion, while khasta (خسته) denotes injury. Thus, the sheep was merely tired, not wounded. In such a situation, one might naturally expect Moses, himself fatigued by the stubborn pursuit of this animal, to react with anger or at least a sharp rebuke. Yet, Rumi reveals a profound truth here.

Then Kalimullah (Moses) brushed the dust off it with care. Instead of punishment or reproach, Moses, with utmost tenderness, cleans the dust from the back and head of the innocent lamb. Rumi’s unparalleled descriptions further illuminate the depth of this mercy: 'He caressed its back and head, nurturing it with affection like a mother.' There was no act born of anger; instead, he extended a maternal tenderness to the creature.

The pivotal point is precisely this: 'No trace of gloom or anger; naught but love, compassion, and tears.' There was no darkening of spirit or anger in Moses; only pure love and mercy. Even his gentle words to the lamb stemmed from compassion: 'Even if you had no mercy for me, why did you inflict distress upon yourself?' — implying, why did you run so far and exhaust yourself?

It is at this juncture that Rumi articulates the spiritual consequence: 'Then God told the angels, at that very moment, that this one is truly fit for prophethood.' God declares to His angels that this individual, with such expansive forbearance and vast mercy, is worthy of prophethood. This narrative, to my mind, is an exemplification of the Quranic verse, 'Have We not expanded for you your breast?' (Al-Sharḥ, 94:1), concerning the Prophet Muhammad. A prophet’s heart and breast must be so vast as to absorb suffering, harshness, and even recalcitrance without anger or resentment, responding instead with boundless mercy and compassion.

Rumi continues by stating that this quality was not unique to Moses; rather, 'The Chosen One (Prophet Muhammad) himself said that every prophet, whether young or old, has engaged in shepherding.' This shepherding was not merely an occupation but a significant imtihān (test): 'Without shepherding and that test, God would not grant anyone leadership of the world.' No prophet achieved global leadership without undergoing this trial of shepherding and enduring the waywardness and ignorance of creatures. This story, therefore, serves as a criterion for understanding the essence of divine leadership—a leadership that originates from mercy and love, rather than from power and wrath.

Key takeaways

• Expansive compassion and mercy are the fundamental essence and prerequisite for prophethood.
• Divine testing through enduring hardship and showing forbearance towards the vulnerable is a criterion for leadership.
• Moses in this narrative exemplifies the prophets' boundless capacity to absorb anger and respond with love.
• The term māndagi (ماندگی) in classical Persian means 'exhaustion,' not 'injury,' which adds to the subtlety of the narrative.
• This event serves as an allegory for Al-Sharḥ al-Ṣadr (the expansion of the breast) and the prophet’s capacity to embrace the entire world.