M6:3352 — فاتحه خواند و بسی لا حول کرد / فاتحه‌ش در سینه می‌افزود درد

Translation: He recited the Fātiḥa and many a ‘Lā Ḥawla’ (There is no power save with God), But his Fātiḥa only increased the pain within his breast. Meaning: The king, caught in a divine enchantment, resorted to prayer and invocation to dispel his distress, yet these very acts paradoxically intensified his longing and inner turmoil.

This verse reveals one of the most subtle points of the Masnavi regarding divine attraction (jadhba) and allurement (tamvīh). The astute king in the story, after finding his heart captivated by a horse, begins to question the reason for this illogical infatuation. Possessing hundreds of precious horses and having 'a full eye' (being content with worldly possessions), he realizes this intense pull cannot simply stem from the horse's inherent qualities. He becomes certain that 'the Creator of charms has cast a spell' (jādu'ī karde ast jādu-āfarīn), meaning this attraction is a charm and a mystical pull from God, the originator of all charms—a spiritual bewilderment originating from beyond. It is at this point that the king, to counteract this overpowering spiritual state, resorts to reciting the Fātiḥa and repeating Lā Ḥawla ('There is no power or might except with God'). Such actions, as narrated in traditions and customary practice, are meant for 'opening the heart' (infitāḥ-e del) and repelling grief, worry, and misfortune. Humans, when faced with difficult or unforeseen circumstances, turn to prayer and invocation to free themselves or find solace. However, Mawlana's profound insight here is that this common and conventional act has the 'opposite effect' on the king. 'His Fātiḥa only increased the pain within his breast' (fātiḥa-sh dar sīne mī-afzūd dard). That is, not only did it not dispel the pain and attraction, but it intensified and deepened them. Mawlana immediately clarifies this paradox with a theological explanation: 'For his Fātiḥa itself was drawing him; / The Fātiḥa is unique in drawing and repelling' (z-ān ke ō-rā fātiḥa khwod mī-kashīd / fātiḥa dar jarr o dafʿ āmad vaḥīd). Yes, the Fātiḥa is indeed 'unique' and unparalleled in repelling harm and drawing benefits, but in this specific instance, the Fātiḥa itself was under the command of the 'Creator of charms' and had become a tool for 'drawing' and attracting him further. This implies that sometimes even our most potent spiritual tools can, in the hands of divine will, operate differently and contrary to expectation, guiding us into a deeper layer of the very state we sought to repel. This intensified 'pain' is not suffering in a negative sense, but the heightened longing, bewilderment, and awe that draws the soul towards perfection. This is divine tamvīh—an allurement and charm through which God manifests Himself in the mirror of causes and phenomena in a way that attracts the heart rather than repelling it, removing veils through an unexpected and sudden path.

Key takeaways

• Divine attraction (jadhba) can operate through seemingly insignificant phenomena, captivating the heart unexpectedly.
• Conventional spiritual practices meant for dispelling distress can, when faced with divine will, paradoxically intensify the very longing they seek to relieve.
• In Mawlana's view, the 'pain' arising from divine attraction is not suffering, but a sign of entering deeper realms of existence and awareness.
• Mawlana portrays the king as sagacious, seeking the root and meaning of his emotions rather than suppressing them, realizing the matter transcends the 'qualities of the horse'.
• This illustrates tamvīh-e Elāhī, where God's workings transcend conventional causality, guiding the heart into profounder mysteries.