M6:4374 — وز عرب کینه کشد اندر گزند / که چرا در کعبه‌ام آتش زنند

Translation: And he held a grudge against the Arabs in vexation / That they set fire to my Ka'ba! Meaning: This verse captures Abraha's bitter resentment towards the Arabs after they reportedly set fire to his temple in Yemen. This anger was the impetus for his ill-fated expedition to destroy the Ka'ba in Mecca, a pivotal event in Islamic history.

In this verse, Rumi masterfully channels the voice of Abraha, the Abyssinian king of Yemen. This section of the Masnavi serves as a brilliant parable for the doctrine of Luṭf-i Khafī (Hidden Grace) or Qahr-i Khafī (Hidden Wrath) – illustrating how God sometimes places the antidote within the poison, and brings forth goodness and rectitude from malice and ill-will. Abraha, as recounted in history and the Quran, harbored a deep resentment towards the Arabs and the Ka'ba in Mecca. He had constructed a magnificent temple in Yemen, intending to destroy the Meccan Ka'ba and redirect all pilgrimages to his own.

This specific verse captures the moment Abraha's rage ignited due to the desecration of his newly built Ka'ba by the Arabs. This resentment became the catalyst for his elephant-mounted expedition to demolish the original Ka'ba. Yet, the divine irony is profound: this malicious intent and destructive hatred not only failed to achieve its objective but yielded the exact opposite outcome. As Rumi explains in preceding and subsequent verses, "His very effort became the Ka'ba's honor / The cause for the glorification of that House." Abraha's endeavor to humble the Ka'ba, in fact, became the means of its greater exaltation. The Meccans, who perhaps possessed a singular honor, found their honor multiplied a hundredfold by this thwarted attack, and the Ka'ba's splendor has continued until the Day of Judgment. This echoes the Quranic dictum: "And they plotted, and Allah plotted. And Allah is the best of plotters" (Quran 3:54), signifying how God utilizes the machinations of malevolent actors to fulfill His own will. The story of Abraha is a clear example of this divine wisdom, where God seemingly places a hidden grace within every tribulation: "Within the poison, that Affectionate One placed the antidote / So they would call Him the Possessor of Hidden Grace."

This approach, in Rumi's philosophy, underscores the flawless architecture of existence. He who perceives the world as crooked is himself inwardly crooked; "If a crooked hair becomes a veil before the sky / What if all your parts are crooked?" Abraha, with his distorted and vengeful perception of the Ka'ba as a rival to be obliterated, was immersed in an inner crookedness. Yet, this very crookedness and destructive intention paradoxically benefited the venerable Ka'ba. Even his army and equipment, brought for destruction, became spoils and wealth for the impoverished Arabs after his defeat: "From Abraha's retinue, like a wild beast / The poor Arabs became rich." In essence, Abraha, imagining he was deploying an army to humiliate the Ka'ba, was actually drawing forth gold and honor for the people of Mecca. This verse vividly portrays the peak of his bewilderment and resentment in the face of this inverted destiny, a resentment that, on the other side, led to the Ka'ba's eternal glory.

Key takeaways

• Abraha's malicious intent against the Ka'ba ultimately led to its greater glory and veneration.
• The schemes of ill-wishers, within the divine plan, often serve the righteous and God's ultimate purpose.
• This verse exemplifies Luṭf-i Khafī (Hidden Grace), where divine mercy is concealed within apparent wrath or malicious actions.
• Rumi perceives no inherent crookedness in the world; rather, the crookedness lies in Abraha's vengeful gaze, which ironically backfires.