M6:3448 — معجزات اینجا نخواهد شرح گشت / ز اسپ و خوارمشاه گو و سرگذشت

Translation: Miracles will not be expounded here; speak of the horse and Khwarazmshah and their story. Meaning: In this verse, Mawlana invites the listener to move beyond the detailed recounting of supernatural miracles and instead turn to relatable, earthly narratives and tales.

This verse, at first glance, appears to be an abrupt shift in Mawlana's discourse, but it is, in fact, a deeply conscious and pedagogical maneuver. Mawlana had previously spoken of the work of prophets and messengers, the story of the Ascension (Mi'raj), and the splitting of the moon (shaqq al-qamar). Now, with this verse, he seems to say, "Let us move beyond these discussions." Not because he denies miracles, but because the comprehension and explication of miracles, for many minds, remains confined within the "cage" of sensory experience and empirical observation. As I have mentioned before, many individuals are absorbed in their own world and are oblivious to other realms; much like a chick in an egg, unaware of the hymns of birds in the air. Presenting miracles to such minds, though it may be astonishing, does not lead to deeper gnosis.

Therefore, Mawlana wisely redirects the listener from the "explication of miracles" to the "story of the horse and Khwarazmshah." The "horse and Khwarazmshah" symbolize earthly and tangible tales, narratives that are, on the surface, ordinary and comprehensible to all. The crucial point, however, is that Mawlana uses these seemingly ordinary narratives to expound upon the deepest truths of existence. He wishes to convey that to apprehend divine grace, one does not necessarily need to seek the splitting of the moon; one can attain gnosis even from the life story of a horse or a king.

Immediately after this verse, Mawlana refers to the "sun of God's grace" and elaborates on its effect on various beings: "The sun of God's grace, upon whatever it shone / From dog and from horse found the grace of the Cave. Do not deem its radiant grace equal / For it gave indication to both stone and ruby." Here, the veil is lifted from the secret of this redirection. Mawlana did not wish to dwell on "miracles," but rather to arrive at the foundational truth that divine grace shines equally upon all beings, yet each being receives it according to its own nature and capacity. The ruby derives treasure from the sun's light, while the stone merely warms up. Troubled water reflects sunlight differently than an unmoving wall.

This is, in essence, an entry into the discussion of the "degrees of existence" (marātib-e wujud) and the "varying capacities of beings" (ẓarfiyat-hā-ye mutafāwit) in receiving divine grace, a concept elaborated in philosophies such as Mulla Sadra's Transcendent Wisdom. The discussion revolves around the idea that the essences (māhiyāt) of things or their degrees of existence differ. God does not create different essences, but rather bestows existence upon diverse capacities. It is like rain falling everywhere, but each vessel benefits from it according to its own capacity. A green tree, with its chlorophyll, produces fruit and sugar from sunlight, while the soil merely warms.

Thus, this verse is neither a denial of miracles nor an underestimation of their significance; rather, it is a pedagogical strategy to guide the listener's mind from the surface of the extraordinary to a deeper understanding of the cosmic order and how divine grace manifests in all beings—from a horse and a stone to a ruby and a human. By doing so, Mawlana shifts the path of perception from 'what' to 'how', moving from external details to the internal architecture of the world.

Key takeaways

• Mawlana, in this verse, redirects the listener from focusing on supernatural miracles to earthly and relatable tales.
• This shift is a pedagogical strategy; deep truths do not solely require the perception of the extraordinary.
• The reference to the 'horse and Khwarazmshah' symbolizes ordinary stories that can serve as gateways to gnosis.
• This verse introduces the principle of 'degrees of existence' and the 'varying capacities' of beings to receive divine grace.
• God's grace shines equally upon all, but each being benefits from it according to its own aptitude and essence.
• Mawlana, through this approach, shifts understanding from 'what' (the nature of an event) to 'how' (the architecture of manifestation).