M1:1615 — کاملی گر خاک گیرد زر شود / ناقص ار زر برد خاکستر شود

Translation: Should a perfected soul take hold of mere dust, it turns to gold; But should an imperfect one grasp gold, it turns to ash.

Meaning: This verse illustrates how inner perfection transforms everything it touches into something precious and blessed, whereas inner imperfection inevitably corrupts and destroys even the most valuable things.

This verse, seemingly simple yet profoundly intricate, unveils one of Mawlana's most subtle and decisive teachings on the essence of perfection and imperfection in the spiritual journey. Mawlana begins with an alchemical metaphor: 'Should a perfected soul take hold of mere dust, it turns to gold; / But should an imperfect one grasp gold, it turns to ash.' This is, in effect, a prelude to articulating how whatever a perfect human being touches, even if it is mere dust, transmutes into gold by virtue of their alchemical being. Conversely, whatever an imperfect person holds, even if it is pure gold, turns to ash due to their imperfection. This speaks to the 'quality of the hand,' a quality residing not in the object, but in the agent—in the human being themselves.

Mawlana, however, steers this general meaning towards a very specific direction. He uses this verse to explain the nature of the ʿārif (gnostic) or ʿāshiq (lover). I have stated in my lectures many times that Mawlana considers himself an embodiment of this 'perfected one,' but a perfection whose hallmark is insatiability—not worldly greed, but an insatiability in the quest for the Beloved and the Truth. He then proceeds to illustrate this with the story of David and the ewes (who had ninety-nine ewes yet craved the hundredth). He likens himself to this David, saying: 'I am like David, ninety ewes are mine / Yet I desire the ewe of my adversary.' This confession of 'greed' is not a blameworthy avarice, but a praiseworthy one: a 'greed' for greater knowledge and deeper connection with the Divine.

He then offers another profound example: 'Even if I sit in the midst of the ocean, / I yearn for a pitcher of water as well.' Imagine someone sitting in the middle of an endless ocean, surrounded by water. Yet, despite this, they still 'crave' a small 'ṣabū' (pitcher of water). This speaks to the insatiable nature of love. The ʿārif or ʿāshiq is never content. This is a crucial teaching of Mawlana: contentment, while good and laudable in all other aspects of life, is absolutely not applicable in the realm of love and the quest for the Truth. In love, no amount of 'excess' is truly excessive; it is the very essence of moderation.

Mawlana declares: 'When the Sultan of Faith demands greed from me, / Let dust be cast upon the head of contentment thereafter.' This means that when the Lord (God) demands 'greed' for Himself from me, then contentment becomes irrelevant and must be abandoned. He asserts that this thirst for more holds true even for prophets. A prophet like Moses, who sits beside Khidr, still seeks more knowledge. The Prophet Muhammad himself, commanded by God, says: 'Say, my Lord, increase me in knowledge,' always seeking further understanding. These examples demonstrate that thirst and insatiability on the path of God are not flaws; they are the very essence of perfection and a prerequisite for spiritual journeying. The lover who is 'drowned in the Truth,' far from fearing deeper immersion, 'wishes to be more drowned'; the deeper they sink, the more desirable and delightful it becomes for them. This 'greed' is not worldly avarice, but an infinite, boundless yearning for proximity and union with the Eternal Beloved.

Key takeaways

• Inner perfection transmutes even dust into gold, while inner imperfection turns gold into ash.
• The mystic and lover are insatiable in their quest for the Divine; this spiritual 'greed' is a form of perfection, distinct from worldly avarice.
• Contentment is commendable in all matters except in love and the pursuit of Truth; in this path, desiring more is itself perfection.
• Even prophets (such as Moses and Prophet Muhammad) continuously seek greater knowledge and proximity, attesting to this sacred thirst.
• To be immersed in the ocean of Truth is desirable, and the mystic yearns to be 'more drowned'; for deeper union signifies greater perfection.