M6:1847 — خفض ارضی بین و رفع آسمان / بی ازین دو نیست دورانش ای فلان

Translation: Observe the earth's abasement and the sky's exaltation; Without these two, its cycle, O dear one, cannot sustain.

Meaning: In this verse, Rumi points to the fundamental principle of dualities and opposites in existence, stating that every movement and cycle in the world is composed of ascent and descent, or, in broader terms, of constant change and upheaval.

This verse, to my mind, offers a crucial key to understanding Rumi's worldview. Here, Rumi points to a foundational truth of existence: the world's affairs cannot proceed without khafḍ (lowering) and rafʿ (raising). These two attributes, which appear in the Holy Quran (e.g., in Sūrat al-Wāqiʿah, khāfiḍatun rāfiʿah, describing the Day of Judgment), do not merely signify physical descent and ascent; rather, they encompass transformation and upheaval. This world, at all its levels, is intertwined with these two qualities.

I have elaborated on this in my lectures, explaining how this duality of khafḍ and rafʿ manifests in various dimensions of life and existence. On a cosmic scale, we observe this clear contrast between the low-lying earth and the lofty sky. This is one of the most evident and tangible examples of khafḍ and rafʿ.

However, Rumi goes further; he extends this principle to the earth itself: "This earth's lowering and raising is of another kind; half a year barren, half green and moist." The earth, too, undergoes transformation through various seasons, from barrenness and desert to lushness and freshness. These changes constitute the very nature of the natural world.

Similarly, time and history are no exception to this rule: "The bitter cycle of time has its lowering and raising; another kind, half day and half night." History is full of its own ebbs and flows, sorrows and pains, manifesting sometimes in the light of day, sometimes in the darkness of night. Human life, too, is bound by "This tempered temperament has its lowering and raising; sometimes health, sometimes painful illness." Health and sickness, joy and sorrow, all arise from the oppositions and transformations within our very temperaments. Even the general conditions of the world, from famine to abundance, peace to war, are all instances of this khafḍ and rafʿ, often occurring "for trial" (az iftitān), to test humanity and elevate souls.

The crucial point is that these transformations are reflected not only in the external world but also in the human soul and psyche. Rumi states: "Hence, souls become the abode of fear and hope." This means our hearts, too, are caught in this cycle of hope and apprehension, fear and expectation. The world continually "trembles like a leaf", exposed to the winds of shamāl (favorable and pleasant) and samūm (unpleasant and scorching), which sometimes bring baʿth (resurrection and life) and sometimes marg (death and annihilation). This is the work of God's unconditioned wind, incessantly blowing through the tunnel of history, opening and closing doors; and this is the very essence of existence's cycle, which cannot endure for a moment without khafḍ and rafʿ. Thus, this verse is an invitation to contemplate this cosmic principle and to embrace dynamism and polarity as inseparable parts of being.

Key takeaways

• "Khafḍ" (lowering) and "Rafʿ" (raising) are fundamental principles governing all existence.
• The cycle of creation, from the heavens and earth to nature and human conditions, is built upon these opposing transformations.
• These dualities are not merely physical; they encompass temporal changes (day and night), physiological states (health and illness), and psychological conditions (fear and hope).
• Rumi views these worldly transformations not as random, but as "iftitān" (trial) and the continuous work of the Divine.
• The state of human souls is also intertwined with these external and internal fluctuations; the world is in constant tremor.