M6:1850 — خفض و رفع این مزاج ممترج / گاه صحت گاه رنجوری مضج

Translation: The lowering and raising of this mixed temperament / Sometimes health, sometimes painful illness. Meaning: This verse speaks to the inherent instability and constant fluctuation of the human condition, asserting that like the cosmos itself, our temperaments perpetually oscillate between states of well-being and grievous affliction.

The concept of khafḍ va rafʿ (lowering and raising) in Mawlana's thought, as articulated in this verse, extends far beyond a simple up-and-down motion. It signifies the perpetual transformation and upheaval inherent in the states of both the world and the human being. The Creator, in Mawlana's view, is both khāfiḍ (the one who lowers) and rāfiʿ (the one who raises). Without the manifestation of these two divine attributes, nothing in the cosmos would come to fruition, and the world would fall into absolute stasis. This concept is not dissimilar to qabḍ va basṭ (contraction and expansion), which Sufis discuss in relation to the inner states of the seeker.

I have repeatedly emphasized that the Holy Quran, in Sura al-Waqi'ah, describes the Day of Judgment with these two very attributes: khāfiḍatun rāfiʿah; that which lowers and that which raises. Mawlana draws inspiration from this Quranic concept and expands it to encompass natural phenomena and human conditions.

To elucidate these relentless transformations, he offers numerous examples. One of the most evident manifestations of khafḍ va rafʿ is in the very architecture of the universe: the earth in its lowest position, and the heavens in their zenith. Yet, this is merely the beginning. The earth itself is constantly undergoing khafḍ va rafʿ; half the year barren and dry, the other half green and lush. The seasons are a testament to this ceaseless change.

This fluctuation of states is not confined to nature. Time and history are also perpetually in this oscillation: khafḍ va rafʿ-i rūzigār bā karb (the lowering and raising of time, fraught with anguish). History, full of sorrow and grief, is sometimes day and sometimes night; meaning it never remains on a single trajectory. What we experience today can be utterly transformed tomorrow.

Our current verse precisely addresses this same transformation within human existence: khafḍ va rafʿ-i īn mizāj-i mumtazaj (the lowering and raising of this mixed temperament). Our temperament, which is a composite of various elements and humors, is itself the arena for this khafḍ va rafʿ. Sometimes it is at the peak of health and equilibrium, and sometimes plunged into the abyss of illness and pain. This ranjūrī-yi muḍij refers to an illness that is distressing and debilitating. The imbalance of humors leads to suffering, and this oscillation is part of the very essence of human creation.

This universal principle extends to larger affairs: famine and abundance, peace and war. All these are manifestations of divine iftitān, meaning trial and test for humanity. These continuous changes do not merely shake nature and history; they also cast our souls into unease, making them mawṭin-i khawf va rajā (the abode of fear and hope). Hearts constantly fluctuate between apprehension and aspiration, despair and hope.

Mawlana likens this world to a leaf perpetually trembling in the wind of shamāl (a pleasant, invigorating wind) and samūm (a scorching, destructive wind). This world possesses no stability or permanence. The wind of destiny, or the wind of God's self-sufficiency, constantly blows through the tunnel of history, opening and closing windows; bringing and taking away people; instilling hope and despair, joy and sorrow. Some of these winds bring baʿth (resurrection and life), while others bring marg (death) and annihilation. This mutable nature of existence is not its defect, but its perfection, offering an opportunity for the soul's testing and maturation.

Key takeaways

• Khafḍ va Rafʿ (lowering and raising) in the Masnavi symbolizes the perpetual transformation and upheaval of the world and human states, rather than mere physical motion.
• These two divine attributes (Khāfiḍ and Rāfiʿ) are essential for the world's functioning; without them, existence would fall into stagnation.
• Human temperament and conditions are in constant flux between health and illness, joy and suffering, mirroring the cosmic khafḍ va rafʿ.
• The Masnavi interprets these fluctuations not as misfortunes, but as intrinsic to creation and as a means for the soul's testing and maturation.