M6:1889 — هست دنیا قهرخانهٔ کردگار / قهر بین چون قهر کردی اختیار

Translation: This world is the Lord's house of wrath; / Behold wrath, for you chose wrath. Meaning: Mowlana posits that this world is not inherently a realm of perfect justice, but rather a domain where divine wrath and coercion manifest. If one chooses this earthly life as their ultimate pursuit, they must anticipate constant encounters with injustice, hardship, and a profound sense of dissatisfaction.

I contend that this verse presents us with a profoundly significant and often overlooked cosmology from Mowlana. He declares: "This world is the Lord's house of wrath, / See wrath, for you chose wrath." This world, in Mowlana's conception, is fundamentally a house of wrath (qahr-khāneh), not a house of justice (adl-khāneh). This distinction is the very essence of his statement. In this world, the congruence and proportionality we expect from a realm of absolute justice are simply not established. The seeker does not always attain what they seek, and what we receive is not necessarily commensurate with our deserts.

I have said this repeatedly: it is our duty in this world to strive for justice to the best of our abilities, to curb the hands of oppressors, and to reduce injustice. Yet, we must honestly admit that perfect justice, in this world, is not only unattainable but, due to its very structure, fundamentally unrealizable. A judge, for instance, decides based on outward knowledge and visible evidence; they are unaware of hidden intentions and true motivations, nor can they be. If a judge were to delve into the depths of every intention, no case would ever conclude. This foundational flaw is plainly evident in human courts and laws.

Beyond this, in the intricate tapestry of human relationships, hidden and overt injustices are abundant. Someone slanders behind your back, undermines your reputation, plots against you, and sometimes succeeds. This is precisely where Mowlana's words resonate. Justice in this world is extremely minimal, and it is this very minimality that makes it extraordinarily precious. Every effort towards it is commendable, yet it never reaches perfection. And, without doubt, justice is cultivated not merely through sermons and laws, but through the provision of a basic level of welfare for human beings. It is only in psychological tranquility and freedom from the need to violate others' rights that one can be fair and empathic. Distress and lack of basic welfare disrupt fairness and compound the injustices of this world.

Therefore, Mowlana tells us: "Behold wrath, for you chose wrath." If you have chosen this world as your ultimate destination and aspiration, then prepare to remain dissatisfied until the end of your life. You will constantly complain, saying, 'So-and-so wronged me,' 'fate dealt me an injustice,' and similar grievances—who among us has not experienced these, to varying degrees?

To illustrate this wrath, he even points to nature and human destiny. He says: "Behold the bones and hair of the oppressed; / See the wings and feet of birds around the trap; / They narrate divine wrath without words." Look at the innocent birds caught in traps, how they become prey to predators; these scenes, without words, explain divine wrath. And I would add that we humans, in our killing and consuming of animals, are no less culpable than those predators; indeed, with our intellect and awareness, we are even worse. Ultimately, human destiny, too, is that "he dies and is seated on a mound of earth, / And when that mound grows old, it too remains not."; even the grave is impermanent. These are all silent signs of this world's wrath.

Key takeaways

• This world is inherently a divine 'house of wrath' (qahr-khāneh), not a realm of perfect or absolute justice.
• If one chooses this world as their ultimate aim, they must expect constant encounters with divine wrath, hardships, and a profound sense of dissatisfaction.
• Justice in this world is always imperfect and minimal due to epistemological limitations (ignorance of intentions) and motivational factors (psychological distress).
• Establishing justice necessitates providing basic welfare and psychological tranquility for individuals to reduce the incentives for injustice.
• Signs of divine wrath are silently evident in nature (animals as prey) and in the inevitable human destiny (the perishability of the body and grave).