M6:2190 — مؤمنان از دست باد ضایره / جمله بنشستند اندر دایره

Translation: The believers, from the harm of the damaging wind, all sat down within a circle. Meaning: This verse refers to a story from the people of Hud, where the believers were protected from a destructive divine wind by gathering within a secure circle.

I am speaking to you about a Quranic and Mathnawi tale that Rumi narrates in detail in Book Six. This verse alludes to the miracle of Prophet Hud (peace be upon him), where God sent a mighty and destructive wind upon the people of ʿĀd to punish them for their denial and rebellion. Rumi states: “The believers, from the grasp of the damaging wind, / all sat down within a circle.” The term bād-e ḍāyere (باد ضایره) refers to a “damaging wind”; in Arabic, ḍayr (ضیر) and ḍarar (ضرر) share a common root, and Rumi employs the active participle ḍāyere. This was no ordinary wind; it acted with discernment and awareness. Narratives recount that Hud (peace be upon him) led his followers into the desert and gathered them within a circle, or under the shelter of a tent. The wind, which hurled camels with their riders into the sky, demolished walls, and razed mighty structures, did not approach this circle of believers in the slightest. They remained in complete safety, while all others perished. Here, I find it necessary to emphasize a point I have made before: not every natural disaster can be labeled “divine punishment.” According to the Quran, and also in Rumi’s interpretation, divine punishment is sent down only under specific conditions: first, a prophet must have forewarned the people and promised punishment; and second, the majority of that community must have denied and mocked the prophet. Under such circumstances, the calamity that descends takes on the nature of “punishment” and acts intelligently, separating the good from the bad. The case of the people of ʿĀd and Hud is precisely of this kind. The damaging wind acted with a particular intelligence, recognizing the believers and shielding them from its harm. This intelligence within the cosmos is, of course, not strange in Rumi’s view. He believed that the world possesses consciousness, and on the Day of Judgment, this consciousness and awareness will manifest in all parts of the cosmos, as he states: “Wait till the Sun of Resurrection shines forth / so you may see the movement of the body of the world.” This wind was a manifestation of that hidden intelligence of the cosmos, revealing itself at the moment of punishment, and, by divine command, distinguishing between good and evil. It is here that we understand how the “body of the world,” which appears silent, deaf, and blind, can, in specific moments, come alive and display intelligent movement.

Key takeaways

• The 'damaging wind' (bād-e ḍāyere) acts with consciousness, capable of distinguishing between believers and non-believers.
• This verse narrates a Quranic story of Prophet Hud's miracle, where believers found safety from a punitive wind by gathering within a protective circle.
• In Rumi's view, the cosmos possesses a hidden intelligence and consciousness, which manifests in events like the wind of Hud.
• From Rumi's perspective, 'divine punishment' occurs only when preceded by a prophet's warning and the widespread denial of the people, not in every natural disaster.