M6:3250 — گفت چون توفیق یابد بنده‌ای / که کند مهمانی فرخنده‌ای

Translation: He said: "When a servant receives divine grace To hold a blessed feast" Meaning: This verse explains that when God grants a servant the divine enablement (tawfīq) to perform a blessed deed, such as offering hospitality or generosity, giving thanks to that servant is, in essence, giving thanks to God.

In this verse, Rumi recounts a saying from the guarantor of the indebted man, a saying that extols the greatness of the generous individual who paid off the debt. This statement, in essence, is an exposition on why we should express gratitude towards a creature. Rumi states that when God grants a servant the divine grace (tawfīq) to undertake a good deed—be it hosting a blessed feast, or sacrificing one's wealth in God's path—thanking that servant is tantamount to thanking God. This is a foundational principle in Islamic mysticism and teachings.

I have often explained that tawfīq is nothing other than the convergence of favorable circumstances for performing a good act. It is as if God smooths the path for this good, takes the human hand, and assists them on this journey. Thus, while the good deed flows from the hand and tongue of a servant of God, its origin lies in divine grace. Therefore, when we thank a benevolent person, we are, in truth, expressing gratitude to the ultimate Source of this tawfīq, namely, God Almighty.

I have always emphasized the importance of saying "thank you," even if it is merely a habit of the tongue. This virtuous habit is rooted in a profound insight: an insight that perceives the generous hand of human beings as the generous hand of God. God-seeing eyes, through the veil of the creature, behold the Creator, and thus consider thanking the creature as thanking the Creator. This resonates with the famous tradition which states: "Man lam yashkur al-makhluq, lam yashkur al-khāliq" (He who does not thank the creature has not thanked the Creator). Here, two acts of gratitude are performed simultaneously: thanks to the servant who acted as a medium of good, and thanks to the Origin from whom all good emanates. This is tawhīd (monotheism) in action, not shirk (polytheism), for the mystic's gaze is always directed towards the root of reality, not its outward appearance.

Key takeaways

• Divine grace (tawfīq) is God's aid and facilitation for good deeds.
• Thanking benevolent individuals is, in essence, thanking God Himself.
• God-seeing eyes perceive the Creator's hand behind the creature's hand.
• Every good deed, though performed by humans, has a divine origin.
• The profound importance of expressing gratitude in spiritual and human culture.