M6:3353 — زانک او را فاتحه خود می‌کشید / فاتحه در جر و دفع آمد وحید

Translation: For the Fātiḥa itself was drawing him in, (Though) the Fātiḥa is unique in attracting and repelling.

Meaning: This verse illustrates how a prayer, normally intended to ward off a condition, can, by divine will, intensify that very condition, as God's work is always novel and unexpected.

Here, I encounter a profound narrative by Mawlānā concerning a shrewd and discerning king. Despite possessing hundreds of valuable horses and a gaze satiated with material wealth, this king inexplicably falls in love with an ordinary horse. This enchantment is so potent that it shatters his logic. The king rightly discerns that this attraction is not due to the inherent qualities of the horse itself; rather, it is a “magic wrought by the Creator of magic” (جادوی جادوآفرین), a “divine pull” (جذبه الهی). This spiritual magnetism, he understands, emanates from God, the Creator of all hidden truths and enchantments, captivating his heart.

Amidst this, the king resorts to prayers such as the Fātiḥa and the invocation of "Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā bi-llāh" (There is no power or strength except with God). These are recitations typically employed to dispel sorrow, ward off misfortune, and open the heart. As Mawlānā states, "the Fātiḥa is unique in attracting and repelling" (فاتحه در جر و دفع آمد وحید); meaning, it is unparalleled in drawing good and repelling evil. Yet, the marvel here is that, in the case of this king, the Fātiḥa not only fails to dispel his infatuation but, on the contrary, "the Fātiḥa in his chest increased the pain" (فاتحه‌ش در سینه می‌افزود درد). It is as if the Fātiḥa itself was "pulling him in" (خود می‌کشید), drawing him deeper into this divine attraction.

This points to a deeply profound truth: God sometimes manifests through "tamwīh" (divine deception or disguise). That is, what appears outwardly as a tool for repulsion or liberation can, by divine will, transform into an agent of attraction or intensification. This occurrence demonstrates that God’s work is never uniform or predictable; "God’s work is always about creating novelty" (کار حق هر لحظه نادرآوری است). Our usual rules and expectations fade before divine attractions and hidden decrees, and even spiritual tools can acquire a reverse or unexpected function. This itself is a great lesson: that even prayer and remembrance, in the hands of God, can become a means to surprise the seeker and deepen their wonder and love.

Key takeaways

• Spiritual attractions can be so powerful that they transcend ordinary rules and human logic.
• Divine decree can override the conventional functions of spiritual tools, imbuing them with an inverse effect.
• "Tamwīh" (divine deception) is a manifestation of God's constantly novel work, where the outward and inward aspects of things operate differently.
• What is outwardly used for repelling or freeing oneself from a state can, inwardly and by divine will, deepen and intensify that very state.