M6:3570 — تا بگفته مصطفی شاه نجاح / السماح یا اولی النعمی رباح

Translation: Until Mustafa, the King of Salvation, declared: al-Samāḥu yā awlī an-naʿmāʾi rabāḥ (O possessors of bounties, generosity is profit). Meaning: This verse quotes the Prophet, affirming that generosity and giving are not losses but rather lead to true gain, abundance, and are a path to salvation.

This verse, embedded within a tender narrative in the sixth book of the Masnavi, unexpectedly unveils a profound existential and religious truth. Rumi directly attributes this saying to the Prophet Muhammad, the 'King of Salvation' (Shah-i Najāḥ): al-Samāḥu yā awlī an-naʿmāʾi rabāḥ – meaning, 'O possessors of bounties, generosity is profit.' Notice how the Prophet unequivocally states that giving is gain, not loss. This is not merely an ethical recommendation; it is the revelation of a cosmic and divine law. In the order of being, what appears to be a loss is, in reality, a form of storing and increasing. This very truth echoes in a sacred Hadith: 'Wealth is never diminished by charity.' This is a firm promise, not merely a consolation. Rumi uses this point as a bridge to enter a deeper discussion of azdad, or the intertwined opposites and paradoxes of the world. The world is an arena of opposites – 'from this conflict, the world subsists.' Yet, this opposition is not strife; it is an interaction and entanglement from which life and dynamism emerge. Generosity, which outwardly seems like a decrease, is intrinsically an increase and growth. The very word 'Zakāt' originates from the root 'namū,' meaning growth – a growth in wealth and a growth in spirit. By giving, one becomes lighter, freer, and greater; this is growth itself. This truth is not limited to financial giving but permeates all acts of worship. 'Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing;' a prayer performed in truth restrains a person from evils, and this is the greatest spiritual gain, even though prayer demands our time and energy. Rumi extends this principle through other examples of cosmic opposites: 'Sweet fruit hidden in branches and leaves,' 'Eternal life hidden beneath death.' Death, seemingly an end, is in reality the gateway to everlasting life; it removes an old garment and bestows a truer, more enduring existence. 'Waste becomes the strength of the soil in a certain way, and from that food, the earth yields fruit;' manure and waste, outwardly insignificant and foul-smelling, intrinsically become a source of nourishment for the soil, and sweet fruits emerge from it. This is the miracle of transformation that nature constantly reveals to us. But this discussion does not end there. Rumi elevates this principle to the highest level of mystical knowledge: 'A being hidden in non-being, the worshipped hidden in the essence of the worshipper.' This is a subtle and profound point. Our existence originates from non-being; it is as if we were in a waiting room and heard the call 'Please come in.' What is hidden is not annihilated but awaits manifestation. And even more deeply, the state of being worshipped (masjūdīyat) is inherent within the act of worshipping (sājidīyat). When the seeker achieves unity and the veils are lifted, the worshipper and the worshipped, the prostrator and the prostrated, are no longer separate dualities but become one in a 'connection beyond definition, beyond comparison.' This is the seemingly 'blasphemous' point that mystics like Shams-i Tabrīzī and Ibn al-Fāriḍ also alluded to; that in the Kaaba, the veil is lifted, and it is as if everyone prostrates to one another, or the worshipper and the worshipped pray together. This means that at the heart of every prostration, the Beloved's 'being-prostrated-to' is concealed, and the agent and patient become one in unity. Similarly, 'iron and stone are outwardly dark, but within them is light, a candle of the world,' and 'so much light in the blackness of the eye;' from the depths of darkness and non-existence, light and existence emerge. This prophetic verse is a starting point for discovering the secrets of this world full of apparent opposites, which unveil inner unities from their superficial contradictions.

Key takeaways

• Generosity and giving, as taught by the Prophet, are not losses but rather true profit and abundance.
• This verse exemplifies Rumi's grand principle of azdad (opposites); apparent contradictions contain underlying unity.
• Every act of letting go in this world is, in essence, the beginning of increase and growth, from financial charity to sacrificing one's life.
• Spiritual and existential concepts like life in death or being in non-being are interpreted through this very principle of opposites.
• At the zenith of gnosis, the distance between worshipper and worshipped is removed, revealing that the Beloved's worshipped nature is hidden within every act of prostration.