M6:3572 — جوشش و افزونی زر در زکات / عصمت از فحشا و منکر در صلات

Translation: The bubbling forth and increase of gold in zakat / Infallibility from indecency and evil in salat. Meaning: This verse points to two fundamental promises of faith: first, giving wealth through zakat (charity) not only prevents its decrease but causes its increase and blessing; second, salat (prayer) and turning towards God protect a person from moral impurities and reprehensible acts.

In this verse, and indeed in several preceding and subsequent verses, Mevlana expounds upon azdad (opposites or antitheses); on how, in this world, things emerge from the heart of their opposites, and how the very fabric of this universe is propelled forward by these interactions. This is not merely a poetic observation, but a profound philosophical and cosmic principle to which ancient sages, such as Avicenna, alluded: “Lawlā al-taḍādd, mā ṣaḥḥa dawāmu al-fayḍ ʿani al-mabdaʾ al-jawwād” (Were it not for antithesis, the continuous emanation of bounty from the Generous Originator would not be valid).

Our chosen verse presents two striking examples of this principle within the realm of religion and practice. First, it states: “The bubbling forth and increase of gold in zakat.” This appears to be a clear paradox; how can wealth not only diminish but increase by being given away? Yet, this statement rests upon a Quranic and Prophetic promise. The Prophet (PBUH) declared: “Al-Samāḥah rabāḥ,” meaning generosity is profit, not loss, and “Mā naqaṣa mālun min al-ṣadaqāt qaṭ” – no wealth is ever diminished by charity. The very word zakat etymologically means ‘growth’ or ‘increase’; thus, by paying zakat, wealth ostensibly decreases but in reality acquires an inner spiritual growth and divine blessing. This increase is not solely material; more importantly, it signifies spiritual growth and liberation from attachments, which is itself the essence of freedom and perfection.

The second hemistich says: “Infallibility from indecency and evil in salat.” ʿIṣmat denotes protection or being deterred. This is a direct reference to the noble Quranic verse: “Inn al-ṣalāta tanhā ʿan al-faḥshāʾi wa al-munkar” (Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing). Mevlana interprets salat not merely as ritual prayer but as encompassing any turning towards God and abiding in His remembrance. One who is truly and perpetually in salat and divine remembrance is inwardly shielded by a force that prevents them from lapsing into indecency and evil. Here too, an opposite is nested within its counter-part: outwardly, by turning to God, we seemingly distance ourselves from worldly pleasures, yet we are protected from evils and impurities.

Mevlana extends this principle with various deeper examples: “Sweet fruit hidden in branches and leaves,” “eternal life beneath death,” and how death, in reality, merely takes a tattered robe from us, granting us eternal life in return. Or how “zebel” (waste and manure), seemingly impure and worthless, becomes the nourishment for the soil, and from its depths, sweet fruits emerge. This is the miraculous factory of nature, which creates beauty and delight from the unappealing.

He even elevates this principle to ontological and mystical dimensions, as he says: “A being hidden in non-being,” meaning we originate from a non-being that was itself a hidden abode of existence, and “The worshipped hidden in the nature of the worshipper.” This is the zenith of Mevlana’s articulation of azdad and union. This statement, that both the sājid (worshipper) and the masjūd (worshipped) are contained within a single essence, signifies the negation of apparent contradiction and the attainment of unity in the state of annihilation (fanāʾ). In this station, veils are lifted, and the lover and beloved become one, and one realizes that, in one’s prostration, one was prostrating to a higher Self. This is the very secret alluded to in the poetry of mystics like Ibn al-Fariḍ: “Kilānā muṣallun, sājidun wāḥid” (Both of us pray, one worshipper). Mevlana thus demonstrates that even in the deepest levels of human connection with God, azdad plays a pivotal role in redefining reality, and ultimately, everything returns to unity.

Key takeaways

• The world is built upon azdad (opposites or antitheses); divine bounty flows through their interactions.
• Giving in zakat leads to the increase and blessing of wealth, not its reduction – a promise from the Prophet and the true meaning of zakat.
• Salat (prayer) and turning to God protect humanity from indecency and evil, as stated in the Quran.
• This principle of the opposite emerging from its counter-part is pervasive in existence: life from death, fruit from waste, and light from darkness.
• At the highest mystical level, the worshipper and the worshipped are contained within a single essence, representing the ultimate negation of apparent contradiction and the attainment of unity.