M6:1005 — احسن التقویم در والتین بخوان / که گرامی گوهرست ای دوست جان

Translation: Recite "Aḥsan al-Taqwīm" from Surah Al-Tīn, For, O dear soul, your essence is a precious gem.

Meaning: This verse urges us to reflect on Surah Al-Tīn in the Quran, which describes humanity as "Aḥsan al-Taqwīm" (the best of stature), thereby highlighting the soul's profound and invaluable worth.

Mowlana, in this beyt, directly refers us to the Quran, specifically to Surah Al-Tīn (Chapter 95), where God declares: “Laqad khalaqnā al-insāna fī aḥsani taqwīm” (We have certainly created man in the best of stature). This “Aḥsan al-Taqwīm” is a crucial point that Mowlana considers a precious gem and the highest ornament, asserting that this human soul, this human identity, is superior to both worlds and possesses a value even greater than the Divine Throne. This is a profound claim that cannot be lightly dismissed.

I contend that the fundamental difference between humans and animals lies precisely in this capacity for “attributing value” (eʿtibār kardan) and “deeming” (shomordan). Animals, as Mowlana himself states, “are not given to adornment.” For a donkey, a false gem and a true jewel are the same; a pearl holds no difference from a pebble in its perception. Why? Because an animal lacks the rational soul (nafs-i nāṭiqa) and human consciousness that can take something “as something else” and imbue it with value and meaning. Adornment is nothing unless we deem it so. If we strip it of this attribution, it is merely a stone lying somewhere. This capacity for attribution, this ability to create meaning and conventional values, is unique to humanity.

Therefore, when Mowlana says that “Aḥsan al-Taqwīm” is higher than God’s Throne and “beyond thought” (az fekrat barūn ast), he means that the value and grandeur of this gem-like soul—this very human capacity for attribution and meaning-making—transcends our comprehension and imagination. Human thought cannot reach its essence, for this thought itself is a product of this very “Aḥsan al-Taqwīm.” It is through this capacity for attribution that humanity can create language, forge art, adhere to values, and even come to know God. This gem is so precious and ineffable that Mowlana, with an عارفانه irony, remarks: “Gar begūyam qeymat-i în momtanaʿ / Man be-sūzam ham be-sūzad mostameʿ” (If I speak the price of this impossible thing / I shall burn, and the listener shall burn too). This boundless worth cannot be articulated, for language lacks the capacity to express it. So, my dear friend, read in Surah Al-Tīn to discover the grandeur of this precious soul within yourself.

Key takeaways

• The beyt is rooted in the Quranic verse "Laqad khalaqnā al-insāna fī aḥsani taqwīm" (Surah Al-Tīn), identifying humanity as the pinnacle of creation.
• The human soul is a most precious gem, the highest of adornments, possessing a value transcending the Divine Throne.
• The fundamental distinction between humans and animals lies in the human capacity for 'attributing value' (eʿtibār kardan) and meaning-making, a trait absent in animals.
• The true worth of 'Aḥsan al-Taqwīm' (human existence) is so profound that it lies beyond our comprehension and articulation.
• By referencing this verse, Mowlana invites the reader to reflect on their inherent grandeur and dignity.