M6:3251 — مال خود ایثار راه او کند / جاه خود ایثار جاه او کند

Translation: He sacrifices his wealth in His way, / And sacrifices his status for His status. Meaning: This verse describes the truly generous soul who dedicates their personal wealth and social standing entirely to the divine path and for the sake of God's honor.

This verse emerges from a narrative in the Masnavi where Mawlana explains the imperative of thanking a generous individual. As I have consistently argued in these lectures, from Mawlana's perspective, the benevolent hand of a creature is, in truth, the hand of the Creator. This verse precisely fits within, and derives its meaning from, this foundational understanding.

I contend that when God bestows upon a servant the tawfīq (divine enablement or grace) to host, to be generous, to discharge the debts of others, or to render financial and practical aid, the act of thanking that mediating servant is tantamount to thanking God Himself. Although the ultimate source and origin of all generosity and all enablement reside with the Almighty, the hand of the servant through whom this beneficence flows is, in a profound sense, an extension of the Divine hand. For this reason, one must also be grateful to the human agent.

I have frequently cited the Prophetic tradition that underpins this principle: 'Whoever does not thank the created, does not thank the Creator.' This commendable practice is evident across various cultures, even in the daily discourse of Western societies, through simple expressions of 'thank you.' Even if these 'thank yous' sometimes become mere lip service, the very act of expressing gratitude is a virtuous and humane endeavor, and in essence, an act of giving thanks to God.

In my view, those endowed with 'God-seeing eyes' (chashmān-i Khodā-bīn), who perceive the generous hand of human beings as a manifestation of the generous hand of God, in fact offer thanks to God when they thank a creature. They discern the Creator's hand behind the creature's hand. Consequently, when expressing gratitude to God's servants, they perform a dual act of thanksgiving: one to the servant who acted as an intermediary for the benefaction, and the other to the God who granted that servant such an enablement. The sacrifice of one's own wealth (māl) and social standing (jāh) in 'His' way – that is, God's way – represents the zenith of servitude and the pinnacle of gratitude, born from divine grace.

Key takeaways

• Sacrificing one's wealth and status for the Divine path is a profound sign of God's enablement and grace.
• Thanking benevolent human beings is, in essence, an act of thanking the Creator, as the creature's hand is a manifestation of the Divine hand.
• The spiritually discerning eye perceives human generosity as a direct reflection of God's bountiful nature.
• Mawlana emphasizes that all acts of beneficence and all enablement originate from God's will and grace, even when channeled through human agents.