M6:3680 — خود نگفته این مبدل تا کی است / نیست پیدا او مگر افلاکی است

Translation: He Himself has not said when this Transformer will be apparent (or who it is)? / He is not manifest, unless He is from the celestial realm? Meaning: This verse questions the identity of the hidden force that transforms reality. Mowlana asks: if this transformer is invisible, does it not originate from the unseen, celestial world?

This beyt offers a profound perspective on the philosophy of causality and divine providence. Mowlana here alludes to the very arguments put forth by Ghazali in Tahafut al-Falasifa, namely, the rejection of inherent, natural causality. Ghazali famously asked: what guarantee is there that if you tie a horse in a stable today, you will find the same horse there tomorrow? It might have transformed into a donkey! This question fundamentally challenges the continuity in nature that we often take for granted as self-evident.

Kant, in his philosophy, later demonstrated that this continuity and causality are not derived from raw experience, but are a priori categories imposed by our minds upon the world. In other words, it is our mind that structures the world and perceives causality within it. Mowlana, in his mystical fashion, attributes this discontinuity and uncertainty to the hidden, divine orchestrator.

When he says, "He Himself has not said when this Transformer will be apparent?" he means that the hidden Rider, the invisible Transformer, does not reveal Himself. And he immediately asks, "He is not manifest, unless He is from the celestial realm?" meaning if this hidden orchestrator is not apparent to our senses, then He must be from the celestial, unseen realm, from above. This verse, in essence, posits that this world is not merely a horse with a rider, but that even in its apparent continuity and stability, the hand of an unseen, celestial Transformer is constantly at work.

Mowlana extends this inherent uncertainty to other aspects of life. You often see an arrow shot to the right veering to the left, or digging a well for others only to fall into it yourself. These experiences teach us not to rely entirely on natural causes, because the outcomes of our actions are never certain or guaranteed. This is precisely where science, despite all its precision, as acknowledged by great thinkers like Karl Popper, lacks absolute certainty. Even in quantum physics, we confront an intrinsic uncertainty of the universe. The map of nature, as physicists and natural scientists imagine, is not definitively known and constant forever.

This is a lesson in both epistemic and practical humility. We are not the "masters" of this world, and the reins of control are not entirely in our hands. Our predictions, especially in history, are fragile and vulnerable. Marxism is an example of "poverty of imagination" that believed it had discovered the scientific laws of history and could predict the future with certainty; yet none of its predictions materialized. Or Fukuyama's "End of History," based on Hegelian philosophy, which signifies human inability to comprehend the future. All these imply that small events can alter the course of history.

From a theological perspective, this verse offers an even deeper insight. Those 'breaches' that occur in affairs, where despite our meticulous planning, the caravan takes a different route, and the horse disobeys us, must be attributed to another will. As stated in Nahj al-Balagha: "I knew God through the annulment of intentions and the breaking of resolves." This indicates that the world does not stand on its own feet, and a hidden, celestial force holds the reins of affairs. Causes and means are merely like the "tail of a donkey"; one should not rely on them completely, for the true Rider of that donkey is another.

Key takeaways

• Nature's apparent continuity is constantly subject to transformation by an unseen, celestial force.
• Natural causality is not absolute; the hidden hand of the "Transformer" (Mubaddel) is always at work.
• This invisible "Transformer" originates from the celestial realm, beyond sensory perception.
• Life and history are devoid of certainty and determinism; predictions are fragile and fallible.
• Acknowledging ignorance and practicing humility are direct consequences of understanding this uncertainty.
• The annulment of human plans and breaking of resolves are signs of God's active presence and will in the world.