M6:4343 — منکران را قصد اذلال ثقات / ذل شده عز و ظهور معجزات

Translation: The deniers intended the abasement of the trustworthy, But that abasement turned into honor and the manifestation of miracles. Meaning: This verse describes how the malicious intent of deniers to humiliate prophets inadvertently led to the emergence of divine honor and power through miracles. It illustrates God's subtle grace (lutf-e khafi), which transforms evil into good.

In this verse, Rumi speaks of God's lutf-e khafi (hidden grace), demonstrating how the malicious intentions of enemies are transformed into instruments for the manifestation of divine grandeur. The deniers and opponents of the prophets engaged in denial and perversion with the aim of humiliating and discrediting these noble and trustworthy individuals. However, the Almighty God, as we saw in the story of the Baghdadi man and his household treasure, pursues a reversed path, intertwining appearance and essence. He overturns their intention, and the 'abasement' (dhell) they sought not only fails to materialize but leads to unprecedented 'honor' ('ezz) and glory for the prophets.

This precisely aligns with Rumi's theory regarding miracles. He believes that prophets did not initially bring forth miracles to prove the veracity of their claims; rather, a miracle was a divine response to the denial and contention of their enemies. In Rumi's words, "Miracles are for overpowering the enemy." That is, the primary function of a miracle was to overcome adversaries and silence deniers. A miracle is like a witness whom a judge calls upon only when the accused has resorted to denial and 'ignorance.' If there were no denial, there would be no need for a miracle.

This verse is a prime example of lutf-e khafi – a fundamental teaching that hidden divine mercy sometimes manifests in the guise of wrath and adversity. It is like an antidote hidden within poison, or like a sin that, through sincere repentance, transforms into good deeds and a stairway to ascent. This holds true not only for prophets but also for every human being who embarks on the spiritual path; how many paths appear to be misguidance yet become the very means for growth and benefit. Thus, even the wickedness of deniers finds a transcendent function within this wise divine order, serving to solidify and highlight the status of God's chosen ones, and this itself is a sign of divine makr (stratagem), which is superior to all other makr.

Key takeaways

• Adversaries' ill intent becomes a tool for exaltation: Deniers' actions inadvertently lead to the manifestation of divine glory and miracles for God's chosen ones.
• Miracles are a divine response to denial: Prophets bring miracles to overcome enemies and silence deniers, not solely to prove their own claims.
• Hidden grace within apparent wrath: This verse exemplifies God's hidden mercy, which creates goodness and blessing from within calamity and malice.
• The transformation of evil into good: Just as a sin can become a great virtue through repentance, the intention to abase can lead to unprecedented honor.