M6:377 — آرزو جستن بود بگریختن / پیش عدلش خون تقوی ریختن

Translation: To seek desires is to attempt to flee; Before His justice, it is to spill the blood of piety. Meaning: This verse suggests that the pursuit of worldly desires is a futile attempt to escape divine decree, an act that runs contrary to true piety and submission to God's will.

Mowlana, in this profound verse, points to a truth rooted in Tawhid Af'ali (Unity of Divine Acts) and our understanding of our place before God's will and justice. He states, "To seek desires is to attempt to flee." What kind of flight is this, and from what? It is, unequivocally, an attempt to escape the overpowering dominion of Divine Power (qahr-e Qahhari). Humanity sometimes strives to flee from the grasp of God's might, but this escape is a naive and impossible wish. Mowlana firmly elaborates elsewhere (in the same section) that even in the realm of non-existence, one was already within the grasp of the Divine; how then, now that one exists, can one flee Him? Every broken resolve within us, every unfulfilled endeavor, can be a sign of this Divine qahr, intending to show us that we are overcome and must abandon our arrogance.

Desires, in this context, act as the bait in the world's trap. This world is a snare, and desires are the grains that draw humans into this trap and ensnare them. Whenever a person craves something, they, in essence, shackle themselves and block their own path to freedom. This is the same Buddhist or Sufi perspective that views liberation in "desiring nothing"; "the Sufi is one who is not," meaning one who is emptied of all desires. Relinquishing desires leads to a great opening; a heavy burden is lifted from one's shoulders, and the human being, light of spirit, takes flight.

The second part of the verse, "Before His justice, it is to spill the blood of piety," clarifies the consequences of this illusory escape. When one attempts to leap from the hands of Divine Power, or to contend with Divine qahr through one's own will, this is, in fact, shedding the blood of one's own taqwa (piety) and devoutness. Piety means submission and contentment with Divine decree; it means accepting that one is overcome by Divine will and that fleeing from it is meaningless. Any internal rebellion or desire contrary to His will is not only futile but amounts to tearing the veils of taqwa and demolishing the foundations of servitude. These worldly desires, these "seeking"s, in truth distance us from the Divine presence and, instead of submission to His justice, lead us to a fruitless struggle whose only outcome is the spilling of our own spiritual and religious essence. This is a battle we are already destined to lose, and its sole fruit is the forfeiture of our spiritual assets. Mowlana teaches us here that the path to salvation lies in freedom from desires and unconditional submission to the justice and will of the Lord, not in desiring to flee and contend with Him.

Key takeaways

• Desires are hidden traps of Divine Power (qahr); every craving binds the soul.
• Escaping God's will is impossible; even in non-existence, one was under His sway.
• Absolute submission to Divine Justice is the essence of piety and servitude.
• Contending with Divine will is a losing battle, resulting only in the destruction of one's spiritual foundations.
• True liberation lies in desiring nothing and severing the ties of worldly attachments.