M6:1621 — بر شمار برگ بستان ند و ضد / چون کفی بر بحر بی‌ضدست و ند

Translation: As numerous as the leaves in a garden are the peers and opposites (nadd and ḍidd), / Like foam upon a sea that is without peer and opposite (nadd and ḍidd). Meaning: The phenomenal world is replete with counterparts and contradictions, but this multiplicity and duality are superficial, akin to foam on an ocean that in its essence is utterly singular and unparalleled.

This verse is among those where Mawlana delves into the profoundest ontological questions. I tell you without hesitation that here, Mawlana speaks of the Divine Essence, the unqualified and unconditioned sea of existence. Our world, this phenomenal realm in which we live, is full of ḍidd (opposites) and nadd (peers or likes). In every corner of nature, you will find these antitheses and counterparts—as numerous, indeed, as the leaves in a garden. Darkness and light, cold and warmth, being and non-being, all are ḍidd. And millions of similar beings that emerge in the world are nadd to one another.

But the critical point is that Mawlana describes this multiplicity and contradiction as “foam upon a sea that is without peer and opposite.” The foam on the sea arises from the sea, yet it is neither the essence of the sea, nor does it possess its depth, nor its fundamental characteristics. The sea, in its essence, is simple, unique, and no opposite or peer can be conceived for it. If God had an opposite, that opposite would annihilate Him. And if He had a peer, He would no longer be unique and absolute. These precise philosophical and theological arguments are self-evident for Mawlana: the ultimate cause (illat-i tāmmah) must be superior to its effect and itself without peer or parallel.

Mawlana also refers to more tangible examples in this context, such as the restlessness of lovers arising from the beloved's steadfastness, or the beloved's laughter evoking the lover's tears. These are contradictions that originate from a single, simple source. He even points to “your soul” (jān-i to) as the smallest “toy” (lu'bat) or product of the sea of existence—a soul that is itself without “how” or “what kind” (chūn o chegūneh), without place and without time. How can one ask “where” the soul is? (As he asks in a ghazal about the martyrs of Karbala: “Who would ask reason, ‘where are you?’” emphasis mine). This unconditioned nature of the soul is an example of the primordial sea being without ḍidd or nadd, from which the soul has arisen. Thus, the multiplicity and contradiction of the phenomenal world are merely a covering over the singular, simple truth, and for me, this is a lesson in practical and theoretical tawhid (Divine Unity) that Mawlana expresses in poetic and profound language.

Key takeaways

• The Divine Essence is absolutely free from any ḍidd (opposite) or nadd (peer/like), signifying its absolute singularity.
• The multiplicity and contradiction found in the phenomenal world are superficial and accidental, like foam on the boundless ocean of existence.
• God's simple existence is the ultimate cause, from which beings full of opposites and counterparts arise.
• The human soul, which is itself beyond 'how' and 'what kind', serves as a miniature example of that Divine sea without ḍidd or nadd.
• This verse is an invitation to transcend the appearances of multiplicity and contradiction, and to dive into the unity and simplicity of the Divine Essence.