M6:2889 — لطف معروف تو بود آن ای بهی / پس کمال البر فی اتمامه

Translation: That renowned grace was from You, O Bahi (Noble/Beauteous One); / For the perfection of beneficence lies in its completion. Meaning: This verse, spoken from the stance of supplicants, implores God to complete the grace He has begun, asserting that true beneficence is only perfected upon its fulfillment.

I read this verse within the context of the tale of Sultan Mahmud and the thieves, yet its profound meaning transcends a mere earthly narrative. In that story, the thieves implore Sultan Mahmud to move his beard and save them from death, as he had promised. But Rumi, with his characteristic genius, elevates this earthly plea to the Divine presence. "Bahi" here signifies the Good, the Exalted, the Possessor of Splendor and Beauty – an address to the Absolute God. The essence of the verse lies here: We live in a world that Rumi often calls "God's glove." We perceive only the natural causes and means, not the hidden Hand behind them. The thieves, who symbolize humankind adrift in the "night of nature," see only Sultan Mahmud and his beard. But the sharp-sighted mystic builds a bridge from this earthly affair to the Cause of Causes. The request "For the perfection of beneficence lies in its completion" is, in essence, a prayer to God: "O Benevolent and Perfecting Being, complete this grace You have begun, this light You have cast into our hearts, and bring it to its full perfection." This expression, I contend, unequivocally resonates with the verse in Surah Al-Hadid of the Holy Quran, where believers on the Day of Judgment pray: "Our Lord, perfect for us our light." The light bestowed upon us in this world, through faith and righteous deeds, requires completion and perfection in the next world to illuminate our path. This theme of "completing the light" or "increasing the light" also finds echoes in other sacred texts, as I have observed. Rumi's statement here carries a deep mystical insight: Divine grace is an "initiation," but its perfection and completeness are found in its "conclusion." True beneficence is that which reaches its ultimate goal and purpose. And this can only come from the Perfecting Being, God Himself, who brings the grace He has begun to its full integrity and consummation. Thus, this verse is not merely a plea for rescue from peril, but a petition to attain the ultimate goal and perfection from the absolute source of perfection.

Key takeaways

• The verse's surface speaks of earthly power, but its true meaning is a profound prayer to God.
• "Bahi" describes God as the Absolute Source of Beauty, Majesty, and Goodness.
• The natural world is God's "glove"; humanity perceives only causes, not the hidden "Hand."
• The verse implores God to complete His divine grace, as the perfection of beneficence lies in its fulfillment.
• The theme of "completing the light" resonates with the Quran (Surah Al-Hadid), emphasizing the necessity of divine grace's perfection in the afterlife.
• Divine grace is an initiation, but its perfection and completeness are found in its ultimate conclusion and arrival at its true purpose.