In Section 34 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai uses the parable of an old woman and her dry field to illustrate absolute trust (tawakkul) in God's provision. Despite her dry crops, she addresses God with certainty, declaring that His sustenance is independent of secondary causes like rain (the cloud's weeping) or cultivation (the crop's laughter). Sanai emphasizes that divine provision is causeless (bi-sabab) and absolute, criticizing individuals who worry about their livelihood as having less faith and certainty than this old woman.

The Parable of the Old Woman and Trust in Divine Sustenance in Hadiqat al-Haqiqah

In Section 33 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai develops the concept of Divine Sustenance through the metaphor of an 'unlocked storehouse' (anbarkhaneh). He argues that God's provision is not hidden or gated, but 'placed before' all living beings (janavar) before they even seek it. A key theological point in this section is the universal nature of this provision: Sanai explicitly states that the infidel (kafar), the believer (mu'min), the wretched (shaqi), and the blessed (sa'id) all receive their daily bread and 'new life' (hayat-e jadid) from the same divine source, emphasizing God's attribute of Al-Razzaq as independent of human merit or faith.

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جانور را چو خوانش پیش نهاد 
خوردنی از خورنده بیش نهاد
همه را روح و روز و روزی از اوست 
نیک بختی و نیک روزی از اوست
روزی هریکی پدید آورد 
در انبارخانه مهر نکرد
کافر و مؤمن و شقی و سعید 
همه را روزی و حیات جدید
حاء حاجت هنوزشان در حلق 
جیم جودش بداده روزی خلق
جز بنان نیست پرورش ما را 
جز شره نیست نان خورش ما را
او ز توجیه بندگان نجهد 
نان خورش داد نان همو بدهد
نان و جان تو در خزینهٔ اوست 
تو نداری خبر دفینهٔ اوست
روزی تو اگر به چین باشد 
اسب کسب تو زیر زین باشد
یا ترا نزد او برد به شتاب 
ورنه او را بر تو، تو در خواب
نه ترا گفت رازق تو منم 
عالم سر و عالم علنم
جان بدادم وجوه نان بدهم 
هرچه خواهی تو در زمان بدهم
کار روزی چو روز دان بدرست 
که ره آورد روز روزی تست
سفله دارد ز بهر روزی بیم 
نخورد دیگ گرده حکیم
نخورد شیر صید خود تنها 
چون شود سیر مانده کرد رها
با تو زانجا که لطف یزدانست 
گرو نان به دست تو جانست
غم جان خور که آن نان خورده است 
تا لب گور گرده بر گرده است
جان بی نان به کس نداد خدای 
زانکه از نان بماند جان بر جای
این گرو سخت دار و نان می خور 
چون گرو رفت قوت جان می خور
مر زنان راست کهنه تو بر تو 
مرد را روز نو و روزی نو
روزی تست بر علیم و قدیر 
تو ز میر و وکیل خشم مگیر
آن زمانی که جان ز تن برمید 
به یقین دان که روزیت برسید
روزیت از در خدای بود 
نه ز دندان و حلق و نای بود
کدخدایی خدایی است برنج 
خاصه آنرا که نیست حکمت و گنج
کدخدایی همه غم و هوس است 
کد رها کن ترا خدای بس است
اعتماد تو در همه احوال 
بر خدا به که بر خراس و جوال
ابر اگر نم نداد یک سالت 
سخت شوریده بینم احوالت

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## English translation
When He laid the table before the animal,
He placed more food than the eater could consume.
The spirit, the day, and sustenance of all are from Him;
Good fortune and prosperity are from Him.
He brought forth the sustenance of each one;
He did not place a seal upon the storehouse.
Infidel and believer, wretched and blessed,
All receive their sustenance and a new life.
While the letter 'H' of need (hajat) is still in their throat,
The letter 'J' of His generosity (jood) has given sustenance to the creation.
We have no nurture except by bread,
We have no condiment except greed.
He does not shirk from provisioning His servants;
He who gave the condiment will also give the bread.
Your bread and life are in His treasury;
You have no knowledge of it, it is His hidden treasure.
If your sustenance were in China,
The horse of your earning would be under the saddle.
Either it would carry you to it in haste,
Or it would come to you while you are asleep.
Did He not say to you, 'I am your Provider,
Knower of the secret and Knower of the manifest'?
'I gave life, and I will give the means for bread;
Whatever you want, I will give in an instant.'
Know the matter of sustenance to be as clear as day,
For the day's gift is indeed your sustenance.
The base person fears for their sustenance;
A wise person's pot does not consume their round loaf.
The lion does not eat its prey alone;
When it is satiated, it abandons the rest.
For you, since the grace of God is present,
Your life is held as a pledge for your bread.
Worry for the soul, for that bread is already consumed;
Up to the edge of the grave, loaf is piled upon loaf.
God has not given life to anyone without bread,
Because life is sustained by bread.
Hold this pledge firmly and eat bread;
When the pledge departs, consume the food of the soul.
For women are the old layers upon layers;
For the man, there is a new day and a new sustenance.
Your sustenance is upon the All-Knowing and All-Powerful;
Do not bear anger towards the prince or the deputy.
At the moment when the soul departs from the body,
Know for certain that your sustenance has been fully delivered.
Your sustenance was from the door of God;
It was not from the teeth, the throat, and the windpipe.
Managing a household is to play lord in distress,
Especially for one who has neither wisdom nor treasure.
Household management is all grief and desire;
Abandon the house, God is sufficient for you.
Your trust in all circumstances
Is better in God than in the mill and the sack.
If the cloud gives no moisture for a year,
I see your state extremely troubled.

بخش ۳۳ - اندر رزق گوید / Section 33 - On Sustenance

The Sufi doctrine of **Divine Sustenance (Rizq)** posits that God (Al-Razzaq) is the sole and absolute provider of all physical and spiritual nourishment, and that this provision is guaranteed. Mystics like Sanai and Rumi utilize the progression of human life—from embryonic nourishment in the womb to breastfeeding in infancy and active labor in adulthood—as empirical and spiritual proofs of God's continuous guardianship.

Key aspects of this doctrine in Sufi literature include:
1. **Stages of Provision:** Showing how the closing of one avenue of sustenance (e.g., embryonic blood supply) inevitably leads to the opening of superior ones (e.g., maternal milk, and later, physical limbs to seek food).
2. **Tawakkul (Trust):** Since sustenance is developmentally guaranteed by Divine Wisdom, anxiety, hoarding, and greed (حرص) are viewed as spiritual blindness or ignorance of the vastness of God's treasury.
3. **Spiritual Nourishment:** Transcending physical food to seek spiritual sustenanc...

The Sufi Doctrine of Divine Sustenance (Rizq)

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The Metaphor of the Open Treasury of Sustenance in Hadiqat al-Haqiqah

In Section 60 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai addresses the theological concept of divine predetermination (*qadar*) regarding human creation, character, lifespan, and sustenance (*rizq*). Drawing upon the prophetic Hadith stating that God has already concluded these matters, and referencing the Quranic concept of divine allotment ('We have apportioned' from Quran 43:32), Sanai argues that human anxiety over material sustenance is futile. Since the divine decree is immutable and subject to neither change (*tabdil*) nor alteration (*tahwil*), a seeker must renounce greedy pursuits and trust in the predetermined division established by God.

The Concept of Divine Apportionment and Predestination in Hadiqat al-Haqiqah

In the prologue to the third book of the Masnavi, Rumi introduces the concept of divine or spiritual sustenance, contrasting it with physical nourishment. He illustrates this through powerful metaphors: the sun's light, which shines without needing a physical wick or oil, and the strength of the Angel Gabriel, which is derived directly from witnessing the Creator rather than from a physical kitchen. This establishes a foundational theme for the book, emphasizing that true spiritual power, enlightenment, and the strength of the saints (Abdal) are directly sustained by God, completely transcending material dependencies.

The Concept of Divine Sustenance in the Prologue of Masnavi Book Three

In Book 1 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the dialogue between an impoverished Arab and his wife explores the Sufi concept of absolute trust in divine providence (*tawakkul*). In response to his wife's complaints about their lack of wealth, the husband uses the natural world to illustrate how anxiety over sustenance is a uniquely human failing. He points out that thousands of creatures—such as the turtledove, nightingale, and falcon—live happily without hoarding provisions, relying entirely on God as an "excellent provider." The husband explains that human grief and "root-cutting" obsessions over worldly gains and losses stem from the ego and an attachment to material existence. Through this discourse, Rumi presents the animals' innate reliance on the Divine as a model for spiritual contentment, contrasting the needless suffering caused by human greed with the peaceful acceptance of one's divinely apportioned lot.

The Arab's Discourse on Divine Sustenance and Animal Trust in the Masnavi

In Book 4 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the tale of the returning poet serves as an allegory for humanity's absolute dependence on divine sustenance. A destitute poet returns to a generous king, having previously experienced his immense bounty. Rumi elevates this narrative to a metaphysical principle, asserting that all of creation—from the fish in the sea and birds in the sky to the very earth and heavens—relies constantly on God for their survival and provision. The poet's return illustrates that one must bring their needs to the proven source of generosity rather than begging from a miser. Rumi emphasizes this spiritual pragmatism with the metaphor: 'Seek water in the sea, seek it not in the dry riverbed,' urging seekers to turn directly to the Divine—the ultimate provider—rather than relying on the flawed and limited resources of the material world.

The Tale of the Returning Poet and Divine Sustenance in the Masnavi

In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the tale of the lazy dervish who supplicates for lawful sustenance without labor serves as a profound exploration of prayer, effort, and divine grace. Rumi uses this story to illustrate that while the seeker's external motivation might seem flawed or lazy, his persistent and earnest supplication (*ilhah*) is what truly matters. In Sufi philosophy, the spiritual longing and the very act of calling upon the Divine are themselves the ultimate divine response and provision, far exceeding the material objects of prayer.

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