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.

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

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 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.

The Allegory of the Seeker of Effortless Provision in the Masnavi

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...

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## Original content
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آن نبینی که پیشتر ز وجود 
چون تو را کرد در رحم موجود
روزیت داد نه مه از خونی 
کردگار حکیم بی چونی
در شکم مادرت همی پرورد 
بعد نه ماه در وجود آورد
آن در رزق بر تو چست ببست 
دو در بهترت بداد به دست
بعد از آن الف داد با پستان 
روز و شب پیش تو در چشمه روان
گفت کین هر دو را همی آشام 
کل هنیئا که نیست بر تو حرام
چون نمودت فطام بعد دو سال 
شد دگرگون ترا همه احوال
داد رزق تو از دو دست و دو پای 
زین بگیر و از آن برو هر جای
گر دو در بر تو بسته کرد رواست 
عوض دو چهار در برجاست
زین ستان زان ببر به پیروزی 
گرد عالم همی طلب روزی
چون اجل ناگهان فراز آید 
کار دنیا همه مجاز آید
باز ماند دو دست و پای از کار 
بدل چار بدهت دو چهار
در لحد هر چهار بسته شود 
هشت جنت ترا خجسته شود
هشت در بر تو باز بگشایند 
حور و غلمان ترا به پیش آیند
تا به هر در چنانکه خواهی شاد 
می روی ناوری ز دنیا یاد
مهربان تر ز مادر و پدر است 
مر ترا او به خلد راهبر است
ای جوانمرد نکته ای بشنو 
وز عطای خدا نمید مشو
چون ترا داد معرفت یزدان 
در درون دلت نهاد ایمان
خلعتی کان تراست روز جهیز 
باز نستاندت به رستاخیز
گر ترا دانش و درم نبود 
کو ترا بود هیچ کم نبود
او به فخر آردت نبینی عار 
او عزیزت کند نگردی خوار
آنچه داری تو دل بدو مسپار 
آنچه او دادت استوار آن دار
تو خزینه نهی نیابی باز 
چون بدو دادی او دهد به تو باز
زر به آتش دهی خبث سوزد 
زر صافی ترا بیفروزد
بد که او سوخت نیک داد به تو 
دولت چرخ رخ نهاد به تو
نفع آتش اگر مقیم ترست 
آتش آرای ازو کریم ترست
تو ندانی نه نیک و نه بد را 
خازن او به ترا که تو خود را
یار مار است چون زنی تو درش 
مار یار است چون رمی ز برش
ای صدف جوی جوهر الا 
جان و جامه بنه به ساحل لا
هست حق جز به نیست نگراید 
زاد این راه نیستی باید
تا تو از نیستی کله ننهی 
روی را در بقا به ره ننهی
چون شوی نیست سوی حق پویی 
تا بوی هست راه دق جویی
می نخوانی تو از کتاب خدا 
نیست اموات مرده بل احیا
گرت هست زمانه پست کند 
احسن الخالقینت هست کند

</div>

## English translation
Do you not see that before existence,
when He made you exist in the womb,
He gave you sustenance for nine months from blood,
the wise Creator who is without peer.
He nurtured you in your mother's womb,
and after nine months brought you into existence.
He tightly closed that door of sustenance upon you,
and placed two better doors in your hands.
After that, He familiarized you with the breast,
a flowing spring before you day and night.
He said, 'Drink from both of these;
eat and drink with enjoyment, for it is not forbidden to you.'
When He weaned you after two years,
your entire state and condition changed.
He provided your sustenance through two hands and two feet;
take with these and go anywhere with those.
If He closed those two doors on you, it is fitting,
for in exchange of those two, four doors are established.
Take with these, go with those in victory;
seek your daily bread throughout the world.
When death suddenly approaches,
the affairs of this world will all become transient.
The two hands and feet will cease to function,
and in exchange for those four, He will give you twice four.
In the grave, all those four doors will be closed,
and the eight paradises will become blessed for you.
Eight doors will be opened unto you,
and the houris and youths of heaven will come before you,
So that you may go through whichever door you wish in joy,
and never think of the world again.
He is more compassionate than a mother and father;
He is your guide to the eternal paradise.
O noble youth, hear a subtle point,
and do not despair of God's bounty.
Since God granted you gnosis,
and placed faith within your heart,
The robe of honor given to you on the day of provision,
He will not take back from you on the Resurrection.
If you have neither knowledge nor money,
what He gave you will never decrease.
He will bring you pride and you will see no shame;
He will make you dear and you will not be abased.
Do not give your heart to what you possess;
hold fast to what He has given you.
If you store treasure yourself, you will not find it again;
but when you give it to Him, He will return it to you.
If you put gold into fire, the dross burns away,
and the pure gold will illuminate you.
The bad that He burned, He turned to good for you,
and the fortune of heaven turned its face to you.
If the benefit of fire is more lasting,
the creator of fire is even more generous than it.
You do not know good or bad;
He is a better guardian of yours than you are of yourself.
The friend is a snake if you knock on his door;
the snake is a friend if you flee from him.
O oyster-shell seeker of the pearl of 'Except,'
leave your life and garment on the shore of 'No.'
The truth of God does not incline except toward non-existence;
the provision for this path must be non-existence.
Until you place the crown of non-existence on your head,
you will not set your face on the path of eternal life.
When you become non-existent, you will seek the Truth;
as long as you exist, you will only seek the path of distress.
Do you not read from the Book of God:
'They are not dead, but alive'?
If you exist, time will abase you;
but the Best of Creators will make you exist in eternity.

بخش ۱۲ - فی‌الحکمة و سبب رزق الرازق / Section 12 - On Wisdom and the Cause of the Provider's Provision

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