M6:3296 — بر امید کف چون دریای تو / بر وظیفه دادن و ایفای تو

Translation: In hope of your hand, like the sea, And for your fulfilling duties and obligations.

Meaning: This verse is a eulogy to the boundless generosity and steadfastness of a shepherd (ruler); a former debtor recalls how the official was as generous as the sea and faithfully discharged his duties.

This verse is a eulogy spoken by a former debtor to a deceased official (mohtaseb), praising his boundless generosity and faithfulness to his word. Here, Rumi vividly reintroduces the imagery of the 'shepherd,' a concept I have previously explored in detail. The shepherding of humanity is a duty that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) articulated with the profound statement: “All of you are shepherds, and all of you are responsible for your flock.” This shepherding is not merely an administrative role; it demands 'Mousa-like patience' (helm-e Moosāvār), meaning one must approach a straying sheep with tenderness, shed tears for it, and cleanse it of weariness and dust to gently guide it back to the fold. A ruler who shepherds in such a manner, as Sa'di eloquently stated, has a rightful tax and a deserved shepherd's wage, because 'the sheep is not for the shepherd, but the shepherd for its service.' This perspective stands in absolute contradiction to the concept of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist), which positions the vali as the 'master' and 'lord' of the people, rather than their 'servant' and 'shepherd.'

The debtor in this verse recalls the official's oceanic generosity, his hand as open as the sea in giving. The term 'vazifeh' historically referred to salaries and dues, not 'duty' in the contemporary sense. Thus, 'bar vazifeh dādan va ifā-ye to' signifies his commitment to paying people's entitlements and fulfilling his financial obligations. Rumi's verses suggest that such a shepherd not only 'blinds' his enemies (rendering them frustrated and helpless, echoing the Quranic 'in shāni'aka huwal-abtar' — your hater is the one cut off), but also earns 'eternal sovereignty' (sarvari-ye jāvedāneh) as a divine recompense. This is precisely the divine 'test' (emtehān) through which even prophets, prior to their prophethood, developed resilience and breadth of spirit through shepherding, thereby earning the right to receive revelation and lead the world.

This entire world is a stage for divine examination. The diligent fulfillment of such duties and acts of generosity is, in essence, the manifestation of one's latent capabilities and the tempering of the soul in the crucible of tribulation—not merely to inform God, who is the Knower of the Unseen and the Seen, and already knows all things. The mohtaseb, in his role as a shepherd, has successfully passed his divine test and is now worthy of an eternal reward that flows from the ocean of divine grace.

Key takeaways

• True governance is the shepherding of people with Mousa-like patience and compassion, not lording over them.
• The ruler's duty is to serve the people and fully discharge their rights and obligations, even beyond their lifetime.
• Boundless generosity ('hand like the sea') and faithfulness to covenants are hallmarks of divine leadership and a source of divine pleasure.
• This world is a stage for divine 'examination'; our actions reveal our inherent potentials and earn us eternal recompense.