M6:2583 — وآنچ باشد طبع و خشم و عارضی / می‌شتابد تا نگردد مرتضی

Translation: And whatever be temper, anger, and transient states, It hastens lest it becomes agreeable/satisfied (without vengeance). Meaning: This verse explains how temperamental and ego-driven angers rush to exact retribution, fearing that if time passes, the fleeting pleasure of vengeance will be lost.

In this verse, Rumi touches upon a profoundly insightful psychological and ethical point that draws a decisive distinction between actions stemming from divine will and those originating from the ego. I believe this distinction is key to understanding many human behaviors. He states that "discipline" or punishment originating from God is never hasty. God is patient and exercises deliberation in His actions. Even if a decree for admonishment or retribution is issued, it is accompanied by grace and opportunity. This attribute of forbearance and patience is a hallmark of its divine source. In contrast, that which arises from "temper, anger, and transient states" – that is, from our natural ego, from the faculty of wrath, and from fleeting human emotions and excitements – operates in precisely the opposite manner. Such anger and wrath "hastens lest it becomes agreeable/satisfied." Why? Because it fears the loss of the opportunity for gratification, which is none other than the pleasure derived from vengeance. The ego fears that if it does not act hastily, if some time passes and its wrath subsides and "satisfaction" arrives, the pleasure of revenge will be lost. This eagerness for revenge, which is accompanied by a false appetite at the moment of anger, is itself a sign that this motivation does not have a divine origin; rather, it has "sprung from your very being." It is this "satanic nature" that urges one to rush into vengeance, so that at the peak of rage, one can crush one's enemy and savor the moment. History is replete with examples of this haste in retribution. As I have often stated, dictators and tyrannical rulers, in the throes of power's madness and in response to slander and rumor, have swiftly committed acts that later, with the dissipation of the intoxication of wrath, brought futile regret; they killed or blinded their own children. These are all instances of that "it hastens lest it becomes agreeable/satisfied" – meaning, fleeting anger seeks to make itself eternal and consolidate its pleasure in the moment of wrath. Rumi asks us to recognize this symptom. If we feel an unbridled haste within ourselves for punishment or revenge, we must pause. That haste is not a divine decree, but rather a mirror reflecting our raw, discontented self.

Key takeaways

• Haste in retribution is a sign of ego-driven anger, not divine wisdom.
• The impatient ego fears losing the pleasure of vengeance if it delays.
• Patience and deliberation distinguish divine action from egoic impulses.
• Awareness of this haste guides self-knowledge and discernment of inner motives.