M6:2594 — در شریعت هم عطا هم زجر هست / شاه را صدر و فرس را درگه است

Translation: In the Sharia, there is both bounty and chastisement; For the king has a throne, and the steed has its stable. Meaning: This couplet articulates that divine law, or Sharia, like the natural order, assigns appropriate places and responses; thus, it encompasses both rewards and punishments.

This couplet, articulated within the context of the jester's argument to the king, certainly underscores the necessity of deliberation and the avoidance of haste in meting out punishment. Yet, its meaning extends far beyond this narrative; here, Rumi lays down a fundamental principle concerning the order of existence and, specifically, the Sharia. Divine law, this vast corpus of sacred injunctions, does not operate solely on the axis of bounty or merely upon the foundation of chastisement. Rather, it encompasses both. This is precisely an instance of the definition of justice: “What is justice? The placing of a thing in its proper place. What is injustice? The placing of a thing in an improper place.” This is a classical definition of justice, which Rumi perceives as pervading not only human actions but the entirety of existence.

The phrase “For the king has a throne, and the steed has its stable” serves as an illuminating analogy. The king occupies a lofty seat upon the sadr (throne), a station befitting his dignity. In contrast, the horse is led to the dargah (stable), a place appropriate for it. Here, the discourse is not about absolute good or evil, but about proportionality. Everything acquires meaning and wisdom when situated in its rightful place. The same holds true in Sharia: the virtuous are rewarded, and the wrongdoers are punished. This is the very essence of justice.

This point assumes additional significance, especially in our understanding of divine judgment on the Day of Resurrection. There, God “shall examine people according to the measure of intellect He bestowed upon them in the worldly abode”; that is, people will be judged and punished based on the intellect and understanding granted to them in this world. A person with deeper understanding and analytical capacity, if they err, will not have the same weight in the scales of divine justice as someone who committed the same error due to intellectual deficiency or faulty upbringing. Numerous factors—such as family education, social environment, and cognitive capacity—are all factored into this reckoning. The divine court returns to each individual precisely what they deserve, no more and no less, unless divine generosity and mercy intervene, which is a different discussion altogether.

Therefore, this couplet reminds us that divine laws are founded upon profound wisdom and all-encompassing justice, which both rewards and punishes; each in its proper place, proportionate to human capacity and action. This perspective on Sharia is far removed from any rigid determinism and stems from a subtle and profound understanding of the nature of divine justice.

Key takeaways

• Sharia embodies a comprehensive system of both bounty (reward) and chastisement (punishment), not just one aspect.
• Justice, in the divine order, is understood as placing everything in its appropriate position.
• The analogy of the king's throne and the steed's stable illustrates that differing stations and responses are inherent and proportional.
• Divine judgment assesses reward and punishment based on each individual's intellect and understanding, not a uniform application for all.
• Factors such as upbringing and cognitive capacity are considered in the divine reckoning of justice.
• Rumi presents a nuanced view of divine justice, far from rigid determinism.