M6:1646 — شب ندزدیدی چراغ روز را / دی نبردی باغ عیش آموز را

Translation: What if night did not steal the lamp of day? What if winter did not carry away the joy-teaching garden? Meaning: The verse questions why the world is created with dualities; it asks what would be wrong if existence were perpetually bright and joyful, without the obscuring and diminishing forces of night and winter.

This verse continues the fundamental question posed by the Sufi to the Qadi; a question that is, without doubt, one of the most ancient and far-reaching issues in philosophy and theology. Here, the Sufi challenges the state of the world, asking: What if creation had produced only mercy, light, and joy, entirely free from pain, darkness, and evil? This query, which Rumi describes as an ongoing battle "between the determinist and the free-willer until resurrection," is essentially humanity's perennial concern, one that philosophers like Kant also addressed much later.

In this couplet, Rumi alludes to the natural dualities of the world that make beauty and delight variegated and mixed with bitterness. The Sufi asks: What if night did not steal the illuminating light of day, and perpetual brightness reigned? What if the cold, autumn-bringing month of Dey (winter) did not destroy the fresh, joy-teaching garden, and eternal spring always prevailed?

These vivid images are allegories for the existence of opposites in the world: light against darkness, joy against sorrow, health against sickness. Through this question, the Sufi yearns for a state of pure flawlessness in creation, a world that "forever opened the brow of mercy" and was free from any "blemish in its blessings." In essence, this verse delves into the profound question of why God did not create a world of pure light, pure joy, and pure health, but rather intertwined it with darkness, pain, evils, and afflictions. This is a philosophical-mystical enigma whose answer, in the subsequent parts of the Masnavi, will gradually unfold through stories and parables. Rumi shows no haste in providing a direct answer; indeed, here, he has the Qadi divert the audience's minds from the gravity of this grand question by narrating an amusing tale.

Key takeaways

• This verse introduces the fundamental 'problem of evil' in creation: Why is the world a mixture of opposites?
• The Sufi expresses a longing for a world of pure light, joy, and flawlessness, contrasting it with the dualistic reality of creation.
• Rumi considers this question an 'unending' theological and philosophical dispute, spanning from ancient times to the present.
• The couplet focuses on natural dualities (night and day, summer and winter) as symbols of the intermingling of pleasure and displeasure.
• Instead of direct philosophical answers, Rumi frequently addresses these profound questions through parables and allegories.