M6:3551 — ور روا دارند چیزی زان ستد / بیست چندان خو زیانشان اوفتد

Translation: And if they deem it permissible to take anything from it, Twenty times as much harm will befall them.

Meaning: If heirs unjustly appropriate wealth that has been dedicated or bequeathed by the deceased, they will incur harm twentyfold greater than what they took.

This particular couplet emerges from a story in the Masnavi concerning a wealthy deceased khwāja who, in a dream, conveys his last will to an intermediary. The khwāja dictates that his heirs must not touch even a single grain of the wealth he has set aside for a poor debtor, even if the debtor declines some of it; it is to be left for the needy. In this beyt, Rumi, through the voice of the khwāja, addresses the consequence of violating this will—a consequence that is neither legal nor worldly, but deeply spiritual.

I have consistently emphasized that Rumi, at times, departs from conventional Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) to delve into deeper dimensions of truth. In Shi'i fiqh, and I strongly suspect in Sunni fiqh as well, a person can only bequeath up to one-third of their wealth after death and after all debts have been settled. However, in the khwāja's story, he regards his entire fortune as subject to this spiritual will, even instructing in a dream that not a single grain should revert to his heirs. This demonstrates that Rumi is not merely stating a legal ruling but articulating a cosmic and ethical truth; one where covenants with the Divine and wills stemming from pure intention hold a higher authority and validity than prevailing human laws.

If the heirs deem it permissible to violate this sacred trust and take anything from the wealth the khwāja had made a 'nazar' (vow) to God for, they will suffer twentyfold harm. This twentyfold harm is not a legal fine or a material loss in the visible world. It is a purely spiritual retribution—a form of karmic boomerang that signifies how any breach of spiritual covenants, especially concerning the rights of others and divine intentions, will have severe and unseen repercussions. Rumi expresses this elsewhere: 'If they cause pain to my soul, quickly a hundred doors of suffering will open upon them.' This linkage between distressing the soul of the departed and the opening of doors of suffering confirms Rumi's conception of cosmic justice.

There is also a subtle linguistic point here: Rumi uses the word 'nazar' (vow) instead of 'ʿahd' (covenant), though 'ʿahd' might seem more fitting in this context. However, such precise distinctions are often secondary for Rumi, who is always pursuing the essence of meaning. The crucial message conveyed is a robust vision of a just universe where, even after death, intentions and heartfelt wills possess an enforcement mechanism in the unseen realm. This perspective sees the world as an active place where no action, good or ill, goes unanswered, and the law of cause and effect returns to the actor with magnified intensity.

Key takeaways

• In Rumi's worldview, moral and spiritual consequences supersede earthly legal dictates.
• Violation of a vow or covenant made with God incurs severe and manifold spiritual retribution.
• Rumi's narratives often challenge conventional legal interpretations to reveal deeper ethical truths.
• Distressing the soul of the departed through injustice brings irreparable spiritual harm.
• Divine justice is depicted as active, multi-layered, and extends beyond material punishments, returning the consequence to the actor.