M6:618 — خانهٔ خود را همی‌سوزی بسوز / کیست آن کس کت بگوید لایجوز

Translation: You are burning Your own house, so burn it. Who is there who can tell You it is not permissible? Meaning: Addressing the Beloved, this verse speaks of the lover's complete surrender and sacrifice: the lover's very existence is the absolute property of the Beloved, and whatever the Beloved does with His own domain is permissible, with no one having the right to object.

This verse portrays the zenith of annihilation and surrender of the lover before the Beloved. Here, Rumi, with an assertive and unreserved tone, speaks of the Beloved's absolute right over the lover's existence. He emphasizes that what we perceive as 'our own house' truly belongs to the Beloved, and if He wishes, He can burn it down and eradicate it. In this view, 'burning' symbolizes the destruction of the ego, the demise of the self, and becoming absorbed in the Beloved's will; a kind of self-forgetting and self-losing in His presence. This burning brings coolness to the Beloved's heart and His complete satisfaction.

I link this verse to the teachings of the Ash'ari school of theology, which held that whatever God does with His creation is permissible and just, for He acts within His own dominion and not in another's. Rumi applies this same logic to the realm of love: the 'house' – meaning the lover's existence and being – is the Beloved's absolute property. Therefore, jurists and adherents of Sharia, whose task is to discern 'permissible' and 'impermissible,' have no jurisdiction in this domain. How can one prohibit the owner of a property from acting within their own domain? If an owner sets their own house on fire, no one can say, 'it is not permissible.' This is the ultimate surrender and unconditional nature of love.

In another part of the same ghazal, Rumi addresses the Beloved as a 'drunken lion.' This metaphor is a powerful image of the essence of love or the Beloved Himself: a lion that is both ferocious and intoxicated, meaning that in its actions, it is free from the logic of reason and human constraints, seemingly unaware of the external effects of its deeds. This 'drunken lion' can, through its actions, drown the lover in their own blood, demanding nothing from them but the coolness of its heart and a dance in blood. This description highlights the merciless and illogical aspect of love that overcomes reason; a love that can choke and silence patience, for patience has no place in the creed of lovers.

Ultimately, this verse is an invitation to absolute surrender. At this stage of love, the lover not only refrains from complaining to the Beloved but also offers no thanks, for they do not perceive themselves as being on a level where they could offer gratitude or complaint in the face of absolute Being. Their existence is synonymous with non-existence and annihilation in the essence of the Beloved, and whatever befalls them is nothing but grace and truth. Any objection or judgment is a sign of residual 'selfhood,' which has no place at this level of love.

Key takeaways

• The lover's existence is the absolute property of the Beloved; the Beloved is free to do as He pleases with His own domain.
• The 'burning of the house' symbolizes the annihilation of the ego and the self's dissolution in the face of the Beloved's will.
• The ruling of 'la yajūz' (impermissibility) belongs to human jurisprudence and has no place in the divine realm of love.
• This verse reflects Ash'ari theology, which posits God as the absolute owner, whose actions are beyond human judgment.
• The Beloved (or Love) as a 'drunken lion' symbolizes an illogical and untamed power, free from the constraints of reason.
• Complete surrender, without complaint or even gratitude, marks the highest station of the lover in this relationship.