M6:906 — با قضا هر کو قراری می‌دهد / ریش‌خند سبلت خود می‌کند

Translation: Whoever attempts to settle terms with Divine Decree (qazā), / Mocks the very mustache of his own self. Meaning: This verse asserts humanity's utter powerlessness before God's decree, suggesting that any effort to oppose or negotiate with divine will is a ridiculous and self-deceiving act.

This stirring verse by Rumi, in my view, is an unequivocal assertion of humanity's position before divine decree (qazā). When Rumi declares, "Whoever attempts to settle terms with Divine Decree (qazā), / Mocks the very mustache of his own self," he is making a subtle yet firm point about the illusion of absolute human agency. The 'mustache' (sublat) in our culture symbolizes virility, power, and self-assertion. One who tries to 'settle terms' with divine qazā—meaning, to swim against its current or even claim control over it—has, in effect, mocked himself. Such an individual has made themselves ridiculous and powerless, even while believing they have demonstrated strength. This is an image of the futility inherent in the human delusion of self-sufficiency.

As I have often stated, Rumi envisions humanity in the hands of the Eternal Painter, much like "Forms, whether aware or unaware, / Are in the Painter's hand, transient." This nameless Painter continuously performs 'erasure and affirmation' (maḥw wa ithbāt) on the 'page of our thought.' One moment, anger is brought forth; the next, contentment is removed; stinginess is instilled, and generosity withdrawn. Are these internal transformations entirely subject to our will? Clearly, they are not. These changes of state are themselves a testament to the hidden hand playing within our being. Our existence is like the Lawḥ-i Maḥw wa Ithbāt, a tablet upon which something is constantly inscribed and something else erased, and this is not by our full volition, but by divine act.

Rumi offers numerous tangible examples to elucidate this truth: "The potter works upon the pot; / How else would the pot become wide or long?" Or, "The wood is sheltered in the carpenter's hand; / Else how would it be cut and then joined?" And "The garment is in the tailor's hand; / Else how would it sew or tear itself?" Even, "The waterskin is with the water-carrier, O seeker; / Else how would it become full or empty?" These examples demonstrate that in this domain, we humans are not independent agents but rather causae receptivae (receptive causes). That is, like clay, wood, fabric, or a waterskin, we merely possess the capacity to receive the action of another agent (God). Before divine ṣunʿ (making or artifice), we stand as humble matter, which by itself has no form or action, and whatever form or action it acquires, comes from the Ṣāniʿ (Maker).

This is a lesson in humility and in shedding the illusion of control. True lovers have surrendered themselves to the "raging flood of love" and "have yielded their hearts to the decree of love." They know that, like "a straw before you, O mighty wind," they have no will of their own. Or, like "a cat in a sack in the hand of love / One moment high, one moment low, by love." This surrender is not passivity, but an understanding of one's place in the order of existence and a release from the compulsion of the illusion of free will. This awareness of God's absolute Jabbāriyya (compelling power) opens the way for human zāri (lamentation and supplication) out of humility, not out of protest or enmity. In this station, instead of contending with qazā, one "runs through space and non-space" with it, becoming united with it.

Key takeaways

• Humans lack true agency before divine decree (qazā); any claim to oppose it is self-deception.
• Internal human states, such as anger and contentment, transform independently of our will, indicating divine intervention.
• Rumi likens humans to tools or raw materials upon which the true Agent (God) acts.
• This verse invites surrender to the flood of divine love and will, not as passivity, but as an understanding of one's true place.
• Understanding God's absolute compelling power (Jabbāriyya) leads to humility and supplication, not protest or contention.