M6:1442 — هم‌چو آب نیل دان این جبر را / آب مؤمن را و خون مر گبر را

Translation: Know this determinism (jabr) to be like the water of the Nile; it is water for the believer, but blood for the infidel. Meaning: Divine decree or determinism (jabr) can be a source of elevation and dynamism, or stagnation and ruin, depending on an individual's inner spiritual state.

I have often said that Mowlana, in the Masnavi, pondered deeply on the matters of determinism (jabr) and free will (ikhtiar), sometimes leaning one way, sometimes the other. This verse offers one of his most exquisite analogies for elucidating this complex issue. This jabr, this divine decree, must be understood as the water of the Nile. The very same water that was clear and sweet for the followers of Moses, transformed into blood for the Egyptians and Pharaoh's people. Mowlana recounts this story in the first book of the Masnavi and elsewhere, detailing how the same water remained pure in the cup of a believer, but became blood in the cup of a non-believer. The term gabr here signifies any non-believer, not merely a Zoroastrian.

Thus, jabr is neither inherently good nor bad; rather, it is our internal state and perception that render it so. For the 'perfected ones' (kāmelān), jabr is like 'wings' that carry them towards the Sultan of Being and sublime truths, guiding them to a 'rose garden' of spiritual ascent. However, for the 'lazy ones' (kāhelān) and those who approach the world with a non-believing disposition, this very jabr transforms into a 'prison and bond,' dragging them towards a 'graveyard' of lethargy and inertia. The tools that God has placed at our disposal, including the power of our will and our understanding of jabr, can all be utilized for good or ill.

This is a crucial lesson for us: not to succumb to idleness and despondency out of a misconception of jabr, nor to use it as an excuse for our indolence. The concepts of the unity of existence (wahdat-e wujud) and the unity of divine acts (tawhid-e af'ali) found in the Quran and the Masnavi, which attribute all actions to God, must not lead us to believe that we are mere automatons. On the contrary, we possess free will, and God Himself has bestowed this choice upon us. As the Quran states, God aids all, both the righteous and the unrighteous: "We provide for all—these and those—from the bounty of your Lord; and the bounty of your Lord is not restricted." This divine assistance is like an open table from which anyone can partake, either with good intention or for misuse. It is here that the role of our understanding and intention in the quality of jabr's manifestation becomes clear.

Key takeaways

• Determinism (jabr) is neither inherently good nor bad; its manifestation depends on an individual's inner spiritual state.
• Like the Nile's water turning to blood for the unbeliever, jabr is a source of life for the faithful but stagnation for the indolent.
• For the 'perfected ones,' jabr serves as wings for spiritual ascent; for the 'lazy ones,' it becomes a prison of inaction.
• Mowlana warns against using the concept of jabr as an excuse for laziness or abandoning effort.
• Our actions, though ultimately underpinned by divine will, are shaped in quality and direction by our free choice and intention.