M6:3674 — نیست سرگردانی ما زین لگام / جز ز تصریف سوار دوست‌کام

Translation: Our bewildered wandering is not from this bridle; / Rather, it is solely from the disposition of the Friend-desiring Rider. Meaning: This verse conveys that our movements and destinies are not governed by apparent, external causes, but are instead orchestrated by the hidden will and benevolent design of a supreme, loving power.

This verse offers a profound insight into Rumi's worldview, where behind the veil of apparent causes, an unseen hand is always at work. Rumi employs a famous allegory, describing natural physicians who, in their quest to cure a sick slave girl, are like an 'unbridled horse' (asb-i bī-ʿazār), seeing only the reins (bridle) and oblivious to the 'Rider.' It is here that Rumi unequivocally states: 'Our bewildered wandering is not from this bridle; / Rather, it is solely from the disposition of the Friend-desiring Rider.' This means that our movement and bewilderment, seemingly under the command of the reins of natural causes, are in truth the product of the orchestrations and guidance of a hidden 'Rider' who possesses a benevolent and 'friend-desiring' will.

I have always emphasized that this verse, and similar examples in the Mathnawi, not only alludes to the negation of secondary causes but speaks of makr-i Yazdān (Divine cunning or providence) that flows behind the curtain of apparent causes. The physicians and naturalists who have become 'slaves to causes' (banda-yi sabab) are oblivious to this Rider. They see only the bridle that pulls the horse hither and thither, but they do not know that the horse does not move on its own; a 'skillful rider' (rāyid-i chust) is seated upon its back. This is precisely the long-standing Ash'arite debate in Islamic philosophy that rejected secondary causality in nature, arguing that fire does not burn cotton by itself; rather, it is God who, by His custom, brings about the act of burning when fire is placed next to cotton. Imam Muhammad Ghazali, in his Tahāfut al-Falāsifa (The Incoherence of the Philosophers), vehemently put forth this argument, using examples to show there is no guarantee for the continuity of natural causation. He would ask, 'Who says if you tie your horse in a stable, you will find the same horse when you return?'

As Kant later articulated in Western philosophy, in a different way, the continuity and causality in nature are not something we receive from the world; rather, our mind imposes them upon the world. In other words, we construct a world where causes and effects are interconnected, forgetting that these apparent phenomena are merely garments that the Rider clothes this horse with. Through this expression, Rumi calls us to shift from a merely bottom-up perspective (observing apparent causes) to a top-down perspective (seeing the sublime and benevolent will). He does not say that natural causes do not exist, but rather that the true and ultimate agent is the Rider, and the bridle is merely His instrument. This is an invitation to transcend the superficial level and grasp the deeper flow of existence.

Key takeaways

• Apparent causes (the bridle) are mere instruments; the true and ultimate agent is the 'Friend-desiring Rider.'
• Our destiny and movements stem from the hidden will and benevolent orchestration of a supreme, loving power.
• Rumi speaks of makr-i Yazdān (Divine providence) which operates behind the curtain of apparent causes.
• Overlooking the 'Rider' is the error of natural scientists and those who become 'slaves to causes.'
• This verse alludes to the Ash'arite rejection of secondary causation, attributing the world's motion to direct Divine will.
• Rumi's invitation is to transcend superficial appearances and grasp the deeper flow of existence and the celestial will.