M6:3687 — بس کس از عقد زنان قارون شده / بس کس از عقد زنان مدیون شده

Translation: Many a person has become Qarun-like (rich) from the marriage-contract with women; / Many a person has become indebted from the marriage-contract with women. Meaning: This couplet illustrates the unpredictable nature of worldly causes, showing how the same apparent action (marriage) can lead to vastly different outcomes, from immense wealth to heavy debt, highlighting a hidden hand in affairs.

This couplet, found in Rumi's Masnavi, is far more than a simple anecdote or a witty observation; it serves as a pivotal point in his intricate discussion on causality, determinism, and the unseen hand of the ‘Cause-Maker’ (sabab-gardān) behind the apparent ‘causes’ (asbab). I have previously emphasized that Rumi, with all his intellectual might, stands resolutely against any form of definitive determinism or absolute predictability in the world and in history, whether it be scientific, historical, or personal.

As I've noted elsewhere, when we observe continuity and causality in nature, our assumption is one of continuity. Kant, too, believed that experience itself does not provide us with this continuity; rather, it is our mind that imposes it upon nature. However, Rumi goes further, asserting that this continuity is a product of 'perpetual creation' and 'continuous emanation.' It is as if the 'horse of nature' must be constantly recreated in its former manner for us to perceive continuity. If this horse were suddenly to transform into a donkey, one should not be surprised, for in the realm of 'possibility,' nothing is impossible, even if it is not the 'established order of the world.'

It is precisely here that Rumi, through these simple yet profoundly insightful examples, demonstrates how our plans and strategies sometimes fail to land as intended, veering off course. You shoot an arrow straight, yet you find it has gone left. You pursue a deer, only to find yourself having caught a pig. You strive to accumulate profit, but suddenly find yourself in jail and bankruptcy. Our very beyt under discussion is a shining illustration of this point: 'Many a person has become Qarun-like (rich) from the marriage-contract with women; / Many a person has become indebted from the marriage-contract with women.' One, through marriage, whether by inheritance or some twist of fate, becomes the Qarun of their age; another, with the same hope of wealth, finds themselves burdened by heavy debt from their marriage.

The conclusion Rumi draws from these phenomena is clear: 'When the Lord thwarts your desire through a cause, / Why would you not then distrust the cause itself?' If the Divine frustrates your intentions through an apparent cause, why should you not become skeptical of that cause and cease to place absolute trust in it? This means we must recognize that nothing in this world is truly certain. This is an insight that even modern sciences have gradually come to accept; despite all precision and calculation, scientists admit the fragility of certainties. Our predictions, especially in history, have always been fragile, and history is replete with ideas like 'the end of history' that have ultimately failed, because 'poverty of imagination' prevents us from conceiving that things might unfold differently.

Rumi emphasizes that this 'prudence and caution' (hizm wa haẓar) and this refusal of absolute trust is akin to saying 'Inshallah.' He likens the cause (sabab) to 'the tail of a donkey,' which appears to be the cause-turner but is itself controlled by the donkey (which, in turn, has a rider). 'For the cause-turner is like a donkey’s tail; / It is better to rely less on it.' This means we must constantly nurture 'intellectual humility' and 'practical humility,' recognizing that we are not the masters of this universe. This world does not stand on its own; these 'breaches' or 'gaps' in affairs are signs of another force that either does not wish for something to happen or wishes for it to occur. 'I recognized God by the annulment of resolves and the breaking of intentions'—this saying of Imam Ali in Nahj al-Balagha seems to encapsulate this aspect of Rumi’s worldview. When our resolves and plans are disrupted, we must understand that the world does not operate on its own, but has another operator. This overpowering force sometimes inverts reality in our eyes, so that 'it shows the donkey as a goat' and 'you see the pit as a delicate house / you see the snare as a fine seed.' This is not sophistry; it is the 'turning over by God' (taqlīb-i khudā), for God sometimes inverts realities in our eyes so that we may achieve humility and understand that the thread of all things is held in one place, and there is one Rider who guides this horse.

Key takeaways

• Apparent causes and means do not guarantee specific outcomes with certainty.
• A single action can lead to entirely opposite results, indicating a hidden hand of destiny.
• Absolute reliance on secondary causes stems from heedlessness of the ultimate Cause-Maker.
• Unexpected events and thwarted plans serve as opportunities to awaken from heedlessness and recognize the primary 'Cause-Turner'.
• Rumi calls us to practical and intellectual humility, reminding us that humanity is not the absolute sovereign of the world.
• The world does not operate on absolute determinism; there is always the possibility of change and a higher will at play.