M6:64 — جنگها بین کان اصول صلحهاست / چون نبی که جنگ او بهر خداست

Translation: Behold, wars are the very principles of peaces, Like the Prophet whose war is for God. Meaning: This couplet asserts that certain wars, particularly those waged by Prophets, are not motivated by worldly desires but are rather fundamental principles that lead to true, divine peace, ultimately aiming for good.

In various passages of the Mathnavi, Rumi depicts the realm of the soul and the afterlife as devoid of enmity and conflict—a world where “they shall not hear therein vain discourse or sinful speech,” a place where “there is no war, no grief.” This realm is the domain of pure desires and sanctified souls, free from any material or lust-driven contention. Yet, here, Rumi addresses a “presumed objection” and offers a profound answer: If the world of the soul is so, how can the wars of the Prophets be justified? Are they not also endowed with the divine spirit?

This couplet constitutes Rumi’s brilliant response to this very question. I hold, without reservation, that this is Rumi’s unequivocal stance: “Wars, behold, are the very principles of peaces / Like the Prophet whose war is for God.” The wars waged by Prophets are neither worldly nor stemming from ego or avarice. This strife is fundamentally different from human conflicts. This war is not for material gain, nor for domination over bodies, nor for petty worldly ends; rather, it is “for God.” This “war,” in truth, is an endeavor to establish the “principles of peaces”—that is, to lay down ethical and spiritual rules that ultimately lead to the establishment of lasting peace and true felicity in society and in human souls.

As Rumi himself states, the Prophet is “Nabi al-Sayf” (the Prophet of the Sword), but this sword is not drawn for worldly purposes. His war is for noble and divine ends; it is for “securing a good outcome” (ḥusn-i ʿāqibat). Rumi contrasts this with the religion of Jesus, for whom “the expediency in Jesus’s religion is the cave and the mountain.” Both approaches, within their own contexts, lead to righteousness and goodness. The Prophet sought dominance over “souls” (i.e., bringing faith) and over “bodies” (i.e., submission to Islam). This dominance is over misguidance and ignorance, clearing the path for real, divine peace. Thus, what appears outwardly as “war” is, in its essence, the founder of peace—an action stemming from the soul and for the elevation of souls. This is a very deep perspective that divorces seemingly violent actions from ignoble material origins and links them to spiritual, peace-generating roots.

Key takeaways

• Prophetic wars differ in nature from worldly conflicts; they are, in essence, principles that lead to true peace.
• What appears outwardly as 'war,' if it is 'for God,' ultimately leads to the establishment of lasting peace and felicity.
• The primary aim of divine wars is not material domination, but rather to instill faith in souls and submission in bodies for the ultimate good.
• Rumi compares the Prophet's active approach with Jesus's contemplative one, illustrating that diverse paths can lead to the same divine goal.