M6:196 — گفتش ای عم یک شهادت تو بگو / تا کنم با حق خصومت بهر تو

Translation: He (the Prophet) said to him, "O Uncle, utter one declaration of faith, So that I may contend with God on your behalf." Meaning: This verse is part of a story where the Prophet of Islam asks his uncle Abu Talib to declare his faith openly, promising to intercede and defend him before God.

This verse, from the sixth book of the Masnavi, refers to a story involving the Prophet of Islam and his uncle, Abu Talib. The narrative describes how the Prophet asks Abu Talib to publicly declare his faith, but Abu Talib hesitates, fearing reproach and infamy among the Arabs.

Here, Mawlana depicts a profound issue: taqiyya, or the avoidance of expressing the truth of one's faith, not out of fear for one's life, but out of fear of public judgment. Abu Talib is concerned that the Arabs would say he abandoned the religion of his forefathers for a "child" (the Prophet). This shame and social consideration become a veil over the heart's truth.

The crucial point in understanding this verse is the correct interpretation of the phrase "So that I may contend with God on your behalf" (ta konam bā Ḥaqq khuṣūmat be-har-i to). This by no means implies enmity towards God. As we find in the Quran, "And be not a khaṣīm for the traitors" (Q 4:105), khaṣīm here means an advocate or defender. Thus, the Prophet promises Abu Talib that if he utters the two declarations of faith (shahādatayn), the Prophet himself will become his legal defender before the Almighty, "contending" on his behalf with God—that is, defending him. This is a promise from the greatest advocate in the cosmos, the Seal of the Prophets, to his uncle.

Mawlana, continuing the story and interpreting Abu Talib's situation, introduces the concept of divine attraction (jadhba-ye Ḥaqq) and divine grace (luṭf-e mā sabaq). He states, "But had He (God) granted him primordial grace / How could this faint-heartedness have remained with the Divine attraction?" Had divine grace and attraction reached Abu Talib earlier, this "faint-heartedness" (baddelī) and hesitation to declare faith would never have persisted in him. He, like many of the Prophet's companions, would have courageously stood by his faith and sacrificed his life, rather than fearing what people might say. This is not Mawlana's personal blame of Abu Talib, but a philosophical and mystical point about how true faith is accompanied by courage and fearlessness, and hesitation and secrecy indicate a deficiency in divine attraction.

This hesitation and fear of public opinion is an issue Mawlana touches upon elsewhere, illustrating how an "evil eye" or envy can divert one from their goal. He writes, "Except by hinting at others' states / I cannot tell my own state plainly." This suggests that even mystics sometimes resort to subtle means to protect the truth from ill-willed eyes and ears. However, the difference here is that Abu Talib practices taqiyya out of faint-heartedness, not out of a mystic's calculated wisdom. Mawlana explicitly praises courageous faith here and considers its absence as a sign of insufficient divine attraction. This issue ultimately leads to the more fundamental discussion of free will (ikhtiyār) and divine trust (amānat): whether humans have the power to choose open faith and to what extent accepting the trust of free will is risky.

Key takeaways

• Fear of public judgment can prevent the expression of true faith.
• The phrase "contending with God" here means to advocate for someone before God, not to be hostile towards Him.
• The Prophet (PBUH) offers his uncle Abu Talib advocacy in the divine presence.
• Hesitation and secrecy in faith indicate a deficiency in "divine attraction" and grace.
• True faith is accompanied by courage and fearlessness in declaring the truth.