M6:2107 — هین که معکوس است در امر این گره / صدقه‌بخش خویش را صدقه بده

Translation: Know that in this knot of affairs, the situation is inverted; Give charity to one who is himself your giver of charity. Meaning: The world's order is inverted: those who are truly our benefactors and providers of sustenance appear poor, and we are commanded to give them charity.

This verse from the Masnavi, M6:2107, follows Rumi’s discourse on the profound status of the 'men of God' and divine saints, unveiling a deeply intricate and seemingly paradoxical truth. In Rumi's view, these mystics and spiritual masters are unequivocally not merely wayfarers on the path of truth, but rather the very pillars of existence and the fundamental source of blessings and sustenance in the cosmos. This resonates with Islamic traditions, such as 'biminahu rizq al-wara' (by their blessing is sustenance given to creation), and more profoundly, 'lawlāka lamā khalaqtu al-aflāk' (were it not for you, I would not have created the heavens and the spheres), indicating that the very creation of the universe was for the sake of these pure souls. Rumi extends this high station not just to the Prophet, but to all divine friends, for the souls of these illuminated men are unified and singular.

It is for this reason that Rumi asserts that without these divine beings, neither would the celestial spheres revolve, nor would there be light or a place for angels; neither would the seas exist with their fish, nor treasures within the earth and fragrant flowers upon it. Everything in the universe, from the rotation of the heavens to the emergence of sustenance and fruits, is in essence 'sustenance-dependent' upon their bounty. The fruits, in fact, are 'thirsty lips' for the rain of their existence; that is, all things are quenched by them.

Within this profound ontological framework, the verse states: 'Know that in this knot of affairs, the situation is inverted; give charity to one who is himself your giver of charity.' Rumi declares with utmost clarity that the workings of the world are reversed and inverted. Ostensibly, it is these divine saints who may lack worldly possessions and appear poor. Consequently, we are enjoined to give them charity, to care for them, and to attend to their needs. However, this outward appearance is but a veil over a deeper reality. The truth is that they are 'our own givers of charity'; we live by their grace, and all our blessings and provisions—from gold and silk to all that we possess—are due to their existence. It is this inversion of worldly affairs that makes the discovery of truth difficult for us. The world appears 'inverted' to us, and the comprehension of 'this knot' stems from the conflict between appearance and reality. This verse, therefore, is an invitation to a deeper understanding of the hierarchical structure of existence and a call to gratitude towards those who, in the hidden realm, are our providers and benefactors, even if, in the visible world, they appear to be in need.

Key takeaways

• The world's order is fundamentally inverted, concealing true reality from us.
• Divine saints are, in essence, the true benefactors and providers of sustenance for the cosmos, from whom all existence draws blessings.
• Our command to give charity to the men of God is, in reality, an act of nurturing the very source of our own sustenance.
• This apparent inversion obscures the sacred and true status of God's chosen ones, demanding deeper insight.