M6:2836 — گفت در ریشم بود خاصیتم / که رهانم مجرمان را از نقم

Translation: (The King, in disguise) said: "My special power lies within my beard, / Through which I free the culprits from their doom." Meaning: This verse describes a king possessing absolute power to pardon criminals, implying that a mere gesture of his beard can alter their fate.

This couplet is situated within the narrative of the 'Tale of the Night Thieves' in Book Six of the Masnavi. In this story, Sultan Mahmud, disguised as a thief, joins a band of robbers, each of whom boasts of their unique 'art' or 'skill.' When it is the King's turn, he speaks of the 'power of his beard' through which he can rescue culprits from punishment. This statement, ostensibly a thief's boast, is in fact a profound reflection on Rumi's teachings regarding absolute power.

I interpret this verse as an embodiment of the absolute and boundless divine power, a power which Rumi describes with utter joy. Kings, in our mystical literature and especially for Rumi, are seen as mirrors of the Divine, reflecting God's sovereignty over creation. This power is unconstrained by any condition or limitation, and no one dares question it, echoing the Ash'arite theological dictum: "He is not questioned for what He does, but they are questioned." In this realm, justice, reason, ethics, and even human free will are all sacrificed at the altar of this 'divine omnipotence.' Rumi celebrates this autocratic and unaccountable power with indescribable fervor; it is as if in the shadow of such power, a safety can be found that is impossible in any other system. This understanding of divine power, rooted in Ash'arite theology and akin to 'Nominalism' in European philosophy, implies that universal laws, whether in mathematics or ethics, are subservient to God's absolute will and can be abrogated without any flaw; for His will reigns supreme over all things.

However, it must be noted that this 'strange helplessness' in the face of such a fearsome God was itself a great challenge for mystics. Confronted with a God who sits 'above ethics' and might even renege on His promises, Sufis, particularly in the 'fearful Sufism' tradition, found no recourse but 'love.' By speaking of divine generosity and love, they sought to temper this 'fear' and find inner peace. Rumi, too, with his eloquent and subtle poetic language, portrays this God not as a ravenous lion that takes the gazelle's life, but as a lion that grants it life, thereby blending fear with affection and instilling hope in the seeker. This is a point I find to be one of the darker yet intricate aspects of our mysticism, where love and generosity are invoked to illuminate the darkness of absolute divine autocracy.

Key takeaways

• This verse symbolizes absolute and autocratic power, beyond all questioning.
• In Rumi's mysticism, kings mirror divine power, manifesting God's omnipotence and might.
• Justice, reason, ethics, and free will are sacrificed before absolute divine power; a key tenet in Ash'arite mysticism.
• Rumi speaks with fervor of this boundless power, finding in submission to it a profound sense of security and peace.
• To confront a fearsome, 'super-ethical' God, Sufis embraced the path of divine love and generosity to soothe inner anxiety.