M6:3301 — من همی‌گویم بس و تو مفضلم / گفته کین هم گیر از بهر دلم

Translation: I would always say, 'Enough!' and you, the Generous one, Would say, 'Take this too, for the sake of my heart.' Meaning: The debtor recalls how, during his benefactor's lifetime, whenever he declared to have received enough, the generous muhtasib would insist he take even more, 'for my sake.'

This verse, uttered by the debtor at the grave of the deceased muhtasib (tax collector/public official), portrays the pinnacle of generosity and beneficence. The muhtasib spoken of here is not merely an ordinary human, but a symbol of an expansive, ocean-hearted being; one whose boundless magnanimity not only fulfills needs but, beyond that, whose very existence is a fount of ceaseless grace. The debtor recounts, "Every time I received something from you, I would say, 'Enough! It's sufficient for me,' but you, O Mufaḍḍal (the one who bestows abundant favor), would say to me, 'No, take this too, not for your own need, but for the sake of my heart.'"

This is an extremely subtle point that Rumi highlights here. The true giver, whose grace flows from inexhaustible abundance, insists on giving even when the need has been met. This insistence no longer stems from the recipient's necessity but from the overflowing "heart" of the giver—from that full and boundless heart which cannot but give. This is precisely the state alluded to in Sufism as fayḍ-e dā’em (eternal emanation) and ʿatā-ye bī-ʿillat (causeless bestowal). As I have often asserted, God also bestows in this manner; not because we are in need, but because He is Jawwād (the Most Generous), and His very existence is generosity itself. It is His heart that desires to give, even if the recipient says, "Enough!"

In the debtor's eyes, this muhtasib is not merely a human being; he is a "world" now fallen beneath the earth, a "heaven" now resting in the soil. These metaphors elevate the spiritual stature and existential breadth of this benefactor to the highest heavens. He was a being whose bounty and grace, like God's kull yawmin huwa fī shaʾn (every day He is engaged in a new work), never ceased. This verse, embedded within the narrative of the muhtasib and the debtor, imparts a great lesson about the nature of divine generosity and the quality of divine grace. He not only fulfilled needs but, by insisting on giving more "for his own sake," he imparted to the recipient the feeling that, in the cycle of giving, it is the giver themselves who finds inner contentment. This is the ultimate expression of grace and generosity.

Key takeaways

• True generosity extends beyond merely fulfilling needs; it stems from the giver's grace and abundant heart.
• The insistence on 'taking for the giver's sake' signifies boundless emanation and unconditional bestowal.
• Rumi portrays this muhtasib as a symbol of an expansive, ocean-hearted being, like a 'world' or a 'heaven.'
• The verse alludes to the nature of divine grace: God gives not out of our need, but from His inherent generosity and perfection.