M6:3502 — گفت سلطان اسپ را وا پس برید / زودتر زین مظلمه بازم خرید

Translation: The Sultan said, "Take this horse back! _Quickly free me from this injustice's claim." Meaning: Upon realizing the trickster's deception, the Sultan orders the horse returned, seeking to distance himself from the sin or injustice that would otherwise fall upon him.

This particular couplet, while seemingly straightforward, is one of those instances where Rumi, through a simple narrative, unveils profound ontological and theological truths. In this story, the Sultan is initially deceived, failing to recognize a cow's head on a horse. He then abruptly emerges from his heedlessness (ghaflat) and grasps the essence of the trick. His command to return the horse and be relieved of the mazlama—the burden of sin or injustice that would otherwise fall upon him—marks the beginning of deeper reflection.

The central point here is Rumi's immediate rhetorical question: "Why did the king not for a moment consider what it means to put a cow's head on a horse?" This foundational question points to a broader phenomenon: that sometimes God blinds our inner eye to realities, or causes us to be heedless of them. The ghaflat that initially obscured the Sultan's perception, preventing him from seeing the obvious contradiction (a cow's head on a horse), is not a mere accident. Rather, it can be seen as a manifestation of Makr-e Ḥaqq (God's cunning), as alluded to in the Quran: "And they schemed, and God schemed; and God is the best of schemers." God, in this world, not only thwarts the schemes of schemers but is Himself the "schemer," meaning that at times He inverts truth, or draws a veil over the soul's eye, so that a greater wisdom may be realized. He performs seḥr-e ḥalāl (lawful magic), bringing qabz (constriction) and bast (expansion) to hearts, closing one eye while opening another.

This Makr-e Ḥaqq is, in essence, a form of divine orchestration. The world is His stage of play and action, and we, though agents and responsible for our deeds, are situated within a larger providential cycle. Rumi here refers to the majesty of the Shahra-Zāv (renowned Architect), meaning God, the architect of this world, who has "fashioned bodies appropriately" and created each organ in its proper place. How could such an architect place a "cow's limb upon the body of a horse"? This very contradiction is a path to gnosis, demonstrating that even deception falls within His domain and will, ultimately leading to awareness and insight. It is these divine qabz and bast that turn hearts, sometimes making the moon appear as a nightmare, and other times showing the bottom of a well as a delightful garden. The Prophet, too, sought liberation from this divine seḥr-e ḥalāl by saying, "O Lord, show us things as they are," desiring unveiled truth.

This couplet reminds us that behind every superficial perception and every deception, there is the hidden hand of divine providence, guiding us from heedlessness to awakening, and from ignorance to knowledge. The trickster's injustice initially cast a shadow over the Sultan's perception, but ultimately became a tool for the discovery of truth and wisdom.

Key takeaways

• Appearances can be deceiving; behind every event lies a hidden divine design.
• Heedlessness to truths is sometimes God's will, part of Makr-e Ḥaqq leading to higher wisdom.
• God is the great Architect of the universe; apparent contradictions in creation serve as signs for inner awakening.
• Qabz and bast (constriction and expansion) of the heart's eye are features of divine providence, shaping our perception.
• Even apparent deception and falsehood can become tools for growth and the discovery of truth.