M6:413 — بر قضا کم نه بهانه ای جوان / جرم خود را چون نهی بر دیگران

Translation: O youth, cease making excuses of divine decree! / How do you lay your own fault upon others? Meaning: Rumi, in this verse, explicitly calls upon individuals to accept responsibility for their own faults and misdeeds, rather than attributing them to fate or external factors.

Mowlana, especially in the sixth book of the Masnavi, consistently emphasizes human free will, and this verse marks a crucial point in that outlook. He steers humanity away from making excuses and attributing their faults to divine decree. Undoubtedly, God has His decrees, yet these never imply a denial of human agency. Mowlana clarifies this distinction with the story of Adam and Iblis: Adam said, "We have wronged ourselves" (Q. 7:23), which is an admission of responsibility. Iblis, however, declared, "You led me astray" (Q. 7:16), thereby laying his sin at God's door. Mowlana admonishes us not to be "one-eyed" (aʿwar) like Iblis; Iblis, with a singular vision, saw only divine decree (qaza) and remained oblivious to human effort (juhd). We are urged to perceive both, with both eyes.

One of Mowlana's most evident arguments for free will is the phenomenon of taraddud – hesitation and deliberation – in our decision-making. When we waver between two or more courses of action, unsure which to choose, this in itself testifies to our capacity to perform any of them. No one hesitates over an action they are utterly incapable of; for instance, no one ponders whether to swim in the sea or fly to the sky, as both are beyond their power. However, hesitation arises when contemplating a journey to Mosul or Babylon, because both are possibilities, and the choice lies within our domain of agency. This taraddud indicates a power within us to choose; without it, such indecision would be a mockery of ourselves.

Mowlana further stresses that our actions possess an inherent form in the unseen world, and the retribution for each act is the natural consequence of that act itself. Rewards and punishments are not merely conventional. Just as one sows barley and reaps barley, so too will your actions "cling to your skirt like your child." This means that any suffering that befalls us is the result of our own "ill-doing" (bad kardanī), not merely "luck" (bakht). One who constantly fixates on luck develops a "crooked eye" (chashm-e ahwal) and becomes spiritually sluggish (kāhil).

I have always maintained that "the denial of free will is the denial of the self." An individual who denies their own agency effectively denies their very existence and function. They accept being a mere instrument in the hands of other forces. Yet, if we acknowledge the presence of a 'self,' even if a hundred external factors contribute to an action, the 'self' is the "one hundred and first," and we must bear our share of responsibility. Repentance (tawba) and seeking forgiveness (istighfar) are themselves practical affirmations of this free will, for only one who deems themselves responsible truly regrets their past actions and resolves to change. Thus, "lay the fault upon yourself" and "make peace with divine justice."

Key takeaways

• Take personal responsibility for your faults and sins, not divine decree.
• Hesitation and deliberation in choices are clear signs of human free will.
• Perceive both 'divine decree' (qaza) and 'human effort' (juhd); do not be one-eyed like Iblis.
• The retribution for every action is its intrinsic and natural consequence, not merely conventional.
• The denial of free will is, in essence, the denial of one's 'self' and agency.
• Repentance and regret for past actions are clear evidence of our free will.