M6:375 — یا گریز از وی اگر توانی برو / چون روی چون در کف اویی گرو

Translation: Or flee from Him, if you can, go! / How will you go, since in His hand you are a captive? Meaning: This verse speaks to the futility of human attempts to escape divine omnipotence; we are always held within God's grasp, and any effort to break free from this captivity is in vain.

Here, in this verse and indeed in many places throughout the Masnavi, Rumi raises a pivotal and fundamental point: the feebleness of our will in the face of divine destiny and providence. Humans sometimes make a firm resolve, a strong intention to do or not do a certain thing, but to their surprise, find themselves utterly incapable of following through. This isn't merely about external limitations, like being unable to fly, but also about internal matters and moral resolves. We decide to abstain from sin tomorrow or to abandon an undesirable habit, but we fail. Why?

Rumi attributes this failure to the presence of a 'thief in the heart,' meaning unrecognized 'strangers' that have nested within our impure selves. These strangers can be carnal desires, worldly attachments, or even satanic temptations. But here, Rumi goes even further, pointing to an 'overwhelming divine wrath' (qahr-e qahhārī) that is upon us. This 'wrath' is not a matter of resentment or vengeance, but rather a manifestation of divine 'omnipotence' (jabbārīyat); it is God's absolute and prevailing power that seeks to crush human arrogance and self-will, revealing our inherent weakness. This is precisely what Rumi means when he says: 'This is not compulsion (jabr), this is the meaning of omnipotence (jabbārī); the mention of omnipotence is for lamentation.' That is to say, this is not an argument for fatalism, but rather an indication of the grandeur and triumph of divine will, intended to humble humanity.

This verse presents a symbolic triad, all pointing to the same truth: Do you wish to escape this overwhelming power? 'Then fend Him off like Nimrod in battle,' as Nimrod supposedly shot arrows into the sky to kill God. 'Or like the Mongol army, shoot arrows into the sky to ward off the angel of death,' as Mongol soldiers reportedly did to save their dying loved ones. And finally, 'Or flee from Him, if you can, go!' These are all attempts to flee and deny, but Rumi quickly concludes that these efforts are futile: 'How will you go, since in His hand you are a captive?'

Through this rhetorical question, Rumi compels us to reflect. He asks: 'You were in non-existence, you could not escape His grasp; how can you escape now, O piece of clay molded in His hand?' Even when you were nothing, in the realm of non-being, you were not free from His grip. He brought you from that non-being into this existence. Now that you exist, how do you expect to escape from this 'hand-molded' (dast-khash) being, like dough kneaded in His hand? This statement from Rumi echoes the concept of tawhīd-e afʿālī, the monotheism of actions, which posits that all actions, even our own, ultimately trace back to His will and power.

In Rumi's view, 'Wishing to flee is like shedding the blood of piety before His justice.' Any desire to escape this grasp of power is itself a form of impiety and insolence before divine justice. This world is a 'trap' (dām), and its 'bait' (dāna) consists of these very 'desires' (ārzū). It is the relinquishing of desires that creates 'release' (gushād) and freedom; only through 'undesiring' can one escape this trap. This stance is rooted in Sufi sayings like 'A Sufi is one who is not,' or Buddhist teachings on the negation of desire. By recognizing one's own weakness and limitations, one better knows oneself, and this self-knowledge is the beginning of knowing the Lord.

Key takeaways

• Attempts to flee from divine power are futile; we are perpetually held within God's grasp.
• The weakness of our will in performing good deeds or abandoning bad ones is a sign of God's omnipotence, which serves to humble human pride.
• Freedom from the world's trap is achieved by letting go of 'desires' and wishes; any urge to escape divine decree is itself a form of impiety.
• Recognizing one's own powerlessness before divine command is a fundamental step in the path of self-knowledge and knowledge of God.