M1:1803 — من حلالش کردم ار خونم بریخت / من همی‌گفتم حلال‌، او می‌گریخت

Translation: I absolved him, though he shed my blood; I kept saying, 'It is lawful,' but he fled.

Meaning: The speaker in this verse declares that despite the beloved's grave transgression of shedding their blood, they have absolved the act, deeming it lawful and permissible. Yet, the beloved flees from this absolution, perhaps unable to accept or comprehend such profound forgiveness.

This beyt, located in the first Daftar of the Masnavi, opens a window into the deepest layers of Rumi's epistemology, illuminating the role of human perception and the heart in shaping reality. Here, Rumi speaks of a station of love and spiritual magnanimity that transcends mere ethics and conventional Sharia, allowing even bloodshed to be deemed 'halal' (lawful/permissible).

As I have often emphasized, Rumi posits that we are the form-givers of this world. The world, formless like raw matter, lies before us, and it is we who impart form and meaning to it through our perception. Great philosophers in the West, such as Kant, spearheaded a similar revolution in philosophy, arguing that we do not merely discover the world but rather shape it, constructing it to fit the capacities of our cognitive faculties. This beyt is a prime example of this truth.

Rumi's statement, "The sweetness of milk and honey is the reflection of the heart / All delight is gained by the heart from that delight," encapsulates this very idea. Milk and honey are not inherently sweet; it is our heart that casts sweetness upon them. We are the ones who make the world "the world"; otherwise, the world itself is but a shadow, its true essence residing within us. To chase after one's own shadow is folly and a waste of life. The beyt, "I absolved him, though he shed my blood," directly aligns with this perspective. The act of shedding blood, outwardly, is reprehensible and unlawful. However, the heart of the lover reaches such a station that it can render this act 'halal.' This is not to condone injustice or justify violence, but rather to signify that the lover, within their worldview, is capable of creating meaning beyond the apparent nature of actions, taking what others perceive as a crime and refining it in the crucible of their love, rendering it permissible. This represents a radical and unprecedented form of forgiveness, testifying to an expansive heart and an open spiritual breast.

This perspective is perfectly consistent with what we have learned about Rumi's refusal to complain. Rumi is not a complainer; he is a narrator. He does not complain about the world, for "I am ever at peace with this Father / This world appears to me as a paradise." If he perceives crookedness, he sees it as originating from within himself: "A crooked hair can veil the heavens." Thus, even if his blood is shed, in the apex of love, he not only refrains from complaining but deems it 'halal,' understanding that all perception springs from his own heart, and he can embrace and sanctify even the direst events in the mirror of his love.

However, the luminous point of this beyt lies in its second half: "I kept saying, 'It is lawful,' but he fled." The beloved, even with the lover's absolution and forgiveness, still flees. Why? Perhaps the beloved is ensnared by superficial knowledge and conventional religious strictures, unable to comprehend this level of forgiveness. Perhaps the burden of guilt and shame is so heavy that even the lover's absolution cannot lighten it. Or perhaps the lover's love is unknown, even terrifying, to the beloved, precisely because it operates outside conventional norms. This flight signifies a deep chasm between two perceptual realms: one at the pinnacle of forgiveness and complaint-free acceptance, and the other confined by guilt and an inability to grasp such absolution. This beyt teaches us that true forgiveness originates from within us and does not necessarily lead to a change in outward circumstances or even mutual understanding from the other party. It is an authentic and self-sufficient spiritual act that achieves its perfection irrespective of the other's reaction.

Key takeaways

• The human heart and its perceptive faculties are the form-givers and meaning-creators of existence, not merely its discoverers.
• Love possesses the power to redefine conventional ethical and religious notions, even deeming an act of bloodshed 'lawful' within its own domain.
• True forgiveness originates from within; it is a radical, self-sufficient spiritual act independent of others' reactions.
• Rumi, even when confronted with injustice and cruelty, transcends the stance of complaint, embracing it within the crucible of his love.
• The beloved's flight from the lover's absolution indicates a profound difference in the level of understanding and gnosis between the two parties.
• Rumi's worldview is founded on acceptance and peace with existence, where every event, even the most adverse, can acquire a positive meaning.