M6:1520 — ور پدر زد او برای خود زدست / لاجرم از خونبها دادن نرست

Translation: If the father struck, he struck for himself; / Inevitably, he was not spared from paying blood-money. Meaning: This verse asserts that actions motivated by self-interest incur personal responsibility for their consequences, from which one cannot escape.

This verse from the Masnavi employs a jurisprudential parable to elucidate a profound mystical truth. Rumi here delves into the subtle nuances of responsibility and agency, distinguishing between self-motivated actions and those performed in a state of selflessness. He begins with a legal example concerning blood-money (diya): if a father disciplines his child, and the child is harmed or dies as a result, the father is held responsible and must pay diya. Why? Because, as Rumi puts it, he struck "for himself" (bahr-i kār-i khwīsh zad), meaning the action stemmed from ego and was driven by personal desires or interests (e.g., the child's obedience, respect for the father's word).

In contrast, Rumi offers the example of a teacher who punishes a student in the course of instruction, leading to harm. In this scenario, the teacher is not liable. This is because the teacher's action, in Rumi's view, arises from a state of "selflessness" (bī-khudī), acting as a deputy (nāyib) and trustee (amīn) of the Divine, and for the student's ultimate benefit. The teacher is an instrument, not the primary agent imposing personal will. This distinction is crucial: whenever an action originates from the "self" (khudī) and serves personal interests, its consequences fall directly upon the agent, who "inevitably, was not spared from paying blood-money." However, when an action proceeds from "selflessness" and is performed as an instrument of the Divine, the apparent agent is absolved of personal responsibility.

Rumi then articulates this lesson with utmost clarity: "So, cut off the head of the self, O Dhulfiqār! / Become selfless, a dervish effaced!" This direct admonition is the essence of Rumi's message. He urges us to slay the ego and liberate ourselves from khudī to attain the station of bī-khudī. In this state, our actions are no longer truly ours, but rather originate from the Divine. This is the secret of the blessed Quranic verse, "It was not you who threw when you threw, but God" (mā ramayta idh ramayta). This verse describes Prophet Muhammad's act of throwing dust in battle, yet God declares that He was the true agent. It serves as the perfect paradigm for the devotee's effacement (fanā) in the Divine, where the apparent agent exists, but the true agent is God. The action is performed by the servant, but the power and will emanate from the Divine. This paradox is the language of mysticism, employed to articulate truths beyond ordinary human comprehension—truths that appear contradictory in the material world but are harmoniously united in higher realms of existence.

Thus, this verse transcends a mere jurisprudential discussion; it is a spiritual directive. Through legal metaphors, Rumi compels us to examine the intention and agency behind our every action. If our deeds arise purely from our "I," we bear full responsibility for their consequences. However, if they spring from a "self-emptied" state, or one "effaced in the Divine," then that action is, in truth, a Divine act, and we are safeguarded from its personal burdens. This represents the pinnacle of reliance on God (tawakkul)—that the servant becomes so empty of self and so filled with the Divine that their action becomes God's action. This is the ultimate "poverty" (faqr) of the mystic, which Rumi declares his Masnavi to be a "shop of poverty" (dukkān-i faqr), not a "shop of jurisprudence" (dukkān-i fiqh).

Key takeaways

• Responsibility for the consequences of an action rests upon the agent, especially if the action is driven by the 'self' (khudī).
• Rumi employs jurisprudential analogies to illuminate profound mystical concepts of 'selfhood' (khudī) and 'selflessness' (bī-khudī).
• A critical distinction is drawn between actions performed for self-interest and those undertaken with selflessness, as an instrument of the Divine.
• The Quranic verse 'It was not you who threw when you threw, but God' serves as the ultimate archetype for the devotee's effacement in the Divine (fanā).
• The ultimate aim is to transcend the 'self' and achieve effacement in the Divine, allowing one's actions to become manifestations of God's will, thus alleviating personal responsibility.
• The Masnavi is a 'shop of poverty' (dukkān-i faqr), using legal matters merely as tools to express spiritual truths.