M6:1523 — آن ضمان بر حق بود نه بر امین / هست تفصیلش به فقه اندر مبین

Translation: That liability rests upon the Truth, not upon the trustee. Its full exposition is clearly laid out in jurisprudence. Meaning: This verse asserts that when an individual acts as an agent of the Divine, especially in a state of self-effacement, the ultimate responsibility for those actions belongs to God, not the human agent. However, Rumi swiftly points out that the legal intricacies of such matters are detailed in the science of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh).

This couplet, to my mind, represents the zenith of Rumi's exposition on the annihilation of the self (fana) in the Divine and the profound concept of "Ma ramayt idh ramayt" (It was not you who threw when you threw). Prior to this verse, Rumi repeatedly spoke of selflessness (bi-khodi), emphasizing that if one severs the head of one's ego and becomes annihilated in the Truth, then whatever action one performs is not truly one's own, but the action of the Truth. He explicitly states: "When you become selfless, whatever you do / Is 'It was not you who threw when you threw,' you are secure."

In this state of selflessness, one becomes like the Prophet, to whom God declared, "You did not throw the arrow when you threw it." In such a station, the individual is secure from all harm, for they are no longer the true agent. The beyt in question is the logical and juridical consequence of that mystical truth. When agency is stripped from the human and transferred to the Divine, then, by extension, the liability (ḍamān) and responsibility also rest with the Truth, not with the trustee (amīn), who is merely an instrument of the Divine. This represents the highest stage of reliance on God (tawakkul) and annihilation in God (fanā fi'llah); a state where, as Ghazzali describes, the servant is like a corpse in the hands of the washer, utterly devoid of self-initiated movement.

However, the noteworthy aspect of this couplet lies in its second part: "Its full exposition is clearly laid out in jurisprudence (fiqh)." Rumi, himself a distinguished jurist who issued fatwas, shrewdly alludes here to the legal intricacies. It is as if he momentarily recalls that his audience might ponder the legal dimensions of his profound statement. He concedes that, yes, what I am saying has its own specific legal details, which can be found in books of fiqh (such as the rulings on "blood-money paid by the clan" (diyah bar ʿāqilah) or the responsibility of a teacher disciplining a student). But immediately after this allusion, Rumi exits this domain and reminds us that the Masnavi is not a shop of jurisprudence. He states unequivocally: "Every shop has a different merchandise / The Masnavi is a shop of spiritual poverty, O son!"

This immediate withdrawal from legal discourse signifies Rumi's (and Ghazzali's) perspective on fiqh: it is a worldly science, a mechanism for managing societal affairs and fostering good social relations. While undeniably important and necessary, it never reaches the profound depths of gnosis and love. Rumi, despite holding a chair in jurisprudence and earning his livelihood from it, never considered fiqh his ultimate goal. With this short phrase, he beautifully delineates the boundary between two realms of existence: the external realm of worldly rules and affairs, which fiqh addresses, and the inner realm of spiritual truth, which gnosis and the Masnavi guide us toward. Thus, this couplet not only articulates the pinnacle of fana but also elegantly positions the Masnavi in relation to fiqh and sharia.

Key takeaways

• In the state of self-annihilation (fana), the liability for actions rests with the Divine, not the human trustee.
• The principle of "Ma ramayt idh ramayt" is clearly echoed, indicating that the individual is not the true agent in this state.
• Rumi, by mentioning "its exposition in jurisprudence," clearly demarcates the boundary between mystical discourse and legalistic discussion.
• Jurisprudence (fiqh) is a science for managing worldly affairs and social relations, but its depth does not match that of gnosis and love.
• The Masnavi is a "shop of spiritual poverty," guiding one towards self-emptying and divine fullness, not a manual of legal rulings.