M6:1750 — صابرین و صادقین و منفقین / چون بدی بی ره‌زن و دیو لعین

Translation: The patient, the truthful, and the generous ones— How would they be, were there no bandit or accursed demon? Meaning: This verse emphasizes that moral virtues such as patience, truthfulness, and generosity can only emerge and be tested in the context of challenges and confrontations with evil and temptation.

This verse presents a profound answer to one of theology's perennial questions: Why does evil exist in the world? Why did God create Satan and set him upon humanity? Rumi's response, voiced through the Qazi, is far from simplistic; it illuminates a fundamental ontological and ethical truth: the necessity of opposites.

I firmly believe that Rumi intends to show us that Satan, the bandit (rahzan), and the accursed demon (dīv-e la'īn), though outwardly evil and deserving of curses, are in reality agents for revealing the latent excellences within human beings. Is it not true that choice (ikhtiyār), humanity’s most noble attribute, gains meaning only in the struggle between two opposing poles? If the world were entirely good, and no opposing, misleading force existed, humans would act purely by instinct, much like a bee or an ant. But this struggle, this “perpetual battle” that Rumi speaks of elsewhere, is precisely the arena that awakens choice, brings dormant potentials onto the stage, and makes us more truly human.

This is not merely a divine decree but a hidden service. Satan, though a bandit, serves us, provided we understand his true role. He is, in essence, a “good thing appearing in an undesirable guise,” a deception that unveils truths. How could God call His servants “patient” (ṣābirīn) if no affliction necessitated patience? How could He name them “brave” (shajāʿ) if no battlefield or challenge existed? The patient, the truthful (ṣādiqīn), and the generous (munfiqīn)—all these noble titles—are contingent upon the existence of their opposites. Without the bandit, all would appear the same, and inner jewels would never be revealed by the polish of trial.

In Rumi’s view, this world is a school with arduous examinations. Hardship and suffering are the sieves of the soul. Much like a demanding test that brings sleeplessness and difficulty, its outcome is the separation of the learned from the unlearned. This world is an opportunity for the “purification of the soul” (taṣfiya-ye rūḥ), for the pure to be distinguished from the impure, and the good from the bad. Heroes like Rustam and Hamzeh are distinguished from cowards (mukhannath) only on the battlefield. Knowledge and wisdom are likewise; if all paths were identical and no “wrong path” existed, wisdom would become meaningless and obsolete, as there would be no need to discern the right from the wrong.

Beyond this philosophical perspective, Rumi takes a deeper, mystical step: “The injustice of time and every suffering that exists / Is easier than separation from God and heedlessness.” That is, all these worldly hardships and pains are lighter than the true separation, the distance from the Divine, and heedlessness of Him. Worldly pains pass, but heedlessness of God and distance from Him constitute an enduring and unforgivable sorrow. Worldly pains can, at the same time, be a path to awakening and turning inwards, reminding us of our weakness and mortality, and guiding us towards the Creator. This resonates with the Quranic verse: “And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” Suffering is an opportunity for trial, so that “the vile may be distinguished from the pure.” Thus, these pains should not be seen as pure evil, but rather as a furnace for the purification and polishing of the soul.

Key takeaways

• Moral virtues like patience and truthfulness cannot emerge and grow without the presence of evil and life's challenges.
• Satan and the bandit, at their core, serve as catalysts for awakening human 'choice' and the ability to choose.
• The world is a stage for 'testing' and 'purification of the soul,' where latent potentials are revealed, and good is separated from evil.
• Worldly sufferings, though difficult, are easier than 'heedlessness and distance from the Divine' and can lead to self-knowledge and knowledge of God.
• 'Knowledge and wisdom' gain meaning only in the context of choosing between right and wrong paths; without challenge, wisdom becomes empty.