M6:2596 — نیست باطل هر چه یزدان آفرید / از غضب وز حلم وز نصح و مکید

Translation: Nothing is vain that God has created, neither from wrath nor from forbearance, nor from counsel nor from stratagem. Meaning: Rumi posits that nothing in God's creation, not even seemingly negative attributes or actions, is inherently vain or useless; rather, the value and righteousness of each depend entirely on its proper place and context.

Here, Rumi elucidates the foundational philosophy behind the concepts of 'justice' (ʿadl) and 'injustice' (ẓulm). I have often stated that justice is nothing but waḍʿ al-shayʾ fī mawḍiʿih — placing a thing in its proper and deserving position. Conversely, injustice is waḍʿ al-shayʾ fī nāmowḍiʿih — placing a thing where it does not belong.

Observe how Rumi extends this principle to the entirety of divine creation. He declares: Nīst bāṭil har-che Yazdān āfarīd — 'Nothing created by God is vain or futile.' No element within the vast expanse of creation is empty of being or purpose, not even attributes that might, at first glance, appear negative. He provides examples: az ghaḍab va-z ḥilm va-z naṣḥ u makīd — 'neither from wrath, nor from forbearance, nor from counsel, nor from stratagem.' Wrath (ghaḍab), forbearance (ḥilm), counsel (naṣḥ), and even cunning or stratagem (makīd), are none of them inherently or absolutely good or bad. The value and utility of each depend entirely on its mawḍiʿ — its proper place and context.

Allow me to elaborate on makīd. Here, it does not signify deception or harm, but rather a judicious stratagem or carrying out an action through hidden, indirect means that can ultimately lead to good. For instance, a teacher or mentor might undertake an action for a student, unbeknownst to them, that proves beneficial. Or, consider naṣḥ (counsel). I have often pointed out that offering advice to a khiyal-andīsh — a suspicious, overthinking individual — is not only useless but potentially harmful. The more reasons you provide, the more entrenched they become in their suspicions. In such a scenario, offering counsel becomes waḍʿ dar nāmowḍiʿ — an act of misplacement — and therefore renders it bāṭil and futile.

In the very next verse (M6:2597), which follows immediately in this discussion, Rumi expands upon this notion, stating: Khayr-i muṭlaq nīst zīn-hā hīch chīz / Shar-i muṭlaq nīst zīn-hā hīch nīz — 'Among these, nothing is absolutely good, nor is anything absolutely evil.' No phenomenon, attribute, or action is an absolute good or an absolute evil. Everything is relative, its validity derived from its own mawḍiʿ. This is where the importance of ʿilm (knowledge) becomes clear, which Rumi, in M6:2598, affirms: ʿIlm az īn raw wājib ast u nāfiʿ ast — 'Thus, knowledge is obligatory and beneficial.' Knowledge here does not refer to general information, but specifically to the discernment of the mawāḍiʿ-i ashyāʾ — the proper places of things; knowing where and when to apply each thing. This knowledge is what prevents us from ẓulm in the sense of waḍʿ dar nāmowḍiʿ.

This insight of Rumi's also forms the basis of my understanding of ʿadl-i Ilāhī (Divine Justice) in creation. I have repeatedly emphasized that God's act of creation is not 'just' in the human sense, but rather 'gracious' (karimāneh). Justice is predicated on desert and reward based on action, but at the dawn of creation, there were no pre-existing deserts for justice to operate upon. Everything that exists is an outflow of His grace (karam). It is for this reason that the diversity and apparent inequalities in the world are not signs of injustice, but rather attestations of His boundless grace and munificence. Therefore, because the very essence of creation is founded upon grace and generosity, and not upon a calculating assessment of deserts, no part of it, from 'wrath' to 'counsel' and 'stratagem,' can be bāṭil; each, in its specific place, holds a unique function and meaning, contributing to the integrity of God's creation.

Key takeaways

• Nothing in divine creation, not even seemingly negative attributes, is inherently vain or futile.
• The value and utility of everything, from wrath to forbearance, and from counsel to stratagem, depend on its proper place and context.
• Justice signifies placing everything in its rightful position; injustice is placing it improperly.
• Absolute good and absolute evil do not exist; everything is good or evil relative to its context and application.
• True 'knowledge' (ʿilm) involves understanding the correct positions of things to avoid injustice and misplacement.
• Divine creation is founded on 'grace' (karam) and generosity, not on 'justice' (ʿadl) and desert, thus containing no futility.