M6:409 — این کنم یا آن کنم او کی گود / که دو دست و پای او بسته بود

Translation: 'Shall I do this, or shall I do that?' When would he say such a thing, Whose two hands and feet were bound? Meaning: This verse questions how someone whose hands and feet are bound could deliberate between two actions. The very act of hesitation and choice, Mowlana asserts, is definitive proof of human free will and agency.

In this verse from the sixth book of the Masnavi, Mowlana offers a foundational argument for human free will with striking assertiveness. You know that at times in the Masnavi, Mowlana emphasizes divine determinism, and at other times, human agency. However, in Book Six, the fruit of his later years, we find him engaged in a full-throated defense of free will.

I have previously referred to a certain oversight, one that among our great thinkers, perhaps Iqbal Lahori was the first to address. Iqbal questioned why we perpetually see only God's power, neglecting to see God's will to bestow upon us free will. We, who are 'created in God's image,' receive free will as the very first attribute from Him. This particular verse of Mowlana is precisely aligned with this perspective.

central argument here hinges on the concept of taraddud (deliberation or hesitation). He states: 'We remain in hesitation between two tasks; when could such hesitation exist without free will?' The very act of deliberating and wavering between two paths is a clear sign of our agency. If someone's hands and feet are bound, they would never say, 'Should I do this or that?' because they lack the ability to perform either, and thus, no hesitation would even cross their mind. We deliberate concerning actions we have the power to perform; for example, 'Is there this hesitation for me to go to Mosul, or to go to Babylon for magic?' Such hesitations are only meaningful for matters where the power and possibility of action are available to us. However, regarding inherently impossible acts, like flying to the sky or willingly drowning oneself, no hesitation arises. Therefore, the existence of taraddud itself attests to 'power' and the possibility of action; otherwise, it would be 'a laugh upon one's moustache,' meaning a mockery of oneself.

Mowlana continues: 'Lay not the blame on fate, O youth / How can you put your fault upon others?' It is mere projection to cast our faults upon divine decree or destiny. With tangible examples, he clarifies this truth: 'If you ate honey, fever came to none but you.' That is, if you overeat honey, the fever will not affect someone else; you yourself will fall ill. The consequence of your action returns to you. Our deeds, like our children, cling to our skirts, and their good or ill is ours alone.

Furthermore, the suffering that befalls us stems not from 'fortune' or an unlucky destiny, but from our own 'bad doing': 'Know suffering's cause as bad deeds / Recognize evil from your own actions, not from fortune.' One who constantly thinks of luck and chance develops a 'cross-eyed' and distorted view, becoming lazy and inactive, like a dog idly remaining in its straw bed.

Ultimately, Mowlana emphasizes that one must always 'accuse your own self' and not accuse divine justice. He states that Tawba (repentance) itself is the greatest proof of free will. What would one repent for if one considered oneself without agency? No crime would have been committed to feel ashamed of. However, when a person believes in free will, they hesitate before acting, and after acting, if they have not done good, they feel ashamed and repent. This repentance—which involves regret for the past and a firm resolve not to repeat the act in the future—is in itself undeniable evidence of our agency and freedom.

Denying free will is, in essence, denying the self. One who claims to be without agency implies, 'I did nothing, I did not exist at all.' But if we accept that there is a 'self' involved, even if a hundred other factors are at play, the hundred-and-first factor is ourselves, and we must bear the responsibility for our share. The sun of truth conceals no particle; all our thoughts and actions are manifest before the sun of realities. Therefore, one must acknowledge one's faults and reconcile with divine justice.

Key takeaways

• Hesitation and deliberation between two courses of action are the strongest proofs of human free will and agency.
• If one's hands and feet are bound, there is no choice or hesitation; thus, deliberation signals open pathways.
• Our actions and their consequences return to us; responsibility cannot be blamed on fate, destiny, or luck.
• Our sufferings and problems are products of our own ill deeds, not misfortune or bad fate.
• Self-reproach and repentance are clear indicators of free will and the acceptance of personal responsibility.
• Denying free will is, in essence, denying one's own identity and agency, as human existential meaning is tied to choices.