M6:3535 — فضله ماند زین بسی گو خرج کن / در دعایی گو مرا هم درج کن

Translation: From this, much will remain; tell him to spend it. In a prayer, tell him to include me as well. Meaning: This couplet, from a dream sequence, conveys a deceased merchant's instructions to an intermediary: After settling his debts from the wealth he left, a surplus will remain; tell the recipient to spend it charitably and include me in his prayers.

This couplet from the sixth book of Mathnawi offers a window into a peculiar yet profound narrative by Mawlana. It speaks of a wealthy merchant who, having passed away, appears to an intermediary—the "paymard" of the story—in a dream to convey his last will. This testament is not merely for the settlement of a specific debt, but rather, it extends to broader acts of charity and assistance to others.

The verse precisely states that after the debtor's loan is repaid, a "fazleh," meaning an excess or surplus, will remain from the wealth. Here, "fazleh" is used in the sense of a remainder, not carrying the negative connotations it might have in contemporary Persian. The merchant instructs his intermediary: "Tell him to spend it" (Go kharj kon), implying that the recipient should utilize this surplus for good deeds and to help others. Immediately, he adds: "Tell him to include me in a prayer" (Dar du'ai go mara ham darj kon). This part is crucial. The deceased merchant seeks the reward for his generosity not in earthly praise, but in being remembered in the sincere prayers of a needy individual. This highlights that, in the view of Mawlana and the saints, the value of an act is not measured by the amount of wealth bestowed, but by the blessing of the prayer that follows it—a prayer that arises from sincerity and genuine need.

Mawlana here introduces a point that warrants reflection from a jurisprudential perspective. As is customary in Shi'i fiqh, and I believe in Sunni fiqh as well, a person's will is enforceable only up to one-third of their assets. They cannot bequeath more than that to be disbursed after their death, as their ownership ceases, and the remaining assets belong to the heirs. However, in this narrative, Mawlana, through a "dream," effectively liquidates almost all of the merchant's wealth, with the deceased instructing that it all be spent, even if the heirs are reluctant. This indicates that in Mawlana's mystical perspective, rigid jurisprudential rules sometimes bend before the generous flow of love and magnanimity. Of course, this should not be interpreted as disregarding fiqh, but rather as underscoring the high status accorded to sacrifice and giving, even after death. This spirit stands in contrast to a materialistic worldview that emphasizes accumulation of wealth, and it stresses the importance of detachment from worldly attachments, even regarding posthumous possessions.

Further in this narrative, Mawlana alludes to a Hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which states: "The one who retracts his gift is like a dog that returns to its vomit." This reference underscores Mawlana's emphasis on the permanence and irrevocability of donations. Here too, the deceased merchant states, "I will not take back a single particle from what I have given" (Zanche dadam baz nestānam naqir). This is precisely the ethical and mystical approach that emphasizes the essence of giving—its selflessness and eternity—even if jurisprudential rulings might permit retraction under certain conditions. For Mawlana, the concern is the ethical core and the spiritual disposition, not merely the legal and formal aspects.

Key takeaways

• "Fazleh" here means "surplus" or "remainder" that is to be spent charitably.
• The ultimate value of giving lies not in the amount of wealth, but in the benevolent prayers received from the beneficiaries by the giver's soul.
• Mawlana presents the merchant's extensive will through a "dream," highlighting the precedence of the spirit of generosity over the jurisprudential limit of one-third for a will.
• Mawlana emphasizes that giving should be resolute and irreversible, referencing the Hadith: "The one who retracts his gift is like a dog that returns to its vomit."