M1:623 — این نه جَبر این معنی جبّاری است / ذکرِ جبّاری برای زاری است

Translation: This is not jabr (determinism); this is the meaning of jabbārī (Divine Majesty and Omnipotence). / The mention of jabbārī is to induce zārī (supplication and humility). Meaning: Mowlana clarifies that his descriptions of God's absolute power and majesty (jabbārī) should not be misconstrued as promoting a doctrine of human determinism (jabr). Rather, contemplating Divine Omnipotence is intended to awaken a profound sense of humility, dependence, and earnest supplication in the human heart.

This couplet emerges amidst Mowlana's profound articulation of tawḥīd al-afʿāl (the unity of acts), where he expounds upon the inherent emptiness and ultimate dependence of human beings and all existence. He states, for instance: "We are like reeds, and the melody in us is from You / We are like mountains, and the echo in us is from You." Such declarations, to some, might carry the scent of jabr (determinism) and a denial of free will. However, Mowlana immediately intervenes with this couplet to clarify and correct any such misapprehension, drawing a crucial distinction between jabr and jabbārī.

Jabr signifies the complete divestment of human will and choice, reducing man to a mere passive instrument in the hands of fate. Jabbārī, conversely, is one of the sublime attributes of God, denoting His absolute, overwhelming power and majesty that encompasses all existence, such that no movement occurs outside His will and dispensation. This jabbārī, however, does not negate our will; rather, it indicates that whatever will we possess ultimately originates from Him. This is a deep tawḥīd al-afʿāl – an acknowledgment that every action in the universe ultimately stems from God, without negating our particular, derivative agency.

Mowlana's purpose in invoking God's jabbārī is not to induce lethargy or passivity in us, but rather for zārī (lamentation, profound supplication, heartfelt humility). That is to say, when we grasp the infinite grandeur and power of God, the door of our hearts opens to a deep sense of need and entreaty. This awareness of our ontological dependence, of that fundamental "existential hollowness" (as I often describe it), reveals our true station before God and impels us toward prayer and petition.

In the face of such power, man finds himself to be the "reed" in whom the melody is from another; or the "lion on the banner" whose movement comes from the wind. This realization, far from being despair-inducing, becomes a source of tranquility and trust, drawing the individual toward God with a state of humility and profound need. This jabbārī is not the coerciveness of a tyrant who strips away wills, but the majesty of a Beloved who wishes to draw the lover to Himself, liberating them from self-conceit and egoism to attain union with Reality.

Key takeaways

• Mowlana distinguishes between jabbārī (Divine Omnipotence and Majesty) and jabr (theological determinism, negating human free will).
• The purpose of contemplating God's absolute power is not to induce resignation, but to awaken a profound sense of need and supplication (zārī).
• Humans are contingent beings; this awareness of dependence should lead them to humility and fervent prayer.
• All our actions ultimately derive from Divine power, embodying tawḥīd al-afʿāl (unity of acts), without negating our specific, derivative agency.