M6:1970 — می‌دهد حق هستیش بی‌علتی / می‌سپارد باز بی‌علت فتی

Translation: The Real (God) bestows existence without any cause or reason; The valiant soul (fata) likewise surrenders it without any cause. Meaning: This verse articulates that God grants life and being purely out of grace, without any ulterior motive or expectation. It then posits that the chivalrous, spiritually valiant human being should, in turn, offer their own existence back to the Divine with the same unconditional purity and selflessness.

This verse emerges from one of the most brilliant passages in the Masnavi, where Rumi undertakes a profound comparison between acquisitive reason (ʿaql) and intrepid love (ʿishq). I assert that these lines offer a distilled and mature expression of Rumi's understanding of divine giving and the human response rooted in love.

I discern two central points Rumi articulates here:

First, God's unconditional bestowal of existence. The first hemistich, "Mī-dihad ḥaqq hasti-ash bī-ʿillati" (The Real bestows existence without cause), emphasizes that God grants being without any ʿillat. This term carries a dual significance: initially, it implies 'illness' or 'defect,' meaning God's giving is pure and untainted. More significantly, however, it means 'cause,' 'motive,' or 'reason.' God gives not to gain anything, to fulfill a need of His own, or with any expectation from creation. This giving is pure īthār (altruism) and iḥsān (benevolence); it is a spontaneous gush from the boundless spring of divine mercy and generosity (jūd). As Rumi states elsewhere, "I did not create to profit / but to be generous to my servants." Creation, in this light, is an act without expectation from the Creator.

Second, the fata's action mirroring divine giving. The second hemistich, "Mī-sipārad bāz bī-ʿillat fatā" (The valiant soul likewise surrenders it without cause), describes the fatā (the chivalrous, spiritually valiant individual). This fatā, having received existence bī-ʿillat from God, mirrors that divine act by surrendering or dedicating their own being back bī-ʿillat. This is the true essence of fotovvat (chivalry, spiritual generosity): giving without motive, without expectation of reward or recognition. Rumi states that such "pure play" (pāk-bāzī) is "outside every millat." Here, millat means conventional religion or faith, not the modern concept of nation.

Another crucial insight is the distinction between love and transactional religion. Rumi says: "Pāk-bāzī khārij-i har millat ast, z-ān ki millat faḍl jūyad yā khalaṣ" (Pure giving is outside every religion, for religion seeks favor or salvation). He asserts that religion, as commonly understood and even presented in certain Quranic discourses (such as "Shall I direct you to a commerce that will save you from a painful torment?"), operates on a "merchant-like" (tājirāneh) model. Religion, he claims, typically promises faḍl (divine grace and reward) or khalaṣ (salvation from torment). The prayer "Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the torment of the Fire" perfectly exemplifies this quest for favor and salvation.

However, love and pure giving transcend this framework. Lovers and "pure givers," whom Rumi calls "special sacrifices" (qurbānān-i khāṣṣ), do not "test God" ("na Khudā rā imtiḥānī mī-kunand") nor do they engage in "profit and loss" calculations ("na dar sūd-o ziyānī mī-zanand"). Testing God, as depicted in the temptation of Jesus by Satan, contradicts the very nature of love. A transactional relationship, giving in order to receive, has no place in the realm of love. The lover accepts both the Beloved's grace and wrath; they simply give, for giving is the essence of love itself. This verse encapsulates how Rumi differentiates ʿishq from conventional dīn, assigning it a higher station where human action becomes a mirror of absolute divine gratuity and generosity.

Key takeaways

• God's bestowal of existence is utterly unconditional and without ulterior motive, an act of pure generosity and absolute altruism.
• The true valiant soul (fata) surrenders their being without any expectation, thereby mirroring the Divine's motiveless giving in their own actions.
• Fotovvat (spiritual chivalry) signifies pure giving, devoid of any ulterior motive, self-interest, or calculation of profit and loss.
• Love and pāk-bāzī (pure giving) transcend the framework of conventional millat (religion), which often seeks divine favor (faḍl) or salvation (khalāṣ).
• Pure givers and lovers neither 'test' God nor engage in transactional calculations of gain and loss; they embody complete and unconditional surrender.