M6:3549 — هر که آنجا بگذرد زر می‌برد / نیست هدیهٔ مخلصان را مسترد

Translation: Whoever passes by that place takes gold; / The gift of the sincere is not returned. Meaning: This verse conveys that gifts given with sincerity and out of fidelity to one's vows are never reclaimed; whoever benefits from such a bounty will find it pure and lawful.

In this verse, Rumi points to a subtle yet profound ethical and mystical principle that holds significance in both Islamic jurisprudence and ethics. The preceding narrative of the deceased wealthy man (Khwāja) who, in a dream, instructs an intermediary to bestow his wealth upon an indebted stranger, and emphatically states that no part of it should ever be reclaimed, sets the stage for understanding this couplet. The Khwāja explicitly declares in his dream that he has made vows to God that not even an iota of that wealth will return to him or his heirs—this is the very essence of sincerity.

I discern here that Rumi is drawing a crucial distinction between legal rulings (fiqhī) and ethical injunctions (akhlāqī). From a legal standpoint, retracting a gift (hiba) might be permissible under specific conditions; for instance, if the recipient has not yet made any alterations or uses of the gifted item, the giver may reclaim it. However, from an ethical perspective, this action is severely condemned. In Islamic traditions, which Rumi overtly references, returning a gift is likened to a dog returning to its own vomit: "al-ʿā’id fī hibatihi kal-kalb yaʿūdu fī qay’ihi" (he who takes back his gift is like a dog that returns to its vomit). This graphic analogy underscores the reprehensibility of the act, and thus, for people of pure heart and sincerity (mukhlisān), such an act is inconceivable.

The verse states: "Whoever passes by that place takes gold," meaning that the gold has so completely exited the owner's possession that even a passerby can benefit from it, without the original owner or their heirs having any claim. This signifies the Khwāja's fidelity to his vow (nadhr) made with the "Lord of Majesty and Glory" (Dhūʾl-Jalāl). A vow made with God is irreversible, and from the sincere, it is like milk drawn from the breast, never to return. Sincerity here means a complete severance from attachment and the absence of any expectation of return or obligation. Such a gift is not reclaimed, neither by God nor by the sincere servant. This is a profound lesson in keeping vows and maintaining sincerity in giving, offering guidance to us all.

Key takeaways

• Pure generosity is irreversible, symbolizing fidelity to one's vows made to God.
• Rumi distinguishes between legal permissibility (retracting a gift under certain conditions) and ethical condemnation.
• The gift of the sincere is like milk drawn from the breast, never returning to its origin.
• Sincerity in giving implies no expectation of return or obligation, even after death.
• Wealth given with sincerity becomes lawful and wholesome even for strangers passing by.