M6:3692 — چون مقلب حق بود ابصار را / که بگرداند دل و افکار را

Translation: Since God is the Turner (muqallib) of sights, who turns both hearts and thoughts. Meaning: This verse asserts that ultimate certainty is an illusion because God holds the reins of all existence, and it is He who can alter our perceptions, desires, and understanding at will.

This verse is situated amidst Rumi's profound discourse on the contingency of the world and the boundless divine power to transform all matters. Rumi teaches us that everything we perceive in the world is, in essence, a veil draped over the singular Divine Will. When he states, "Since God is the Turner of sights," he implies that God is not merely the mover of hearts, but also holds our perceptions and consciousness within His grasp. Thus, what we see and what we think are entirely subject to His will.

I have emphasized repeatedly that we are accustomed to continuity and causality in nature, perceiving this continuity as inherent to the cosmos itself. However, as Ghazali, and subsequently Rumi, articulate, this is a matter of ʿādat Allāh (God's habit), not an eternal necessity. The example of the bull and the donkey, which Rumi provides elsewhere, is the clearest testament to this truth. If you stable a horse and find a donkey in its place the next day, do not be surprised! This may be contrary to the usual course of events, but it is not beyond possibility. God is the Ever-Creator, continuously renewing this world; thus, He is the muqallib al-absār, capable of making the bull appear as a donkey, or the donkey as a goat, at any given moment.

This insight forms the foundation of Rumi's critique of all forms of dogmatism and determinism, be it in science or history. We shoot an arrow to the right, but it flies left; we pursue a gazelle, but capture a pig; we dig a well for others, but fall into it ourselves. Rumi asks: "Since God frustrated your intent through the cause, why wouldn't you distrust the cause?" This means if you observe that means (causes) do not lead you to your intended goal, then know that another hand is at play. This is precisely the point Kant made about causality, stating that experience alone cannot provide it; but while Kant attributed it to our mental categories, Rumi attributes it to the management of that 'hidden agent'—God.

From a theological perspective, this insight is immensely significant. As stated in Nahj al-Balagha: "ʿaraftu Allāha bi-faskh al-ʿazāʾim wa naqd al-himam" (I came to know God through the breaking of resolves and the thwarting of intentions); meaning, I recognized God through His power to overturn human will and aspirations. Rumi teaches us that the world does not stand on its own feet. At any moment, our carefully laid plans can be disrupted by another will, by an overwhelming force. This is taqlīb-i Khodā (God's turning), not sophistry or a trick of the mind. It is He who makes the donkey appear as a goat, and the goat as a donkey, in our eyes. This implies that no one should assume they have discovered the laws of history or can definitively predict the future, as Marx or Fukuyama mistakenly believed. The future of history is an uncharted territory, and predictions within it are fragile. All we possess is "meager knowledge" (ʿilm-i qalīl), and before this Turner of sights, we must cultivate both scientific and practical humility. We must employ means, but absolute reliance upon them is inappropriate, for "the cause-turner is like a donkey's tail," and that donkey has a rider.

Key takeaways

• The core message of this verse is the inherent contingency of the world and God's absolute power to transform all matters.
• Our perceptions and thoughts are subject to God's will; He is the muqallib al-absār (Turner of sights).
• This verse critiques scientific and historical determinism, asserting that nothing in the world is eternally necessary, but rather conditioned by Divine Will.
• Rumi emphasizes that when means fail to achieve their ends, it signifies the intervention of another hand (Divine Agency).
• This 'divine turning' (taqlīb-i Khodā) alters realities in our eyes, distinguishing it from sophistry or mental error.
• In light of this truth, we must acknowledge our 'meager knowledge' (ʿilm-i qalīl) and adopt both scientific and practical humility.