M6:3795 — ترک مکر خویشتن گیر ای امیر / پا بکش پیش عنایت خوش بمیر

Translation: O prince, abandon your own cunning / Withdraw before grace, and die content. Meaning: This verse advises humankind to relinquish self-reliance and personal stratagems, entrusting their affairs to Divine Grace (enāyat) to attain inner peace and joyful surrender.

This verse encapsulates a fundamental teaching within the Mathnawi, indeed, within Islamic mysticism itself: to "abandon one's own cunning" and "seek refuge in Divine Grace." Here, Mowlana addresses the "prince," which can be interpreted as the ruling aspect of the self, or any individual who harbors aspirations of self-governance and personal strategizing. "Your own cunning" (makr-i khwishtan) refers to reliance on the fragmented intellect, self-contrivance, personal schemes, and mental machinations, which often lead humanity astray. This is precisely the error committed by the princes in the preceding narrative; they disregarded their father's counsel (which was itself an emanation of grace) and leaned on their own intellect ('aql) and planning (tadbir), consequently falling into the whirlpool of love.

In contrast to this "self-cunning," Mowlana points to "grace" (enāyat) as the true path. Enāyat signifies God's special attention and beneficence. As I have repeatedly emphasized, this term appears with high frequency in Book Six of the Mathnawi, serving as a central pivot for many of its teachings. Hafez, too, echoes this sentiment: "It is better for one to surrender one's affair to grace." That is, one must cease relying on "action" and turn towards "favor."

However, "withdraw before grace, and die content" carries a deeper meaning. "To withdraw" (pā bekesh) implies stepping aside, maintaining silence, and ceasing futile striving. "To die content" (khosh bemir) is not a physical death, but rather the annihilation of the ego (nafs-i ammāra), the death of personal volitions and self-regard. This is the Sufi concept of "die before you die" (mūtu qabla an tamūtu), a form of ego-effacement (muḥw) within the Divine Will. When the ego dies, one is freed from the suffering born of self-interest, and true, contented life begins. This death is joyous and sweet, for it reconnects the individual to their essential origin.

Mowlana's subsequent story of Sadr-i Jahan of Bukhara serves as a vivid parable for this principle. Sadr-i Jahan aids the poor, but on the condition that they never explicitly ask him for anything or speak of their needs. He discerns their condition himself and bestows his gifts. This narrative illuminates Divine enāyat and how humanity ought to approach it. God, like Sadr-i Jahan, is aware of His servants' states and rewards their silence and surrender. I have mentioned elsewhere, "I know other saints / Whose tongues are tied from prayer." These are mystics who, due to the intensity of their proximity and surrender, refrain even from praying and asking, considering any petition a sign of separation and discontent. "Withdrawing" before grace means precisely this state of silence, contentment, and acceptance of all that comes from the Beloved. In such a state, one truly "dies content"; one is liberated from egoic anxieties and finds eternal life.

Key takeaways

• Relying on one's own intellect and cunning is the source of many spiritual downfalls.
• The path to salvation lies in abandoning self-reliance and surrendering wholly to Divine Grace (enāyat).
• "Dying content" signifies the annihilation of the ego and personal will before the Divine Will, leading to ultimate satisfaction and joy.
• Divine Grace extends to servants even without explicit requests, provided there is silence and surrender.
• Some saints, due to their profound proximity to God, refrain even from prayer, entrusting themselves entirely to Divine Grace.