M6:3647 — اسلم الشیطان آنجا شد پدید / که یزیدی شد ز فضلش بایزید

Translation: There, the submission of Satan became manifest, Where, by His grace, a Yazīdī turned into a Bāyazīd. Meaning: This verse conveys the radical power of divine grace and love to transform even the most corrupted and evil beings, converting the inner devil into a force for purity and spiritual elevation.

This couplet is one of the most astonishing in the Masnavi, revealing the boundless power of divine love and grace in transforming the very essence of human existence. Mawlana, through this verse, aims to demonstrate that no being, not even the most corrupt, is outside the sphere of transformation brought about by love and divine favor.

The preceding couplet sets the stage: “If a demon falls in love, it wins the prize; it becomes Gabriel, and its demonic nature dies.” This is the preamble to understanding “There, the submission of Satan became manifest.” Mawlana alludes here to the famous saying of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): “Aslama Shayṭānī ʿalā yadī” – meaning, “My Satan submitted at my hands” or “became subdued by me.” This doesn't imply that the Prophet was without a devil, but rather that he tamed and brought into submission his inner devil, his nafs-i ammarah (the commanding self). Every human has an 'inner Satan'; if this lower self is left unchecked, it will dominate our entire being and transform us completely into its image. But by strengthening the nafs-i lawwamah (the self-reproaching conscience) and engaging in inner struggle, we gradually attain the nafs-i muṭmaʾinnah (the tranquil soul).

So, “Aslama al-Shayṭān anjā shud padīd” – where does this submission and taming of the inner devil occur? Mawlana's answer is radical: “where, by His grace, a Yazīdī turned into a Bāyazīd.” In Islamic history and culture, Yazīd is the ultimate symbol of evil, tyranny, and deviation, contrasted sharply with Bāyazīd Bastāmī, considered one of the pinnacles of mysticism and sanctity. Mawlana uses this stark dichotomy to illustrate that by divine fadl (grace), even a Yazīd, with all his manifestations of depravity and darkness, can be transformed and ascend to the station of a Bāyazīd. This means a demon can become Gabriel. Not only is this possible, but it is precisely in such a transformation that the submission of Satan finds its manifestation and proof.

This profound transformation is entirely orchestrated by ʿishq (love). Love is the alchemist; it transmutes base metal into gold, turns a wolf into a shepherd, and a demon into an angel. Love is what burns away all impurities and defilements within the human being, rendering them pure and refined. This divine 'grace' (fadl) flows to servants precisely through the channel of love. The one with clear sight, even when gazing upon the celestial houris, perceives the beauty of Truth (God) itself, not merely the beauty of the creation. This is because God, in His 'ghīrat' (divine jealousy or protective zeal), allows nothing but His own beauty to be truly seen. Love, being shirkatsūz (destroyer of partnership), tolerates no rival to the Beloved.

Therefore, this couplet carries a message of hope and radical potential for change: even if one lacks religion or ethics, if one falls in love, love will bestow all these virtues, liberating the individual from impurities and self-centeredness. Satan refused to prostrate before Adam out of arrogance and blindness to the divine light within him; but love removes the veil of egoism, allowing the divine majesty and beauty to be perceived in all beings, and supremely in humanity. Ultimately, the taming of the inner Satan, the purification from self-serving desires, and the attainment of the tranquil soul are all fruits of this alchemy of love and divine grace.

Key takeaways

• Love is the ultimate alchemy, capable of radically transforming even the most corrupt beings.
• The concept of 'Aslama al-Shayṭān' refers to taming and subduing the nafs-i ammarah (inner devil), not its annihilation.
• The symbolism of a 'Yazīdī becoming Bāyazīd' illustrates love and divine grace's supreme power to transform evil into good.
• This profound transformation is only possible through divine favor and grace (fadl).
• Mawlana believes that every human possesses the potential for deep transformation and liberation from ego through love.