M6:3681 — تیر سوی راست پرانیده‌ای / سوی چپ رفته‌ست تیرت دیده‌ای

Translation: You cast your arrow to the right, / [But] you've seen your arrow veer to the left. Meaning: This verse signifies that human efforts and intentions often yield unexpected or contrary results, serving as a profound indicator of a hidden, governing agency at play in the universe.

This verse, in my estimation, constitutes a sharp critique of any form of foundational certainty in the world and of deterministic historical views. Rumi intends to convey that the universe, contrary to what our calculating intellect might assume, is not an autonomous, riderless machine. Rather, hidden hands are at work, altering the course of events in ways least expected.

I see this as akin to Kant's inquiry into why we perceive continuity and causality in nature. Kant believed our mind imposes these structures upon reality. However, Rumi posits that this is neither a mere function of our mind nor an inherent property of nature itself. Instead, the 'steed of nature' has a rider who continuously creates it according to its previous pattern, thus allowing us to perceive continuity. Yet, at times, this very rider, in order to awaken us from heedlessness, steers the steed down a different path, or even transforms it into a donkey! This is the 'exception' (estethna), which, for Rumi, does not disrupt the world's order but rather reveals the true, hidden order and the concealed hand of its manager.

Rumi offers numerous examples: You set out to hunt a gazelle, only to find yourself having captured a pig. You strive to accumulate wealth, but before reaching it, you find yourself imprisoned. You dig a pit for someone else, but fall into it yourself. These are all instances of 'your arrow veering to the left.' Even in marriage: one weds hoping for riches and becomes a 'Qarun,' while another, with the same hope, ends up 'indebted.' This illustrates that the 'turner of causes is like a donkey's tail'; though apparent causes may set things in motion, like the donkey's tail which itself has a rider, one should not place absolute reliance on them.

For this reason, I believe Rumi is here also critiquing Marxist historical philosophy and similar deterministic doctrines. Marxism purported to discover scientific laws governing historical movement and to predict the future, yet none of its prophecies materialized. This, in Karl Popper's terms, was a 'poverty of imagination' – an inability to conceive that a 'minor incident' or a 'pebble under the wheel' could entirely alter history's course. Similarly, those who believe they have reached the 'end of history' suffer from the same illusion of certainty. Rumi teaches us that nothing in this world is absolutely certain or guaranteed; neither scientific laws (whose uncertainty even scientists admit) nor the trajectory of history. Any law or prediction might be overturned tomorrow. Hence, we must cultivate 'scientific humility' and 'practical humility' before the world and the unknown, understanding that 'we are not the masters or teachers of this world,' and control of everything is not in our hands.

This verse also holds deep theological significance. Recall the famous dictum from Nahj al-Balagha: 'I came to know God through the annulment of resolves and the breaking of intentions.' When you make a resolve and formulate a plan, but suddenly everything goes awry, you should realize that the world does not run on its own; another force has subdued it. This theological perspective teaches us about God's 'inversion' (taqlīb) of realities: sometimes God makes a pit appear as a home, or a snare as bait. This is not sophistry, which denies truth, but God's action, which sometimes makes realities appear inverted in our eyes, so we may turn back from self-conceit and arrogance. Anyone who denies truths is himself caught in an illusion, believing he has denied truth, whereas this 'illusion' is itself a reality. With these insights, Rumi invites us to awaken; the bumps in the road are meant to rouse us, so we may know that 'another is the manager,' and we can never hold all the strings.

Key takeaways

• Human plans are subject to divine decree; outcomes do not always align with intentions.
• Absolute reliance on apparent causes is heedlessness; the world has a hidden rider.
• Deterministic predictions of history and the future are futile; historical determinism is a 'poverty of imagination'.
• The failure of plans and the redirection of events are signs revealing divine will (referencing the 'annulment of resolves').
• Scientific and practical humility towards the world and the unknown is a fruit of Rumi's insight.
• The 'exception,' or the arrow veering off course, doesn't negate the rule but reveals the profound depth of divine governance.