In Book Six of the Masnavi, Rumi uses the dialogue between God and Azrael (the Angel of Death) to illustrate the relationship between human/angelic compassion and absolute Divine Providence. When asked whom he pitied most, Azrael recalls being ordered to take the soul of a mother, leaving her newborn infant alone on a single plank amidst violent sea waves. Rumi highlights that while Azrael felt intense sorrow for the baby's apparent helplessness, this vulnerability was the starting point of unmediated divine care. This narrative teaches that what humans perceive as tragic abandonment is often a stage in God's mysterious protective plan, setting the stage for the child's (who is later revealed to be Nimrod) direct nurturing by divine command.

Angelic Compassion and Divine Providence: The Shipwrecked Infant in the Masnavi

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حاصل آن روضه چو باغ عارفان 
از سموم صرصر آمد در امان
یک پلنگی طفلکان نو زاده بود 
گفتم او را شیر ده طاعت نمود
پس بدادش شیر و خدمتهاش کرد 
تا که بالغ گشت و زفت و شیرمرد
چون فطامش شد بگفتم با پری 
تا در آموزید نطق و داوری
پرورش دادم مر او را زان چمن 
کی بگفت اندر بگنجد فن من
داده من ایوب را مهر پدر 
بهر مهمانی کرمان بی ضرر
داده کرمان را برو مهر ولد 
بر پدر من اینت قدرت اینت ید
مادران را داب من آموختم 
چون بود لطفی که من افروختم
صد عنایت کردم و صد رابطه 
تا ببیند لطف من بی واسطه
تا نباشد از سبب در کش مکش 
تا بود هر استعانت از منش
ورنه تا خود هیچ عذری نبودش 
شکوتی نبود ز هر یار بدش
این حضانه دید با صد رابطه 
که بپروردم ورا بی واسطه
شکر او آن بود ای بندهٔ جلیل 
که شد او نمرود و سوزندهٔ خلیل
هم چنان کین شاه زاده شکر شاه 
کرد استکبار و استکثار جاه
که چرا من تابع غیری شوم 
چونک صاحب ملک و اقبال نوم
لطف های شه که ذکر آن گذشت 
از تجبر بر دلش پوشیده گشت
هم چنان نمرود آن الطاف را 
زیر پا بنهاد از جهل و عمی
این زمان کافر شد و ره می زند 
کبر و دعوی خدایی می کند
رفته سوی آسمان با جلال 
با سه کرکس تا کند با من قتال
صد هزاران طفل بی تلویم را 
کشته تا یابد وی ابراهیم را
که منجم گفته کاندر حکم سال 
زاد خواهد دشمنی بهر قتال
هین بکن در دفع آن خصم احتیاط 
هر که می زایید می کشت از خباط
کوری او رست طفل وحی کش 
ماند خون های دگر در گردنش
از پدر یابید آن ملک ای عجب 
تا غرورش داد ظلمات نسب
دیگران را گر ام و اب شد حجیب 
او ز ما یابید گوهرها به جیب
گرگ درنده ست نفس بد یقین 
چه بهانه می نهی بر هر قرین
در ضلالت هست صد کل را کله 
نفس زشت کفرناک پر سفه
زین سبب می گویم این بندهٔ فقیر 
سلسله از گردن سگ برمگیر
گر معلم گشت این سگ هم سگست 
باش ذلت نفسه کو بدرگست
فرض می آری به جا گر طایفی 
بر سهیلی چون ادیم طایفی
تا سهیلت وا خرد از شر پوست 
تا شوی چون موزه ای هم پای دوست
جمله قرآن شرح خبث نفس هاست 
بنگر اندر مصحف آن چشمت کجاست
ذکر نفس عادیان کالت بیافت 
در قتال انبیا مو می شکافت
قرن قرن از شوم نفس بی ادب 
ناگهان اندر جهان می زد لهب

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## English translation
In short, that garden, like the garden of gnostics,
became safe from the poisonous, violent wind.
A leopard had recently given birth to cubs;
I told her, 'Give him milk,' and she obeyed.
So she gave him milk and served him,
until he matured, grew stout, and became a lion-hearted man.
When he was weaned, I spoke to a peri (fairy),
so that she taught him speech and judgment.
I nurtured him from that meadow;
how can my art be contained in speech?
I gave Job the love of a father,
to host the worms harmlessly.
I gave the worms the love of a child towards him
(as) towards a father; look at My power, look at My hand!
I taught mothers their way (of loving);
how great must be the grace that I have kindled!
I bestowed a hundred favors and made a hundred connections,
so that he might see My grace without intermediary.
So that he would not be in a tug-of-war with causes,
so that every plea for help of his would be to Me.
Otherwise, so that he would have no excuse at all,
and no complaint against any bad companion.
He saw this nursing with a hundred connections,
that I nurtured him without intermediary.
His gratitude was this, O glorious servant:
that he became Nimrod and the burner of the Friend (Abraham).
Just as this prince, in gratitude to the King,
acted with arrogance and sought to multiply his rank.
Saying, 'Why should I be a follower of another,
since I am the possessor of a kingdom and new fortune?'
The favors of the King, which were mentioned,
became hidden from his heart due to pride.
Likewise, Nimrod trampled those favors
underfoot out of ignorance and blindness.
Now he has become an infidel and commits highway robbery;
he acts with pride and claims godhood.
He went towards the sky in his majesty,
with three vultures, to do battle with Me.
He killed hundreds of thousands of My innocent babes,
so that he might find Abraham.
For the astrologer said that in the decree of the year,
an enemy will be born to do battle.
'Beware, take precaution to repel that enemy!'
Out of madness, he killed whoever was born.
In his blindness, the babe who drew revelation escaped,
and the blood of the others remained on his neck.
Did he find that kingdom from a father? O wonder!
that the darkness of lineage should give him pride.
If mother and father became a veil for others,
he found the pearls in his pocket from Us.
The evil self is a tearing wolf, certainly;
what excuse do you lay upon every companion?
In error, it is the peak of a hundred peaks—
the ugly, blasphemous, and extremely foolish self.
For this reason, I, this poor servant, say:
do not remove the chain from the neck of the dog.
Even if this dog becomes a teacher, it is still a dog;
be humble towards the self, for it has bad veins.
You fulfill a duty if you circumambulate
a Canopus, like Ta'ifi leather.
So that Canopus may redeem you from the evil of the skin,
so that you become like a boot at the foot of the Friend.
The whole Qur'an is an explanation of the wickedness of selves;
look into the scripture, where are those eyes of yours?
(Consider) the mention of the souls of 'Ad, who found instruments,
and split hairs in battling the prophets.
Age after age, from the ill omen of the ill-mannered self,
suddenly a flame would strike the world.

دفتر ششم - بخش ۱۳۷ - رجوع کردن به قصهٔ پروردن حق تعالی نمرود را بی‌واسطهٔ مادر و دایه در طفلی / Book Six - Section 137 - Returning to the story of God Almighty nourishing Nimrod in infancy without the intermediary of a mother or wet nurse

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موج را گفتم که آن تخته سبک 
دار بر روی و مکن با وی سَبُک
باد را گفتم که او را پاس‌دار 
تا نیفتد زان غریبِ کارزار
پرورش دادم مر او را در میان 
بی‌خورش بی‌مادر و بی‌داستان

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## English translation
I commanded the wave to hold that plank gently and not to treat it roughly. I commanded the wind to watch over him, so that he would not fall in that wondrous battle. I nourished him in the midst thereof, without food, without a mother, and without a story.

Google

## Original content
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حق به عزرائیل می گفت ای نقیب 
بر کی رحم آمد ترا از هر کئیب
گفت بر جمله دلم سوزد به درد 
لیک ترسم امر را اهمال کرد
تا بگویم کاشکی یزدان مرا 
در عوض قربان کند بهر فتی
گفت بر کی بیشتر رحم آمدت 
از کی دل پر سوز و بریان تر شدت
گفت روزی کشتیی بر موج تیز 
من شکستم ز امر تا شد ریز ریز
پس بگفتی قبض کن جان همه 
جز زنی و غیر طفلی زان رمه
هر دو بر یک تخته ای در ماندند 
تخته را آن موج ها می راندند
باز گفتی جان مادر قبض کن 
طفل را بگذار تنها ز امر کن
چون ز مادر بسکلیدم طفل را 
خود تو می دانی چه تلخ آمد مرا
بس بدیدم دود ماتم های زفت 
تلخی آن طفل از فکرم نرفت
گفت حق آن طفل را از فضل خویش 
موج را گفتم فکن در بیشه ایش
بیشه ای پر سوسن و ریحان و گل 
پر درخت میوه دار خوش اکل
چشمه های آب شیرین زلال 
پروریدم طفل را با صد دلال
صد هزاران مرغ مطرب خوش صدا 
اندر آن روضه فکنده صد نوا
پسترش کردم ز برگ نسترن 
کرده او را آمن از صدمهٔ فتن
گفته من خورشید را کو را مگز 
باد را گفته برو آهسته وز
ابر را گفته برو باران مریز 
برق را گفته برو مگرای تیز
زین چمن ای دی مبران اعتدال 
پنجه ای بهمن برین روضه ممال

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## English translation
God said to Azrael, 'O captain,
Upon whom among all the afflicted did you take pity?'
He said, 'My heart burns with pain for them all,
But I fear neglecting the command,
So much that I say, "Would that God
Sacrifice me instead for the sake of the youth."' 
He said, 'Upon whom did the most pity come to you?
For whom did your heart become more burned and roasted?'
He said, 'One day, a ship upon fierce waves,
I broke by command until it shattered to pieces.
Then You said, "Take the souls of everyone,
Except a woman and another child from that group."
Both remained upon a single wooden plank,
The waves driving that plank.
Again You said, "Take the soul of the mother,
Leave the child alone by command."
When I severed the mother from the child,
You Yourself know how bitter it was for me.
I saw much smoke of thick mournings,
The bitterness of that child did not leave my thoughts.'
God said, 'By His grace, for that child,
I told the waves, "Cast him into a thicket."
A thicket full of lilies, basil, and roses,
Full of fruit-bearing trees, pleasant to eat.
Springs of sweet, limpid water;
I nourished the child with a hundred endearments.
A hundred thousand melodious, sweet-singing birds,
Casting a hundred melodies into that garden.
I made his bed from eglantine leaves,
Making him secure from the shock of afflictions.
Saying, "I told the sun, do not bite him;
Told the wind, blow gently;
Told the cloud, do not pour rain;
Told the lightning, do not strike fiercely.
O winter (Dey), do not take away the mildness from this meadow,
O Bahman, do not rub your claws upon this garden."'

دفتر ششم - بخش ۱۳۵ - خطاب حق تعالی به عزرائیل علیه‌السلام کی ترا رحم بر کی بیشتر آمد ازین خلایق کی جانشان قبض کردی و جواب دادن عزرائیل حضرت را / Book Six - Section 135 - God Almighty's Addressing Azrael, Peace Be Upon Him, Asking, 'Upon Whom Among These Creatures Whose Souls You Took Did You Feel the Most Pity?' and Azrael's Answering His Presence

## Original content
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حق به عزرائیل می‌گفت ای نقیب 
بر کی رحم آمد ترا از هر کئیب؟
گفت بر جمله دلم سوزد به درد 
لیک ترسم امر را اهمال کرد
تا بگویم کاشکی یزدان مرا 
در عوض قربان کند بهر فتی
گفت بر کی بیشتر رحم آمدت 
از کی دل پر سوز و بریان‌تر شدت؟
گفت روزی کشتیی بر موج تیز 
من شکستم ز امر تا شد ریز ریز
پس بگفتی قبض کن جان همه 
جز زنی و غیر طفلی زان رمه
هر دو بر یک تخته‌ای در ماندند 
تخته را آن موج‌ها می‌راندند
باز گفتی جان مادر قبض کن 
طفل را بگذار تنها ز امر کن...
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دفتر ششم - بخش ۱۳۵ - خطاب حق تعالی به عزرائیل علیه‌السلام کی ترا رحم بر کی بیشتر آمد ازین خلایق کی جانشان قبض کردی و جواب دادن عزرائیل حضرت را / Book Six - Section 135 - God's Address to Azrael, 'Whom didst thou pity most among these creatures whose souls thou hast seized?' and Azrael's answer to the Presence

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دفتر ششم - بخش ۱۳۶ - تفضل حق تعالی به طفلی کی در موج دریا از مادر جدا ماند و پروردن حق تعالی او را بی واسطه / Book Six - Section 136 - God Almighty's grace to the child who remained separated from his mother in the waves of the sea, and God Almighty's nourishing him without intermediary

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