In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the narrative of Imam Ali extends to a profound revelation: the Prophet Muhammad had prophesied that Ali would eventually be killed by his own servant. Horrified by this inevitable fate, the servant repeatedly begs Ali to execute him prematurely to prevent the treacherous act. Ali steadfastly refuses, explaining that "the pen has dried" and one cannot employ tricks against divine destiny. More profoundly, Ali harbors no hatred toward his future murderer because he perceives the servant merely as "God's instrument," asserting that the true agent of all actions is God's hand. When the servant questions the purpose of divine retribution if human actions are predestined, Ali responds that retribution is a hidden divine mystery. He explains that when God breaks His own instrument or abrogates a law, He ultimately replaces it with something superior, demonstrating that divine wrath and grace originate from a single, unified source.

Imam Ali's Submission to Divine Destiny and the Instrument of God in the Masnavi

In Book One of the *Masnavi*, Jalaluddin Rumi concludes the tale of Imam Ali and his adversary by illustrating the strict standard of sincerity (Ikhlas) required for divine action. Ali explains to the defeated warrior that the moment he was spat upon, his personal anger (nafs) was stirred. Realizing that his motivation was no longer purely for God, but 'half for God and half for passion,' Ali refused to strike. Rumi uses this narrative to teach that any spiritual or righteous act becomes corrupted and invalid if tainted by personal ego or worldly emotion, declaring that 'partnership in the work of God is not permitted' (شرکت اندر کار حق نبود روا).

The Principle of Absolute Sincerity (Ikhlas) and the Avoidance of Egoic Action in the Masnavi

In Book One of the *Masnavi*, Jalaluddin Rumi uses Imam Ali's response to his adversary to illustrate the Sufi ideal of perfect sincerity (Ikhlas) and egoless action. When explaining why he dropped his sword, Ali declares, 'I am the lion of God, not the lion of passion' (شیر حقم نیستم شیر هوا). He asserts that he fights solely for the Truth and compares himself to a sword wielded by the Divine, entirely devoid of personal anger or desire. This metaphor highlights the state of spiritual annihilation where a believer's actions become purely an extension of God's will.

Google

## Original content
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right; line-height: 2; margin-top: 0.5rem;">

گفت من تیغ از پی حق می‌زنم 
بندهٔ حقم نه مامور تنم
شیر حقم نیستم شیر هوا 
فعل من بر دین من باشد گوا
ما رمیت اذ رمیتم در حراب 
من چو تیغم وان زننده آفتاب
رخت خود را من ز ره بر داشتم 
غیر حق را من عدم انگاشتم
سایه‌ای‌ام کدخداام آفتاب 
حاجبم من نیستم او را حجاب
من چو تیغم پر گهرهای وصال 
زنده گردانم نه کشته در قتال
خون نپوشد گوهر تیغ مرا 
باد از جا کی برد میغ مرا
که نیم کوهم ز حلم و صبر و داد 
کوه را کی در رباید تند باد
آنک از بادی رود از جا خسیست 
زانک باد ناموافق خود بسیست
باد خشم و باد شهوت باد آز 
برد او را که نبود اهل نماز
کوهم و هستی من بنیاد اوست 
ور شوم چون کاه بادم یاد اوست
جز به باد او نجنبد میل من 
نیست جز عشق احد سرخیل من
خشم بر شاهان شه و ما را غلام 
خشم را هم بسته‌ام زیر لگام
تیغ حلمم گردن خشمم زدست 
خشم حق بر من چو رحمت آمدست
غرق نورم گرچه سقفم شد خراب 
روضه گشتم گرچه هستم بوتراب
چون در آمد علتی اندر غزا 
تیغ را دیدم نهان کردن سزا
تا احب لله آید نام من 
تا که ابغض لله آید کام من
تا که اعطا لله آید جود من 
تا که امسک لله آید بود من
بخل من لله عطا لله و بس 
جمله لله‌ام نیم من آن کس
وانچ لله می‌کنم تقلید نیست 
نیست تخییل و گمان جز دید نیست
ز اجتهاد و از تحری رسته‌ام 
آستین بر دامن حق بسته‌ام
گر همی‌پرم همی‌بینم مطار 
ور همی‌گردم همی‌بینم مدار
ور کشم باری بدانم تا کجا 
ماهم و خورشید پیشم پیشوا
بیش ازین با خلق گفتن روی نیست 
بحر را گنجایی اندر جوی نیست
پست می‌گویم به اندازهٔ عقول 
عیب نبود این بود کار رسول
از غرض حرم گواهی حر شنو 
که گواهی بندگان نه ارزد دو جو
در شریعت مر گواهی بنده را 
نیست قدری وقت دعوی و قضا
گر هزاران بنده باشندت گواه 
بر نسنجد شرع ایشان را به کاه
بندهٔ شهوت بتر نزدیک حق 
از غلام و بندگان مسترق
کین بیک لفظی شود از خواجه حر 
وان زید شیرین میرد سخت مر
بندهٔ شهوت ندارد خود خلاص 
جز به فضل ایزد و انعام خاص
در چهی افتاد کان را غور نیست 
وان گناه اوست جبر و جور نیست
در چهی انداخت او خود را که من 
درخور قعرش نمی‌یابم رسن
بس کنم گر این سخن افزون شود 
خود جگر چه بود که خارا خون شود
این جگرها خون نشد نه از سختی است 
غفلت و مشغولی و بدبختی است
خون شود روزی که خونش سود نیست 
خون شو آن وقتی که خون مردود نیست
چون گواهی بندگان مقبول نیست 
عدل او باشد که بندهٔ غول نیست
گشت ارسلناک شاهد در نذر 
زانک بود از کون او حر بن حر
چونک حرم خشم کی بندد مرا 
نیست اینجا جز صفات حق در آ
اندر آ کآزاد کردت فضل حق 
زانک رحمت داشت بر خشمش سبق
اندر آ اکنون که رستی از خطر 
سنگ بودی کیمیا کردت گهر
رسته‌ای از کفر و خارستان او 
چون گلی بشکف به سروستان هو
تو منی و من توم ای محتشم 
تو علی بودی علی را چون کشم
معصیت کردی به از هر طاعتی 
آسمان پیموده‌ای در ساعتی
بس خجسته معصیت کان کرد مرد 
نه ز خاری بر دمد اوراق ورد
نه گناه عمر و قصد رسول 
می‌کشیدش تا بدرگاه قبول
نه بسحر ساحران فرعونشان 
می‌کشید و گشت دولت عونشان
گر نبودی سحرشان و آن جحود 
کی کشیدیشان به فرعون عنود
کی بدیدندی عصا و معجزات 
معصیت طاعت شد ای قوم عصات
ناامیدی را خدا گردن زدست 
چون گنه مانند طاعت آمدست
چون مبدل می‌کند او سیئات 
طاعتی‌اش می‌کند رغم وشات
زین شود مرجوم شیطان رجیم 
وز حسد او بطرقد گردد دو نیم
او بکوشد تا گناهی پرورد 
زان گنه ما را به چاهی آورد
چون ببیند کان گنه شد طاعتی 
گردد او را نامبارک ساعتی
اندر آ من در گشادم مر ترا 
تف زدی و تحفه دادم مر ترا
مر جفاگر را چنینها می‌دهم 
پیش پای چپ چه سان سر می‌نهم
پس وفاگر را چه بخشم تو بدان 
گنجها و ملکهای جاودان

</div>

## English translation
He said: "I strike the sword for the sake of Truth; I am the servant of Truth, not commanded by my body.

I am the Lion of Truth, not the lion of passion; my action bears witness to my religion.

'You did not throw when you threw' in battle: I am like the sword, and the one who strikes is the Sun.

I have lifted my own baggage from the road; I have counted everything other than Truth as nothing.

I am a shadow whose householder/master is the Sun; I am a chamberlain, not a veil to Him.

I am like a sword filled with jewels of union; in combat I give life, I do not kill.

Blood does not cover the jewel of my sword; how could wind move my cloud from its place?

For I am a mountain through forbearance, patience, and justice; when does a fierce wind snatch away a mountain?

What is moved from its place by a wind is but chaff, for adverse winds are many.

The wind of anger, the wind of lust, the wind of greed carries away one who is not fit for prayer.

I am a mountain, and my being has its foundation in Him; and if I become like straw, my wind is remembrance of Him.

My inclination moves only by His wind; no one but love of the One is my leader.

Anger is king over kings, but it is our slave; I have bound anger under the bridle.

The sword of my forbearance has struck the neck of my anger; God's anger has come to me as mercy.

I am drowned in light though my roof has fallen in; I have become a garden though I am Abu Turab.

When a motive entered into the battle, I saw it proper to hide the sword.

So that 'he loves for God' may be my name; so that 'he hates for God' may be my desire;

So that 'he gives for God' may be my generosity; so that 'he withholds for God' may be my being.

My withholding is for God, my giving is for God, and nothing else; I am wholly for God, I am not that person/self.

What I do for God is not imitation; it is not imagination or conjecture, but only vision.

I am freed from ijtihad and from investigation; I have fastened my sleeve to the hem of Truth.

If I fly, I see the place of flight; if I turn, I see the orbit.

And if I carry a burden, I know how far; I am the moon, and the sun before me is my guide.

More than this is not fit to say to the people; the sea has no room inside a stream.

I speak lowly, according to the measure of intellects; this is no fault; this is the work of the Messenger.

Since I am free of self-interest, hear the testimony of a free man, for the testimony of slaves is not worth two barley grains.

In the Shari'a, the testimony of a slave has no value at the time of claim and judgment.

If thousands of slaves are your witnesses, the Law does not weigh them against a straw.

The slave of appetite is worse in God's sight than a slave or enslaved bondsman,

For that one becomes free by a single word from his master, while this one lives sweetly and dies bitterly and hard.

The slave of appetite has no deliverance except by God's grace and special favor.

He has fallen into a pit whose depth has no bottom; that is his own sin, not compulsion or injustice.

He has thrown himself into a pit for which I find no rope suited to its depth.

I will stop; if this speech grows longer, what is the liver/heart, that even rock would bleed?

These hearts have not bled not because of hardness, but because of heedlessness, preoccupation, and misfortune.

They will bleed on a day when their blood is of no use; bleed at the time when blood is not rejected.

Since the testimony of slaves is not accepted, His justice is that He is not the slave of a ghoul/delusion.

'We sent you as a witness' came among the warnings because from his very being he was free, son of the free.

Since I am free, how can anger bind me? There is nothing here but the attributes of Truth: enter.

Enter, for God's grace has freed you, since His mercy preceded His wrath.

Enter now, for you have escaped danger; you were stone, and alchemy has made you a jewel.

You have escaped unbelief and its thorn-brake; like a rose, blossom in the cypress-grove of Hu.

You are I and I am you, O honored one; you were Ali: how could I kill Ali?

You committed a sin better than any act of obedience; you traversed the heavens in an instant.

How blessed the sin that this man committed; do rose leaves not grow from a thorn?

Did not Umar's sin and his intent against the Messenger draw him to the threshold of acceptance?

Did not the sorcery of Pharaoh's magicians draw them on, and did fortune become their aid?

Had their sorcery and that denial not existed, how would it have drawn them to obstinate Pharaoh?

How would they have seen the staff and the miracles? Sin became obedience, O company of sinners.

God has struck off the neck of despair, since sin has become like obedience.

When He transforms evil deeds, He makes them obedience, in spite of slanderers.

By this the accursed, stoned Satan is stoned, and from envy he splits in two with a crack.

He strives to nurture a sin, so that through that sin he may bring us into a pit.

When he sees that the sin has become obedience, the hour becomes unlucky for him.

Enter; I have opened the door for you. You spat, and I gave you a gift.

To one who acts harshly I give such things; how, then, do I lay my head before the foot of one who steps rightly?

Then know what I shall give to the faithful one: treasures and everlasting kingdoms."

دفتر اول - بخش ۱۶۶ - جواب گفتن امیر المؤمنین کی سبب افکندن شمشیر از دست چه بوده است در آن حالت / Book One - Section 166 - The Commander of the Faithful Answering What Was the Cause of Dropping the Sword from His Hand in That State

Root URL: https://ganjoor.net/
Source URL: https://ganjoor.net/

This Reference node represents the source used by the Literature-to-1Cademy migration agent.

Ganjoor

## Original content
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right; line-height: 2; margin-top: 0.5rem;">

من چنان مردم که بر خونی خویش 
نوش لطف من نشد در قهر نیش
گفت پیغامبر به گوش چاکرم 
کو برد روزی ز گردن این سرم
کرد آگه آن رسول از وحی دوست 
که هلاکم عاقبت بر دست اوست
او همی‌گوید بکش پیشین مرا 
تا نیاید از من این منکر خطا
من همی‌گویم چو مرگ من ز تست 
با قضا من چون توانم حیله جست
او همی‌افتد به پیشم کای کریم 
مر مرا کن از برای حق دو نیم
تا نه آید بر من این انجام بد 
تا نسوزد جان من بر جان خود
من همی گویم برو جف القلم 
زان قلم بس سرنگون گردد علم
هیچ بغضی نیست در جانم ز تو 
زانک این را من نمی‌دانم ز تو
آلت حقی تو فاعل دست حق 
چون زنم بر آلت حق طعن و دق
گفت او پس آن قصاص از بهر چیست 
گفت هم از حق و آن سر خفیست
گر کند بر فعل خود او اعتراض 
ز اعتراض خود برویاند ریاض
اعتراض او را رسد بر فعل خود 
زانک در قهرست و در لطف او احد
اندرین شهر حوادث میر اوست 
در ممالک مالک تدبیر اوست
آلت خود را اگر او بشکند 
آن شکسته گشته را نیکو کند
رمز ننسخ آیة او ننسها 
نات خیرا در عقب می‌دان مها
هر شریعت را که حق منسوخ کرد 
او گیا برد و عوض آورد ورد
شب کند منسوخ شغل روز را 
بین جمادی خرد افروز را
باز شب منسوخ شد از نور روز 
تا جمادی سوخت زان آتش‌فروز
گرچه ظلمت آمد آن نوم و سبات 
نه درون ظلمتست آب حیات
نه در آن ظلمت خردها تازه شد 
سکته‌ای سرمایهٔ آوازه شد
که ز ضدها ضدها آمد پدید 
در سویدا روشنایی آفرید
جنگ پیغامبر مدار صلح شد 
صلح این آخر زمان زان جنگ بد
صد هزاران سر برید آن دلستان 
تا امان یابد سر اهل جهان
باغبان زان می‌برد شاخ مضر 
تا بیابد نخل قامتها و بر
می‌کند از باغ دانا آن حشیش 
تا نماید باغ و میوه خرمیش
می‌کند دندان بد را آن طبیب 
تا رهد از درد و بیماری حبیب
پس زیادتها درون نقصهاست 
مر شهیدان را حیات اندر فناست
چون بریده گشت حلق رزق‌خوار 
یرزقون فرحین شد گوار
حلق حیوان چون بریده شد بعدل 
حلق انسان رست و افزونید فضل
حلق انسان چون ببرد هین ببین 
تا چه زاید کن قیاس آن برین
حلق ثالث زاید و تیمار او 
شربت حق باشد و انوار او
حلق ببریده خورد شربت ولی 
حلق از لا رسته مرده در بلی
بس کن ای دون‌همت کوته‌بنان 
تا کیت باشد حیات جان به نان
زان نداری میوه‌ای مانند بید 
کآبرو بردی پی نان سپید
گر ندارد صبر زین نان جان حس 
کیمیا را گیر و زر گردان تو مس
جامه‌شویی کرد خواهی ای فلان 
رو مگردان از محلهٔ گازران
گرچه نان بشکست مر روزهٔ ترا 
در شکسته‌بند پیچ و برتر آ
چون شکسته‌بند آمد دست او 
پس رفو باشد یقین اشکست او
گر تو آن را بشکنی گوید بیا 
تو درستش کن نداری دست و پا
پس شکستن حق او باشد که او 
مر شکسته گشته را داند رفو
آنک داند دوخت او داند درید 
هر چه را بفروخت نیکوتر خرید
خانه را ویران کند زیر و زبر 
پس بیک ساعت کند معمورتر
گر یکی سر را ببرد از بدن 
صد هزاران سر بر آرد در زمن
گر نفرمودی قصاصی بر جنات 
یا نگفتی فی القصاص آمد حیات
خود که را زهره بدی تا او ز خود 
بر اسیر حکم حق تیغی زند
زانک داند هر که چشمش را گشود 
کان کشنده سخرهٔ تقدیر بود
هر که را آن حکم بر سر آمدی 
بر سر فرزند هم تیغی زدی
رو بترس و طعنه کم زن بر بدان 
پیش دام حکم عجز خود بدان

</div>

## English translation
I am such a man that, toward my own murderer, the sweetness of my grace did not become the sting of wrath.

The Prophet spoke into the ear of my servant, the one who will one day remove this head from my neck. That Messenger, by revelation from the Friend, made him aware that my destruction would finally be at his hand.

He keeps saying, “Kill me first, so that this hateful wrong may not come from me.” I keep saying, “Since my death is from you, how can I seek a trick against destiny?”

He keeps falling before me, saying, “O generous one, split me in two for God’s sake, so that this evil end may not come upon me, and so that my soul may not burn over my own soul.” I keep saying, “Go; the pen has dried. By that pen many a banner is overturned.

There is no hatred in my soul toward you, because I do not regard this as coming from you. You are God’s instrument; the agent is God’s hand. How could I strike blame and reproach against God’s instrument?”

He said, “Then what is retribution for?” He said, “That too is from God, and that is a hidden secret. If He objects to His own act, from His objection He causes gardens to grow. Objection to His own act belongs to Him, for in wrath and in grace He is One.

In this city of events He is the commander; in the kingdoms He is the owner of governance. If He breaks His own instrument, He makes the broken one well.

Know the mystery of ‘We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten; We bring something better’ in what follows, O great one. Every law that God abrogated, He removed grass and brought roses in exchange.

Night abrogates the work of day; behold the inanimate thing that illumines intellect. Then night is abrogated by the light of day, until the inanimate burns from that kindling fire.

Although sleep and rest come as darkness, is not the Water of Life within that darkness? Were not intellects refreshed in that darkness? A pause became the capital of renown.

For from opposites, opposites came forth; He created light in the black core. The Prophet’s war became the pivot of peace; the peace of this latter time came from that war.

That heart-ravisher cut off hundreds of thousands of heads so that the heads of the people of the world might find safety. The gardener cuts the harmful branch so that the palm may gain height and fruit. The wise one removes the weed from the garden so that the garden and its fruit may show their flourishing. The physician pulls the bad tooth so that the beloved may be freed from pain and sickness.

Thus increase is within decrease, and for martyrs life is within annihilation. When the throat of the provision-eater was cut, ‘they are provided for, rejoicing’ became sweet. When the animal’s throat was cut justly, the human throat was saved and grace increased. When the human throat is cut, look carefully and see what is born; reason from this to what is higher.

A third throat is born, and its care is the drink of God and His lights. The severed throat drinks the draught, the throat freed from ‘no’ and dead in ‘yes.’

Enough, low-aspiring short-fingered one: how long will the life of your soul depend on bread? That is why you have no fruit, like a willow: you have spent your honor in pursuit of white bread. If the sensory soul has no patience apart from this bread, take alchemy and turn your copper into gold.

If you wish to do laundry, fellow, do not turn away from the washermen’s quarter. Though bread has broken your fast, turn to the bone-setter and rise higher. Since His hand is the bone-setter, His breaking is certainly a mending.

If you break it, He says, ‘Come, you make it whole; you have neither hand nor foot.’ Therefore breaking belongs to God, for He knows how to mend the broken. The one who knows how to sew knows how to tear; whatever He sells, He buys something better. He ruins the house, turning it upside down, then in one hour makes it more flourishing.

If He cuts one head from the body, He raises up hundreds of thousands of heads in time. If He had not commanded retribution for crimes, or had not said, ‘In retribution there is life,’ who would have the courage, on his own, to strike a sword against one captive to God’s decree?

For everyone whose eye has been opened knows that the killer was made subject to predestination. Whoever that decree came upon would strike a sword even at the head of his own child. Go, be afraid, and cast less blame on the wicked; know your own helplessness before the snare of decree.

دفتر اول - بخش ۱۶۷ - گفتن پیغامبر صلی الله علیه و سلم به گوش رکابدار امیرالمؤمنین علی کرم الله وجهه کی کشتن علی بر دست تو خواهد بودن خبرت کردم / Book One - Section 167 - The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, speaking into the ear of the stirrup-holder of the Commander of the Faithful Ali, may God honor his face, that 'The killing of Ali will be by your hand, I have informed you'

Learn Before

Related

Learn After