Concept

Seeking the Master's Goodwill (Rida) Beyond Mere Pardon in Jami's Tale of the Forgiven Servant

This concept interprets Jami's tale of a courteous servant who, out of over-reaching, slips into discourtesy and provokes his master's wrath. After a fortunate intercessor secures his pardon, the servant weeps tears of blood, and the intercessor rebukes him: after the pardon of sin, why the weeping? The poem's teaching turns on the servant's answer in spirit: the sincere seeker is not satisfied merely to escape punishment through forgiveness (afw), but presses on to recover the master's active pleasure and favor (rida). Read allegorically, the master figures the Divine and the servant the wayfarer, so the lesson distinguishes the pardon of a fault from the restoration of intimate nearness, framing continued contrition as longing for the Beloved's goodwill rather than relief at avoiding consequences.

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Updated 2026-07-19

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Humanities

Literature

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course