Concept

The Concept of Tawakkul and the Spiritual Error of Relying on Created Beings in the Masnavi

In the Masnavi, Rumi uses the story of the indebted dervish who relies on the inspector of Tabriz to illustrate the Sufi concept of Tawakkul (absolute trust in God) and the spiritual error of relying on created beings (makhluq) rather than the Creator (Khaliq). While the inspector's generosity is real, Rumi warns that placing ultimate hope in a mortal creature is a form of spiritual distraction that leads to disappointment and spiritual stagnation. True Tawakkul requires recognizing that all human generosity and worldly provisions are merely secondary causes (asbab) through which divine grace flows. Placing one's trust directly in the secondary cause, rather than the Ultimate Cause, is a failure of spiritual vision that must be resolved through repentance (inabat) and a return to pure devotion to God.

0

1

Updated 2026-06-23

Contributors are:

Who are from:

References


Tags

Humanities

Literature

Islam

Religion

Science

Philosophy

Social Science

Persian Literature Prerequisite Course