In the Masnavi, Rumi addresses a key theological dispute regarding the nature of God's action and its implications for human prayer. Philosophers often conceptualized God as a 'natural agent' (fa'il bi-t-tab') who acts out of necessity and cause, suggesting that nature and destiny are immutable, which renders supplication (tazarru') useless. Rumi rejects this deterministic framework, asserting that God is a 'free agent' (fa'il-e mukhtar) who acts by choice. Because God operates with absolute free will and is not bound by secondary causes, human lamentation, humility, and earnest supplication can indeed invoke divine mercy to avert impending affliction and alter the course of events.