In Book 5 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the dialogue between a Muslim and a Zoroastrian (Magian) serves as an allegorical exploration of the theological conflict between free will and determinism (Jabr and Qadar). When invited to embrace Islam, the Magian claims he will do so only if God wills it. The Muslim counters that God does indeed desire his faith, but the Magian's lower self (nafs) and Satan are pulling him toward infidelity. This response allows the Magian to present a deterministic defense: if God's desire for his salvation is thwarted by Satan and the nafs, then these forces must be more powerful than the Divine Will, and it is only logical to align with the dominant force.

Rumi uses this theological impasse to expose the limitations of dualistic and literalist understandings of spiritual struggles. By portraying the Magian's argument, Rumi warns against a passive determinism (Jabr) that abdicates moral responsibility under the guise of submitting to a strong...