Concept

The Metaphor of the Weeping Child and Divine Mercy in the Masnavi

In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, within the tale of the man who rescues a bear from a dragon, Rumi explores the spiritual power of human vulnerability. He compares God's universal mercy to a mother or wet nurse who actively seeks a pretext to feed her baby, waiting only for the child to cry. Rumi asserts that God intentionally created human needs and helplessness so that believers might wail, thereby causing the 'milk' of divine loving-kindness to become manifest. Furthermore, he emphasizes that just as physical water naturally runs toward the lowest ground, divine grace flows toward spiritual lowliness and humility. By employing the metaphor of the weeping child, Rumi teaches that genuine wailing and the admission of absolute dependence are the most effective means to attract God's boundless compassion.

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Updated 2026-05-09

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Persian Literature Prerequisite Course

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