In Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the conclusion of the encounter between Imam Ali and the spitting adversary highlights the transformative power of spiritual restraint, which Rumi terms the 'sword of forbearance' ($$تیغ حلم$$). After Ali explains that he spared the warrior because his personal anger had compromised his purely divine intention, the bewildered adversary experiences a spiritual awakening, severs his zunnar (a symbol of unbelief), and embraces Islam alongside fifty of his kin. Rumi contrasts physical warfare with spiritual conquest, asserting that the 'sword of forbearance is sharper than the iron sword.' While an iron weapon merely destroys bodies and takes lives, Ali's deliberate refusal to strike out of ego conquers hearts and brings true victory. This metaphor illustrates the Sufi ideal that suppressing the lower self and acting solely for God yields a far greater, life-giving triumph than any conventional battlefield success.

The Metaphor of the Sword of Forbearance in the Masnavi

In Book One of the *Masnavi*, Jalaluddin Rumi concludes the tale of Imam Ali and his adversary by illustrating the strict standard of sincerity (Ikhlas) required for divine action. Ali explains to the defeated warrior that the moment he was spat upon, his personal anger (nafs) was stirred. Realizing that his motivation was no longer purely for God, but 'half for God and half for passion,' Ali refused to strike. Rumi uses this narrative to teach that any spiritual or righteous act becomes corrupted and invalid if tainted by personal ego or worldly emotion, declaring that 'partnership in the work of God is not permitted' (شرکت اندر کار حق نبود روا).

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گفت امیر المؤمنین با آن جوان 
که به هنگام نبرد ای پهلوان
چون خدو انداختی در روی من 
نفس جنبید و تبه شد خوی من
نیم بهر حق شد و نیمی هوا 
شرکت اندر کار حق نبود روا
تو نگاریدهٔ کف مولیستی 
آن حقی کردهٔ من نیستی
نقش حق را هم به امر حق شکن 
بر زجاجهٔ دوست سنگ دوست زن
گبر این بشنید و نوری شد پدید 
در دل او تا که زناری برید
گفت من تخم جفا می‌کاشتم 
من ترا نوعی دگر پنداشتم
تو ترازوی احدخو بوده‌ای 
بل زبانهٔ هر ترازو بوده‌ای
تو تبار و اصل و خویشم بوده‌ای 
تو فروغ شمع کیشم بوده‌ای
من غلام آن چراغ چشم‌جو 
که چراغت روشنی پذرفت ازو
من غلام موج آن دریای نور 
که چنین گوهر بر آرد در ظهور
عرضه کن بر من شهادت را که من 
مر ترا دیدم سرافراز زمن
قرب پنجه کس ز خویش و قوم او 
عاشقانه سوی دین کردند رو
او به تیغ حلم چندین حلق را 
وا خرید از تیغ و چندین خلق را
تیغ حلم از تیغ آهن تیزتر 
بل ز صد لشکر ظفر انگیزتر
ای دریغا لقمه‌ای دو خورده شد 
جوشش فکرت از آن افسرده شد
گندمی خورشید آدم را کسوف 
چون ذنب شعشاع بدری را خسوف
اینت لطف دل که از یک مشت گل 
ماه او چون می‌شود پروین‌گسل
نان چو معنی بود خوردش سود بود 
چونک صورت گشت انگیزد جحود
همچو خار سبز کاشتر می‌خورد 
زان خورش صد نفع و لذت می‌برد
چونک آن سبزیش رفت و خشک گشت 
چون همان را می‌خورد اشتر ز دشت
می‌دراند کام و لنجش ای دریغ 
کانچنان ورد مربی گشت تیغ
نان چو معنی بود بود آن خار سبز 
چونک صورت شد کنون خشکست و گبز
تو بدان عادت که او را پیش ازین 
خورده بودی ای وجود نازنین
بر همان بو می‌خوری این خشک را 
بعد از آن کامیخت معنی با ثری
گشت خاک‌آمیز و خشک و گوشت‌بر 
زان گیاه اکنون بپرهیز ای شتر
سخت خاک‌آلود می‌آید سخن 
آب تیره شد سر چه بند کن
تا خدایش باز صاف و خوش کند 
او که تیره کرد هم صافش کند
صبر آرد آرزو را نه شتاب 
صبر کن والله اعلم بالصواب

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## English translation
The Commander of the Faithful said to that youth: "At the time of battle, O champion, when you spat in my face, my self was stirred and my disposition was spoiled. Half was for God and half was passion; partnership in God's work is not proper. You are the image traced by the hand of the Lord; you are God's making, not something for me to make away with. Break God's image only by God's command; strike the Friend's glass with the Friend's stone." The unbeliever heard this, and a light appeared in his heart, so that he cut his zunnar. He said: "I was sowing seeds of cruelty; I had imagined you as something else. You were a scale with the character of the One; rather, you were the tongue-pointer of every scale. You were my stock, root, and kin; you were the radiance of the candle of my faith. I am the slave of that eye-seeking lamp from which your lamp received light. I am the slave of the wave of that sea of light which brings such a pearl into manifestation. Offer me the shahada, for I have seen you raised above myself." Nearly fifty people of his kin and people turned lovingly toward the religion. With the sword of forbearance he bought back so many throats from the sword, and so many people. The sword of forbearance is sharper than the iron sword; indeed, it brings victory more than a hundred armies. Alas, a morsel or two was eaten, and the boiling of thought was cooled by it. A grain of wheat eclipsed Adam's sun, as a tail eclipses the shining full moon. Behold the subtlety of the heart: from one handful of clay, how its moon becomes one that scatters the Pleiades. When bread was meaning, eating it was beneficial; when it became form, it stirred denial. It is like the green thorn the camel eats and gains a hundred benefits and pleasures from that food. But when its greenness has gone and it has become dry, if the camel eats that same thing from the desert, it tears its palate and lips, alas; that nurturing fodder has become a blade. When bread was meaning, it was that green thorn; when it became form, now it is dry and coarse. You, from the habit by which you had eaten it before, O dear being, eat this dry thing by that same scent after meaning has mixed with dust. It has become dust-mixed, dry, and flesh-cutting; now beware of that plant, O camel. Speech is coming very dust-laden; the water has become turbid, close the head of the well, so that God may make it clear and sweet again. He who made it turbid will also make it clear. Patience brings the wish, not haste. Be patient, and God knows best what is right.

دفتر اول - بخش ۱۷۲ - گفتن امیر المؤمنین علی کرم الله وجهه با قرین خود کی چون خدو انداختی در روی من نفس من جنبید و اخلاص عمل نماند مانع کشتن تو آن شد / Book One - Section 172 - The Commander of the Faithful Ali, May God Honor His Face, Saying to His Adversary That 'When You Spat in My Face, My Self Was Stirred and Sincerity of Action Did Not Remain; That Became the Obstacle to Killing You'

In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, responding to the defeated warrior's inquiry, Imam Ali reveals the profound spiritual principle guiding his actions: he operates entirely for the sake of God. Ali distinguishes himself as the "Lion of God" ($$شیر حق$$) rather than a "lion of passion" ($$شیر هوا$$), meaning his combat is a divine duty, not a pursuit of personal vengeance. He explains that when the adversary spat in his face, a personal motive—anger—was aroused. Had he struck the fatal blow at that moment, it would have been an act of ego rather than divine justice. To illustrate his absolute spiritual stability, Ali compares his soul to a mountain that cannot be moved by the "winds" of anger, lust, or greed. This explanation highlights the Sufi ideal of annihilating the ego, demonstrating that true spiritual mastery requires every action, whether giving or withholding, to be executed purely out of divine love and will.

Imam Ali's Metaphor of the Lion of God in the Masnavi

In Book One of the *Masnavi*, Jalaluddin Rumi uses Imam Ali's response to his adversary to illustrate the Sufi ideal of perfect sincerity (Ikhlas) and egoless action. When explaining why he dropped his sword, Ali declares, 'I am the lion of God, not the lion of passion' (شیر حقم نیستم شیر هوا). He asserts that he fights solely for the Truth and compares himself to a sword wielded by the Divine, entirely devoid of personal anger or desire. This metaphor highlights the state of spiritual annihilation where a believer's actions become purely an extension of God's will.

Imam Ali as the Lion of God and Instrument of Divine Will in the Masnavi

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The Principle of Absolute Sincerity (Ikhlas) and the Avoidance of Egoic Action in the Masnavi

In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the narrative of Imam Ali extends to a profound revelation: the Prophet Muhammad had prophesied that Ali would eventually be killed by his own servant. Horrified by this inevitable fate, the servant repeatedly begs Ali to execute him prematurely to prevent the treacherous act. Ali steadfastly refuses, explaining that "the pen has dried" and one cannot employ tricks against divine destiny. More profoundly, Ali harbors no hatred toward his future murderer because he perceives the servant merely as "God's instrument," asserting that the true agent of all actions is God's hand. When the servant questions the purpose of divine retribution if human actions are predestined, Ali responds that retribution is a hidden divine mystery. He explains that when God breaks His own instrument or abrogates a law, He ultimately replaces it with something superior, demonstrating that divine wrath and grace originate from a single, unified source.

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