The Concept of Human Free Will According to Jalaluddin Rumi
Introduction
In the philosophy of divinity, the problem of God's omnipotence and human free will is one of
the most difficult issues.1 Within the Islamic world, this problem has generated conflict between
two groups: the Qadariyah, who advocate for human free will, and the Jabariyah, who uphold the
doctrine of predestination. Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273 AD) in the Mathnawi, Book V, states
that "there will always be debate and conflict, until the end of time, between the fatalists and the
advocates of free will."2 Although Rumi believes that the issue of God's omnipotence and human
freedom will never be resolved, he presents a unique view on human free will in the context of
spiritual journey towards God. This brief paper aims to specifically examine Rumi's ideas on
human free will based on his writings.
Rumi's Position on Free Will
Through the illustrations in his works, Rumi implicitly argues that humans possess free will and
personal responsibility for their actions. Therefore, we must not commit wrongdoings and blame
fate or God for them, as the fatalists do. We must do what is best for the development of our
lives and others. We should not sit idly by waiting for divine intervention. Here is one of the
illustrations Rumi provides in the Mathnawi:
A thief said to a judge, "Your Honor, what I did was predestined by God." The judge
replied, "My son, what I am doing was also predestined by God." If someone steals a
radish from a vegetable seller and says, "This was predestined by God, wise man"; you
should punch him in the face several times and say to him, "This beating is also God's
destiny to force you to return the radish, you wicked person." Such excuses are not even
accepted by the vegetable seller in the case of radish theft. How dare you make such an
excuse. You, who often visit dragon's lairs, you disgusting, pretentious know-it-all. By
making such excuses, oh immoral naïve person, you have sacrificed your entire life,
your possessions, and your wife.3
Beyond this story, Rumi also illustrates free will in Mathnawi Book V, 3077-3086, in the story
of a man climbing a date tree to steal fruit. The owner of the date tree saw the man and asked
what he was doing up there. The intruder claimed that this was God's orchard and as God's
servant, he had the right to eat the dates God provided him. Then, the owner of the orchard called
one of his workers to bring the intruder down. He tied the intruder to the tree and whipped him
while saying, "I am merely God's servant fulfilling His will with His stick." After that, the
1
Franz Magnis Suseno. Menalar Tuhan. (Yogyakarta: Kanisius. 2006), 212.
2
Rumi. Mathnawi. Book V, 3214.
3
Rumi. Mathnawi. Book V, 3058.
, intruder surrendered and said, "Mercy, mercy, I regret being a fatalist, yes I have free will, I have
free will, I have free will."
There are many other illustrations of free will in Rumi's works. In the Mathnawi alone, there are
illustrations of free will in seventy places, totaling about 2,000 couplets. Rumi also writes about
this theme in Fihi Ma Fihi and Divan Shams. This indicates how much Rumi truly considers the
issue of free will and God's omnipotence. Certainly, we can think that Rumi may need to discuss
the theme of free will because it is also related to one of the major themes in Rumi's works, the
relationship of love between humans and God.
There are at least four reasons why, for Rumi, humans possess free will. These reasons include
innate sense, the presence of doubt in decision-making, the existence of various feelings and
emotions, and the presence of rewards for good and evil actions. Specifically, the innate sense
mentioned above is illustrated in Rumi's writing as follows:
"No one says to a stone, 'You are late?'; or to a stick, 'Why did you injure me, O stick?'.
If a camel rider hits his camel, the camel will attack the rider back. The camel's
agitation is not directed at the stick; therefore, the camel has a bit of awareness that
allows it to recognize the power of human choice. Similarly, a dog: if you throw a stone
at it, the dog will aggressively chase you, not the stone you threw at it. Because animal
intelligence can recognize and detect the power of human choice; do not you, O
intelligent human, say otherwise! Shame on you."4
Rumi seems to take common expressions to prove the existence of free will. From everyday
expressions, Rumi may interpret what lies behind them. For example, from the expression of a
dilemma, "should I go to Mosul or to Babylon?", Rumi demonstrates the existence of human free
will. Without free will, humans would not be able to choose and would not feel doubt in facing
choices. Therefore, humans would not be able to express language related to choice and doubt
about choice.
Rumi's Explanation of Free Will in Relation to God and the World
For Rumi, God created humans in His own image and breathed His spirit into them. 5 In this act
of creation, God imparted His knowledge to humans so that they could become His
representatives on earth. This knowledge, intelligence, and consciousness are qualities that
distinguish humans from animals. With this knowledge, intelligence, and consciousness, humans
are endowed with the great ability to make their own decisions. In other words, Rumi argues that
in creation, only humans are endowed with the quality of freedom to choose, or free will, by
4
Rumi, Mathnawi, Book V, 2967-… dan 3050-…
5
Afzal Iqbal. “Mevlānā Rūmī On The Perfect Man” in Islamic Studies , Autumn 1991, Vol. 30, No. 3, Islamabad:
Islamic Research Institute. 357.
Introduction
In the philosophy of divinity, the problem of God's omnipotence and human free will is one of
the most difficult issues.1 Within the Islamic world, this problem has generated conflict between
two groups: the Qadariyah, who advocate for human free will, and the Jabariyah, who uphold the
doctrine of predestination. Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273 AD) in the Mathnawi, Book V, states
that "there will always be debate and conflict, until the end of time, between the fatalists and the
advocates of free will."2 Although Rumi believes that the issue of God's omnipotence and human
freedom will never be resolved, he presents a unique view on human free will in the context of
spiritual journey towards God. This brief paper aims to specifically examine Rumi's ideas on
human free will based on his writings.
Rumi's Position on Free Will
Through the illustrations in his works, Rumi implicitly argues that humans possess free will and
personal responsibility for their actions. Therefore, we must not commit wrongdoings and blame
fate or God for them, as the fatalists do. We must do what is best for the development of our
lives and others. We should not sit idly by waiting for divine intervention. Here is one of the
illustrations Rumi provides in the Mathnawi:
A thief said to a judge, "Your Honor, what I did was predestined by God." The judge
replied, "My son, what I am doing was also predestined by God." If someone steals a
radish from a vegetable seller and says, "This was predestined by God, wise man"; you
should punch him in the face several times and say to him, "This beating is also God's
destiny to force you to return the radish, you wicked person." Such excuses are not even
accepted by the vegetable seller in the case of radish theft. How dare you make such an
excuse. You, who often visit dragon's lairs, you disgusting, pretentious know-it-all. By
making such excuses, oh immoral naïve person, you have sacrificed your entire life,
your possessions, and your wife.3
Beyond this story, Rumi also illustrates free will in Mathnawi Book V, 3077-3086, in the story
of a man climbing a date tree to steal fruit. The owner of the date tree saw the man and asked
what he was doing up there. The intruder claimed that this was God's orchard and as God's
servant, he had the right to eat the dates God provided him. Then, the owner of the orchard called
one of his workers to bring the intruder down. He tied the intruder to the tree and whipped him
while saying, "I am merely God's servant fulfilling His will with His stick." After that, the
1
Franz Magnis Suseno. Menalar Tuhan. (Yogyakarta: Kanisius. 2006), 212.
2
Rumi. Mathnawi. Book V, 3214.
3
Rumi. Mathnawi. Book V, 3058.
, intruder surrendered and said, "Mercy, mercy, I regret being a fatalist, yes I have free will, I have
free will, I have free will."
There are many other illustrations of free will in Rumi's works. In the Mathnawi alone, there are
illustrations of free will in seventy places, totaling about 2,000 couplets. Rumi also writes about
this theme in Fihi Ma Fihi and Divan Shams. This indicates how much Rumi truly considers the
issue of free will and God's omnipotence. Certainly, we can think that Rumi may need to discuss
the theme of free will because it is also related to one of the major themes in Rumi's works, the
relationship of love between humans and God.
There are at least four reasons why, for Rumi, humans possess free will. These reasons include
innate sense, the presence of doubt in decision-making, the existence of various feelings and
emotions, and the presence of rewards for good and evil actions. Specifically, the innate sense
mentioned above is illustrated in Rumi's writing as follows:
"No one says to a stone, 'You are late?'; or to a stick, 'Why did you injure me, O stick?'.
If a camel rider hits his camel, the camel will attack the rider back. The camel's
agitation is not directed at the stick; therefore, the camel has a bit of awareness that
allows it to recognize the power of human choice. Similarly, a dog: if you throw a stone
at it, the dog will aggressively chase you, not the stone you threw at it. Because animal
intelligence can recognize and detect the power of human choice; do not you, O
intelligent human, say otherwise! Shame on you."4
Rumi seems to take common expressions to prove the existence of free will. From everyday
expressions, Rumi may interpret what lies behind them. For example, from the expression of a
dilemma, "should I go to Mosul or to Babylon?", Rumi demonstrates the existence of human free
will. Without free will, humans would not be able to choose and would not feel doubt in facing
choices. Therefore, humans would not be able to express language related to choice and doubt
about choice.
Rumi's Explanation of Free Will in Relation to God and the World
For Rumi, God created humans in His own image and breathed His spirit into them. 5 In this act
of creation, God imparted His knowledge to humans so that they could become His
representatives on earth. This knowledge, intelligence, and consciousness are qualities that
distinguish humans from animals. With this knowledge, intelligence, and consciousness, humans
are endowed with the great ability to make their own decisions. In other words, Rumi argues that
in creation, only humans are endowed with the quality of freedom to choose, or free will, by
4
Rumi, Mathnawi, Book V, 2967-… dan 3050-…
5
Afzal Iqbal. “Mevlānā Rūmī On The Perfect Man” in Islamic Studies , Autumn 1991, Vol. 30, No. 3, Islamabad:
Islamic Research Institute. 357.
