In Book 1, Section 49 of the Masnavi, Rumi contrasts the concepts of **Tawakkul** (trust in divine providence) and **Jahd** (human exertion) through the tale of a man fleeing the Angel of Death. The man's frantic effort (jahd) to escape to India actually fulfills divine destiny, as Azrael was originally commanded to take his soul there. Rumi uses this irony to demonstrate the futility of trying to outmaneuver fate through mere physical exertion and advocates for the spiritual superiority of trust and surrender to God's will.

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## Original content
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زاد مردی چاشتگاهی در رسید 
در سرا عدل سلیمان در دوید
رویش از غم زرد و هر دو لب کبود 
پس سلیمان گفت ای خواجه چه بود
گفت عزرائیل در من این چنین 
یک نظر انداخت پر از خشم و کین
گفت هین اکنون چه می‌خواهی بخواه 
گفت فرما باد را ای جان پناه
تا مرا زینجا به هندستان برد 
بوک بنده کان طرف شد جان برد
نک ز درویشی گریزانند خلق 
لقمهٔ حرص و امل زانند خلق
ترس درویشی مثال آن هراس 
حرص و کوشش را تو هندستان شناس
باد را فرمود تا او را شتاب 
برد سوی قعر هندستان بر آب
روز دیگر وقت دیوان و لقا 
پس سلیمان گفت عزرائیل را
کان مسلمان را بخشم از بهر آن 
بنگریدی تا شد آواره ز خان
گفت من از خشم کی کردم نظر 
از تعجب دیدمش در ره‌گذر
که مرا فرمود حق کامروز هان 
جان او را تو بهندستان ستان
از عجب گفتم گر او را صد پرست 
او به هندستان شدن دور اندرست
تو همه کار جهان را همچنین 
کن قیاس و چشم بگشا و ببین
از کی بگریزیم از خود ای محال 
از کی برباییم از حق ای وبال

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## English translation
A man, at midmorning, arrived;
he ran into the abode of Solomon's justice.
His face was yellow with grief and both lips blue.
Then Solomon said, "O sir, what is it?"
He said, "Azrael looked at me in this way,
one glance full of wrath and rancor."
He said, "Now then, what do you want? Ask."
He said, "Command the wind, O refuge of life,
to carry me from here to Hindustan;
perhaps, when this servant reaches that side, he may save his life."

See, people flee from poverty/dervishhood;
for that reason people are morsels of greed and hope.
The fear of poverty is like that dread;
understand greed and effort as your Hindustan.

He commanded the wind so that swiftly
it carried him over the water toward the depths of Hindustan.
The next day, at the time of court and audience,
Solomon then said to Azrael,
"Was it out of anger toward that Muslim
that you looked at him, so that he was driven from his home?"
He said, "When did I look from anger?
I saw him on the road out of astonishment,
for God had commanded me: 'Today, take heed,
take his soul in Hindustan.'
Out of wonder I said: 'Even if he had a hundred wings,
his going to Hindustan is far-fetched.'"

All the affairs of the world are like this:
make the comparison, open your eyes, and see.
From whom should we flee? From ourselves? Impossible.
From whom should we snatch ourselves away? From God? O ruinous burden.

دفتر اول - بخش ۴۹ - نگریستن عزرائیل بر مردی و گریختن آن مرد در سرای سلیمان و تقریر ترجیح توکل بر جهد و قلت فایدهٔ جهد / Book One - Section 49 - Azrael Looking at a Man and That Man Fleeing to Solomon's Palace, and the Discourse on the Preference of Trust Over Exertion and the Little Benefit of Exertion

In Book 1 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the fable of the lion and the prey beasts serves as a profound allegorical debate between the Islamic concepts of *tawakkul* (absolute trust in divine providence) and *jahd* (personal exertion or effort). The beasts argue that since God is the ultimate provider and destiny is preordained, human effort is a form of spiritual agitation that challenges the divine decree; therefore, they advocate for passive surrender. The lion, representing the spiritual master or the active intellect, counters this by arguing that God provided humans with limbs and faculties, and failing to use them is an act of ingratitude. He cites the Prophetic tradition to 'trust in God, but tie your camel', presenting a synthesis where human effort is not contradictory to, but rather the practical manifestation of, true trust in God.

The Debate Between Trust (Tawakkul) and Exertion (Jahd) in the Masnavi

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Tawakkul (Trust in God) vs. Jahd (Exertion) in Rumi's Tale of Azrael

In Book Three of the Masnavi, Rumi introduces the metaphor of the merchant's ship to illustrate how humans must act under uncertainty. A merchant loading cargo onto a ship does not know whether they will safely reach their destination or drown in a shipwreck. Despite this risk, they proceed with the journey on trust (*tawakkul*).

Rumi argues that if a merchant refused to embark until they had absolute certainty of their safety, they would never engage in trade and would remain destitute. Similarly, in the spiritual realm, individuals cannot wait for absolute foreknowledge of their ultimate destiny (salvation or damnation) before acting. Instead, they must exercise faith, embark on the spiritual journey, and exert effort (*jahd*) while relying on *tawakkul*.

The Metaphor of the Merchant's Ship and Tawakkul (Trust) under Uncertainty in the Masnavi

In Book 3 of the *Masnavi*, Rumi expounds on the spiritual principle that persistent seeking inevitably leads to finding (expressed in the Persian proverb *juyandeh yabandeh ast*). Grounding this idea in the Quranic verse 'Whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it' (Quran 99:7) and prophetic sayings, Rumi uses several earthly analogies to show the certainty of cause and effect in spiritual endeavors: knocking repeatedly on a door until it opens, waiting patiently on someone's street, digging a well daily until clean water is reached, and sowing seeds to eventually reap. Through these metaphors, Rumi reassures spiritual seekers that sincere, continuous effort is never wasted and will ultimately culminate in divine union.

The Principle of Diligent Seeking (Juyandeh Yabandeh) in the Masnavi

In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, during the philosophical debate between the lion and the beasts over exertion (*jahd*) versus passive trust (*tawakkul*), the lion argues that worldly striving is not inherently evil. To illustrate the proper relationship a believer should have with the material world, the lion uses the metaphor of water and a boat. He explains that 'water inside the boat destroys the boat,' representing worldly attachment and greed entering the heart. However, 'water beneath the boat supports it,' symbolizing wealth and earthly means acting as necessary vehicles for spiritual advancement when kept outside the heart. The lion extends this with the metaphor of a sealed jar: just as a jar floats safely because it is sealed and filled with air, a believer's heart remains steady and buoyant atop the turbulent 'water of the world' as long as it is sealed against worldly desires and filled with the 'air' of divine poverty (dervishhood).

The Metaphor of the Boat and Worldly Detachment in the Masnavi

In Book Four, Section 114 of the Masnavi, Rumi explores the story of the Prophet Abraham (Khalil) and the Angel Gabriel (Jibril) to illustrate the highest degree of absolute reliance on God (*tawakkul*). When Abraham is about to be cast into the fire, Gabriel offers his assistance. Abraham famously refuses, declaring that he does not need an intermediary or guide when dealing with the Divine. This narrative highlights the profound Sufi principle that the most elevated spiritual state involves seeking God directly and exclusively, perceiving even the highest angels as unnecessary intermediaries between the lover and the Beloved.

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