Rumi's Masnavi - Else thou wilt be left helpless in my teeth: there will be no escape for thee through my passes.’

Else thou wilt be left helpless in my teeth: there will be no escape for thee through my passes.’

This was a rod; it is now a dragon, to the end that thou mayst not say, ‘Where is God's Hell?’” 2810

Explaining that one who knows the power of God will not ask, "Where are Paradise and Hell?"

God makes Hell to be wheresoever He will: He makes the zenith to be a snare and trap for the bird.

Likewise from thy teeth arise pangs of pain, to the end that thou mayst say, “‘Tis Hell and the dragon.”

Or He makes the water of thy mouth to be (sweet as) honey, that thou mayst say, “’Tis Paradise and the robes (of Paradise).”

He makes sugar to grow from the roots of the teeth, that thou mayst know the power of the ordinance of the (Divine) decree.

Do not, then, bite the innocent with thy teeth: bethink thee of the stroke that is not to be guarded against. 2815

God makes the Nile to be blood for the Egyptians; He makes the Israelites safe from calamity,

That thou mayst know that with God there is discrimination between the sober (traveller) on the Way and the intoxicated.

The Nile has learned from God to discriminate, for it opened (the door) for these (Israelites) and shut fast (the door) against those (Egyptians).

His grace makes the Nile intelligent; His wrath makes Cain foolish.

He, from kindness, created intelligence in lifeless things; He, because of His wrath, cut off intelligence from the intelligent one. 2820

By (His) grace an intelligence appeared in lifeless matter, and through (His) chastisement knowledge fled from the intelligent.

There, by (His) command the rain-like intelligence poured down; here, intelligence saw God's anger and took to flight.

Clouds and sun and moon and lofty stars, all come and go according to arrangement.

None comes but at its appointed hour, so that it neither lags behind the time nor (arrives) before.

How hast not thou understood this from the prophets? They brought knowledge into stone and rod, 2825

That thou, (judging) by analogy, might’st undoubtingly deem the other lifeless things to be like rod and stone (in this respect).

The obedience (to God) of stone and rod is made manifest and gives information concerning the other lifeless things,

That (they say), “We are cognisant of God and obedient (to Him): we all are (bearing witness to His wisdom) not by chance and in vain.

As (for example) the water of the Nile: thou knowest that at the time of drowning it made a distinction between the two peoples;

(And) as the earth: thou knowest it to be possessed of knowledge, at the time of (its) sinking, in regard to Qárún whom He subdued and swept away; 2830

(And) as the moon, which heard the (Divine) command and hastened (to obey) and then became two halves in the sky and split;

(And) as the trees and stones which everywhere overtly made the salaam to Mustafá (Mohammed).

Reply to the materialist who disbelieves in the Deity and says that the world is eternal.

Yesterday some one was saying, “The world is originated in time: this heaven is passing away, and God is its inheritor.”

A philosopher said, “How do you know (its) temporal origin? How should the rain know the temporality of the cloud?

You are not even a mote of the (celestial) revolution: how should you know the temporality of the sun? 2835

The little worm that is buried in filth—how should it know the end and beginning of the earth?

You have heard this by rote from your father: through foolishness you have become involved in this (belief).

What is the demonstrative argument for its temporality? Tell (me) or else keep silence and do not seek (indulge in) excessive talk.”

He said, “One day I saw two parties searching in this deep sea,

(Engaged) in disputation and controversy and desperate battle: a crowd gathered round those two persons. 2840

I went towards the crowded multitude and took notice of their (the disputants') affair.

One was saying, ‘The sky will pass away: without any doubt, this edifice hath a builder.’

The other said, ‘It is eternal and timeless: it hath no builder, or else it is (itself) the builder.’

He (his adversary) said, ‘You have denied the Creator, the Producer of day and night and the Giver of sustenance.’

He (the philosopher) said, ‘Without clear evidence, I will not listen to that which an ignoramus has accepted by rote. 2845

Come, bring the proof and evidence, for never in the world will I hearken to this without proof.’

‘The proof,’ he replied, ‘is within my soul: my evidence is hidden within my soul.

You, from weakness of eye, are not seeing the new moon: (if) I am seeing it, do not you be angry with me.’

There was much debate, and the people became perplexed as to the beginning and end of this well-ordered celestial sphere.

He (the pious man) said, ‘Friend, within me is a (decisive) proof: I have a (manifest) sign indicating the temporal origin of the sky. 2850

I possess the certainty: for him that hath certain knowledge the token thereof is that he will go into the fire.

Like the inmost feelings of love in lovers, that proof, (you must) know, does not come (to utterance) on the tongue.

The inmost meaning of my words is not apparent, except (in) the pallor and haggardness of my face.

Tears and blood roll on my cheeks and become the proof of His (the Beloved's) comeliness and beauty.’

He (the philosopher) replied, ‘I do not deem these things to be such a proof as would be a manifest sign to the vulgar.’ 2855

He (the other) said, ‘When a base and a genuine coin boast, saying (to each other), “Thou art base; I am good and valuable,”

Fire is the final test: (the test is) that these two rivals should be dropped into the fire.

(Then) the vulgar and the elect will become acquainted with their (real) state and will advance from opinion and doubt to certain knowledge.