The Stagnant Flowing World and God’s Renewed Wills in the Allegory of “Flowing Water” in Rumi’s Masnavi

Mowlānā has likened the body to a stream and the spirit to the flowing water in an allegory in his Masnavi. Although water is constantly running, many believe it to be stagnant and therefore Rumi draws the perforce attention of populace to the movement of brushwood on the water and that, if they do not see the passing of life through their eyes, let them reflect on plant life and river through heart. This allegory contains Rumi’s fundamental mystical thoughts, including the new creation and the fact that the whole universe, despite its stagnant and still picture, is being constantly refreshed and undergoes a transformation, hence there is a “death and recurrence” in every moment. In the perspective of this mystic, this constant creation proves the permanent presence of God, the universe’s constant need of Him and that God’s grace is flowing through the material world each and every moment. But the fast speed of this creation and destruction and the constant connection between the physical and spiritual worlds makes the world look stagnant. The author of this paper has attempted to address the new creation or God’s renewed wills from Rumi’s viewpoint. The author has also sought to connect this fundamental concept to concepts such as substance theory, manifestation, time, the Unseen, and the Mystic’s eagerness for exploring novelty and innovativeness. It concludes that renewal of the present in full flow and the departure of the old removes Mystic’s grief and heartsickness and brings him happiness and a sense of living in the moment.