Jalaluddin Rumi Out of the Game of Determinism and Free Will

The Masnavi has been read as if Rumi believed either in determination or free will, or he hesitated between the two. Here we reveal a new interpretation that how he avoids both of these. His position is out of this game entirely. We have explained that he thinks of the disputation between two sides as an endless one made by God to cover up a great mystery. As far as we could, we tried to explore the entire Masnavi and interpret all relevant verses in a consistent context, rather than decontextualizing and treating some parts in isolation from the overall flow of the text. Our Assumption, unlike other commentators, is that his perspective deeply (not superficially) differs from that of the philosophers and theologians. We have quoted the commentators wherever necessary and then shown why and how they made mistakes in understanding his words and thought that he believed in determinism or free will.