Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 323an attack against God’s creation. But this is a partialevil, while guarding people from the need forfuture killing is a complete good. To create a partialevil for the good of all is not wrong, but topartially abandon God’s will while allowing evilto succeed, is wrong indeed. This is like the motherwho does not want to scold her child becauseof the partial evil in punishment, but the fatherknows he must punish to avert that evil from takingcontrol, and to nip the trouble in the bud.God is All-pardoning, All-forgiving andTerrible in retribution. Does He will that all thesenames should be true of Him? The answer mustbe “yes,” because He cannot be All-pardoningand All-forgiving without the existence of sin.Thus, He commands us to be forgiving and tomake peace, but this commandment has no meaningwithout the existence of anger and war.This is similar to Sadr al-Islam’s statement thatwe are commanded to earn and acquire wealth,because in the Koran it says, “And expend in theway of God.” Since it is impossible to spendmoney unless one has money, then this is also acommandment to acquire money. It is the same