Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 425Chase away evil with something good, and youtriumph over your enemy in two ways. One wayis this—your enemy is not another person’s fleshand skin, it is the contagiousness of their hatred.When that is cast out of you by an abundance ofthanks, it will inevitably be cast out of yourenemy as well, because everyone instinctivelyresponds to kindness, and you have left youropponent with nothing to fight against.It is just like with children, when they shoutnames at someone and that person yells badnames back, they are all the more encouraged,thinking, “Our words have had an effect.” But ifthe enemy sees their words bring about no changethey lose interest.The second benefit is this: When the attributeof forgiveness comes forth in you, other peoplerealize they have not been seeing you as you trulyare. Then they know that they are the ones to bereproached, not you, and no proof puts adversariesto shame more than that. So by praisingand giving thanks to detractors you are administeringan antidote to that hatred in them, forwhile they have shown you your deficiency, you