M6:3756 — آن ز سر می‌یابد آن داد این ز دم / قوم دیگر پا و سر کردند گم

Translation: That one receives that bounty from the head, this one from the tail; Another tribe, they lost both foot and head. Meaning: This verse describes three distinct modes of human connection to ultimate Reality: some receive divine grace from the very source or essence, others from its secondary or peripheral manifestations, while a third, more advanced group, transcends all distinctions, utterly losing their sense of 'head' and 'foot' in a state of formless surrender.

I have repeatedly emphasized that Mawlana's worldview revolves around two pivotal concepts: ṣūrat (form) and bi-ṣūrat (the formless). These are the anchors of his thought. Mawlana believes that everything manifested in this world as a ṣūrat is but a manifestation and a reflection of the absolute bi-ṣūrat. Every endeavor, every desire, even that longing which draws us towards apparent pleasures, is in essence an unconscious striving towards the bi-ṣūrat. "We are all seekers of the formless, though we may not know we are seekers of God." Our journey in this world is a movement from dense and coarse forms to subtler and more refined ones, until we ultimately attain union with the "Subtlest of Subtles" and the absolute Formless.

This verse categorizes this broad spectrum of interaction with the formless into three groups:

The first group, "That one receives that bounty from the head": These are individuals who receive divine bounty and grace ("that bounty," or the karam of the formless) directly from the "head." Here, "head" symbolizes the origin, the essence, the pure truth, and the formless source of existence. This group connects with the root and the source, not with peripheral manifestations. This is a station attained through a deep understanding of divine unity (tawḥīd) and independence from formal intermediaries. They seek truth from its origin and receive divine grace from its primary spring.

The second group, "this one from the tail": These are individuals who receive divine grace from the "tail." "Tail" contrasts with "head" and symbolizes secondary manifestations, outward appearances, and lower forms of truth. Although these individuals may not have direct access to the original, formless source, Mawlana, by emphasizing the benevolent nature of creation, explains that "the grace of that head is not cut off." Even if someone clings to the "tail" and does not transcend appearances and secondary matters, the favor and kindness of that very "head" reaches them through this "tail," and they are not deprived. Creation operates not on justice (ʿadl), but on grace (karam); therefore, no worthiness pre-exists creation such that anyone would be deprived of it. God bestows His gift regardless of how or by what means one seeks Him.

However, the third group, whom Mawlana calls "another tribe," holds a far higher and more astonishing station: "Another tribe, they lost both foot and head." This group clings neither to the "head" nor to the "tail." They reach a stage of annihilation (fanāʾ) where they abandon all formal distinctions and limitations. "Losing foot and head" is an idiom for dissolving into the formless and being liberated from any differentiation or determination. In this station, they not only cease seeking perfection from forms but also transcend the very "head" and "tail." This embodies the meaning of "self-annihilation" (ifnāʾ-i khwīsh), where by becoming "nothing" and emptying oneself, one prepares to receive what descends from above. As we learned from the beautiful prophetic anecdote about rain, "Dig holes" so that the heavens may rain. These individuals empty the vessel of their being from every form and thought so that the absolute Formless may manifest within it. Mawlana states that this "losing" of the entirety of formal existence is precisely the finding of the Whole: "When they lost everything, they found everything / From their abjection, they hastened towards the Whole." From utter humility and lowliness (kamāmat), they rushed towards the absolute Whole, and "the droplet with form joined the formless ocean, and itself became formless." This is the ultimate perfection and final union.

Key takeaways

• The formless Reality is the ultimate source of all being, and all seekers, consciously or unconsciously, are drawn towards it.
• There are different levels of relating to truth: some draw from the 'head' (the essence), others from the 'tail' (secondary manifestations).
• Divine grace and generosity extend even to those who are attached only to the peripheral aspects of truth, receiving their spiritual sustenance through these means.
• The highest station of gnosis is to 'lose both foot and head,' meaning to abandon all formal distinctions and achieve annihilation (fanāʾ) in the absolute formless.
• Emptying oneself of forms and thoughts is the key to unlocking the blessings of the formless and attaining unity with the Whole.