M6:3577 — آهن و سنگ از برونش مظلمی / اندرون نوری و شمع عالمی

Translation: Iron and stone, from their exterior, are dark; Within, they hold a light and are a candle to the world.

Meaning: This verse articulates how seemingly inert and dark objects, when observed deeply, possess an inner light and vibrancy, capable of illuminating the world.

This couplet, in truth, embodies a fundamental principle governing Rumi's worldview, and indeed, the very cosmos: the principle of contraries and conflict. I have often stated that this world is founded upon contradictions and struggles. Ancient philosophers, following Avicenna, would declare: 'Were it not for contraries, the continuous emanation of divine grace from the Bountiful Originator would not endure.' This is a profoundly deep statement.

I have even found this echoed in physics, in thermodynamics and Carnot's principle. Work in the universe is only performed when there is a difference and interaction between two poles—between heat and cold, between high and low potential. If everything were on the same level, uniform and equivalent, no movement, no work, no action would occur in the world. This very tension, this contrariety, is the engine of the cosmos.

Even the Quran alludes to this truth: 'He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living,' and 'He causes the night to enter the day, and He causes the day to enter the night.' From the heart of the dead, life emerges, and from the dark night, a bright day dawns. Rumi himself frequently emphasizes in the Mathnawi that 'this world endures by this very conflict.'

Now, our specific couplet provides a beautiful and tangible example of this very principle: 'the contrary concealed within its contrary.' Iron and stone, from their exterior, appear dark and devoid of light. Yet, this very dark exterior is a source of immense light. When struck together, a spark leaps forth, illuminating a world. The ancients believed that fire resided within the stone, emerging through friction. This inherent, hidden light is a candle that illuminates the world.

This is not the only instance; Rumi, in the same vein, provides other examples of how 'wealth is hidden in the shadow of poverty,' how 'profits grow from giving and spending,' or even how 'eternal life is concealed beneath death.' Death, seemingly the end of existence, is in truth the beginning of an everlasting life; it takes from us a worn-out garment and bestows eternal vitality. Similarly, 'sweet fruit is hidden in branches and leaves,' and 'manure becomes the earth's strength, from that food the earth yields fruit'—meaning, from the heart of waste and fertilizer, sweet and fragrant fruits emerge. It is nature's miraculous factory that, from contraries and waste, creates life and beauty.

And Rumi goes even further: 'A being is hidden in non-being.' We come from non-being into existence, and once more, in the non-being that lies ahead, our existence is concealed. For Rumi, this world is a caravanserai where we enter through one door and exit through another, but beyond this seeming non-being and being, a permanent existence is hidden.

Ultimately, this couplet and the subsequent verses Rumi brings, serve as an introduction to an even deeper discussion: 'Within the body-cow, there is a prince / A treasure placed within a ruin.' Our soul, that 'prince' emanating from the Supreme Sultan, resides in the 'body-ruin,' this earthen vessel. Why? 'So that an old donkey may flee from that precious thing / He sees the cow, not the king – meaning, Iblis.' This is out of divine jealousy (ghayrat), to conceal the truth behind a veil of superficial appearance, so that the blind-hearted and the Iblis-like, who only perceive the outer form, are barred from its comprehension. Thus, the apparent darkness of iron and stone, like the darkness of our body, is but a veil to hide the inner light and true treasure.

Key takeaways

• The cosmos is founded on contraries and conflicts; divine emanation flows precisely through these tensions.
• The seemingly dark and lifeless exterior of objects can be a source of light and life, akin to the fire hidden within stone.
• Understanding contraries is key to comprehending nature's operations and the rootedness of life beyond death and non-being.
• Beauty and vitality emerge from what appears to be mere waste and detritus.
• The concealment of the 'prince soul' within the 'body-ruin' and 'treasure in the ruin' is due to divine jealousy (ghayrat) to shield truth from the spiritually blind.