M6:3728 — صورت فکرست بر بام مشید / وآن عمل چون سایه بر ارکان پدید

Translation: Thought is like a figure upon a lofty and fortified roof; / And that action, like its shadow, is manifest upon the structures (of the world). Meaning: This verse conveys that every action and deed stems from a hidden, underlying thought or idea, which then manifests itself in the tangible world, much like a shadow cast by a person on the ground.

This couplet delves into Rumi's profound understanding of the relationship between thought and action, or, more broadly, between the formless (bī-ṣūratī) and the formed (ṣūrat). I contend that Rumi articulates a classical and traditional worldview here, one that was prevalent long before him, from ancient Greek philosophy to Islamic thought. He asserts that 'thought is the origin, and action is the derivative.' Thought is likened to a person standing on a lofty, fortified roof—a symbol of thought's exalted and hidden station. From that standing figure, a shadow falls upon the earth, and that shadow is action; it is 'manifest upon the structures' of the world. Action, then, is the external reflection and manifestation of an internal, invisible reality.

I juxtapose Rumi's statement with ideas that emerged in the modern era, particularly with Marx. Marx inverted this relationship, stating: 'It is your material existence and actions that shape your thoughts and worldview, not the other way around.' In contrast, Rumi and traditional thinkers maintained: 'It is your thought that determines the course of your life and how you construct the world.' This contrast is a pivotal point in understanding Rumi's intellectual landscape. He implicitly subscribes to the 'primacy of thought,' meaning that truth is discovered before it is made, and it is in the light of that truth that we undertake actions.

This couplet is not merely a simple metaphor; it is a gateway to Rumi's deeper discourse on bī-ṣūratī (formlessness) and ṣūrat (form). Thought exists in a state of fikrat-i muktattam—it is hidden and not easily perceived. Action, however, is āshkār (manifest). Rumi, further in this discussion, provides numerous examples: the pleasure derived from intimacy or the strength gained from bread and salt are all instances of bī-ṣūrat (formless outcomes) embedded within perceptible ṣūrat (the form of a man and woman together, the form of bread and salt). Similarly, victory in war is a formless outcome of the forms of swords and shields. Even knowledge and wisdom are formless results stemming from the form of a school and its curricula. Form emerges from the formless and ultimately returns to the formless, echoing the Quranic phrase innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn (to Him we belong and to Him we shall return).

Rumi's warning is poignant: 'Be not too drunk with these goblets of forms, / Lest you become an idol-carver and an idolater.' If we become overly attached to ṣūrat—to the apparent forms of phenomena—and neglect the bī-ṣūrat (formless essence) behind them, we risk falling into a kind of idolatry. This statement is a fundamental critique of all naturalist, materialist, and positivist perspectives that reduce existence solely to its material ṣūrat and deny the formless origin and the world of meaning. Rumi reminds us that nature is merely 'one form' among an infinite number of possible forms of existence, and we must not become intoxicated by this 'one form' and mistake it for the sole possible reality.

Key takeaways

• Thought is the origin and root of action; action is the shadow and outward manifestation of thought.
• Rumi emphasizes the primacy of thought over action, contrasting with materialist views that prioritize material existence.
• Thought (the formless) is hidden, while action (the form) is manifest; yet, they are intricately intertwined.
• Forms emerge from the formless and ultimately return to it, mirroring the concept of 'to Him we shall return.'
• Exclusive attachment to external forms, neglecting their formless essence, leads to idolatry and denial of ultimate reality.