M6:1074 — گر بپرسد عقل چون باشد مرام / گو چنانک تو ندانی والسلام

Translation: If intellect asks: 'What is the doctrine, how is it?', Say: 'It is such that you cannot know,' and that is all. Meaning: This couplet asserts that deeper truths are beyond the grasp of ordinary, imitative intellect, demanding a different mode of knowing for comprehension.

This majestic couplet marks a pinnacle of Rumi’s rebellion against instrumental, imitative reason. I have frequently stated that Rumi held an aversion for the limited, surface-dwelling intellect – an intellect that merely relies on the findings of others and fails to reach the wellspring of truth itself. As we have seen in previous discussions, God speaks through His 'creation' (ṣunʿ), through the system of 'causes and effects' (ʿilal-hā va maʿlūl-hā), through this enigmatic universe; a speech not of letters and lips, but of influence and divine orchestration. This hidden discourse, this divine attraction, unveils truths that ordinary intellect is incapable of grasping.

Here, Rumi explicitly states that if this 'imitative intellect' (ʿaql-i muqallid), which in its 'principles' (uṣūl) and 'branches' (furūʿ) is merely a follower and not an originator of insight or vision, asks you, 'What is this doctrine? How is it?', simply and unequivocally say: 'It is such that you cannot know, and that is all (va-l-salām).' This means that the truth is so profound and of such a different nature that you, with this superficial and imitative instrument of your intellect, cannot find your way to it. This is precisely the point Rumi alludes to at the beginning of the Masnavi, where he says that here, 'effacement is needed, not grammar' (maḥv mī-bāyad naḥv). We need a surrender to truth, not a mere analysis of appearances. This is a definitive argument against an intellect that considers itself the measure of all things, yet remains ignorant of the essence of truth and the core of creation. This is not an insult to intellect, but a statement of its limitations when confronting absolute, wordless truth. Rumi here unveils the inadequacy of the 'imitative intellect' and paves the way for another kind of perception, namely 'heartfelt understanding' and 'realization' (wuṣūl).

Key takeaways

• The imitative intellect cannot grasp the profound truths of the Masnavi.
• Understanding divine knowledge requires a different mode of cognition, beyond mere argumentation.
• God's speech in the world is wordless and lip-less, operating through influence and orchestration.
• Rumi delineates the limits of instrumental reason when confronting transcendent truth.
• This couplet invites surrender to truths that lie beyond the scope of superficial understanding.