M6:1360 — تا عدمها ار ببینی جمله هست / هستها را بنگری محسوس پست

Translation: So that if you truly see the non-existents, they are all existence; and if you look at the existents, you will find them lowly and sensed. Meaning: This verse invites us to look beyond immediate, tangible existences, stating that true realities and profound truths reside in the realm of the unmanifested, that which we call non-existence. Conversely, all that is presently manifest in this material world is, in comparison, trivial and fleeting.

This verse emerges from Rumi’s discussion of aqibat-bini, or foresight. Initially, this term refers to worldly prudence and caution, but Rumi swiftly elevates it to a profound level of spiritual knowledge. He suggests that if you open your inner eye to aqibat-bini, you will perceive that what we superficially term adam — that which has not yet actualized or is unseen — is, in truth, the ultimate hast (existence) and the core reality. Conversely, the hast (existents) that we perceive through our senses, and to which we attach ourselves, appear as mahsoos-e past (lowly and merely sensed) in comparison to those unmanifested realms. This is, without doubt, an epistemological revolution.

I understand Rumi's statement thus: all our endeavors in this world, often without our conscious awareness, are a movement toward adam. The sick person seeks salamati (health) which they currently lack. The student pursues danesh (knowledge) yet to be acquired. The merchant strives for sood (profit) not yet realized. If these were already possessed, their pursuit would be tahsil-e hasil (acquiring what is already acquired), an endeavor either impossible or meaningless. Thus, we are all constantly rushing towards nist-ha (non-existents). These non-existents, these adam-ha, are vast reservoirs of possibilities and boundless attractions. Rumi, through such examples, shows us how much vaster and more alluring the unmanifested world is than the actualized, visible one. Night must pass for day to arrive; the present must recede for the future to emerge; potential must yield for actuality to take its place. Therefore, we are perpetually moving from the transient hast to the invaluable adam.

However, Rumi takes a monumental leap here, transitioning from these worldly adam-ha to the Sufi adam. He asserts that once you comprehend the magnetism of these adam-ha, allow me to show you yet another adam: 'the act of stepping upon oneself, consenting to one's own non-being, to one's annihilation (fana).' It is there, in the ultimate state of adam and self-annihilation, that one will discover the entire world and all existence within oneself. This is where the true Existence of God replaces the illusory existence of the self, and one attains a vision where the tangible and perishable hast-ha hold no sway in their eyes.

Key takeaways

• True realities reside in adam (the unmanifested), not in perceptible hast (existents).
• All human striving is, unconsciously, a movement towards the unseen and non-existent.
• Tangible and material hast are trivial compared to the limitless potentials of adam.
• Rumi builds a bridge from worldly adam to the Sufi adam (annihilation in God).
• Embracing one's own adam (non-being) and annihilation is the path to discovering all existence.
• Acquiring what is already acquired (tahsil-e hasil) is meaningless; value lies in seeking what is absent.