M6:3527 — ما همه گوشیم کر شد نقش گوش / ما همه نطقیم لیکن لب خموش

Translation: We are all ear, though the form of the ear be deaf; we are all utterance, yet the lips are silent. Meaning: The mystics and enlightened ones are, in their essence, pure receptivity to divine whispers and pure utterance of truth; yet outwardly, their lips are sealed, for some truths are inherently inexpressible, and their revelation would disrupt the worldly order.

This couplet appears in the context of a story where a deceased master, in a dream, tells an intermediary that he witnessed all events and conversations, but 'I had no command to reply, I could not open my lips without a sign.' From this specific scenario of the departed spirit, Rumi elevates the discourse to a profound general point about the nature of the mystics' and prophets' silence—a silence that never signifies ignorance or deafness, but rather stems from the zenith of knowledge and wisdom.

I firmly believe that the mystic's silence, especially in Rumi's case, has several fundamental dimensions. Firstly, many secrets of the unseen world are inherently 'ineffable.' These are truths for which ordinary language and human concepts were not fashioned. Words, it seems, fall short in transmitting them, and they are comprehensible only through personal experience. The mystic grasps this truth: 'I am a mirror, I am a mirror, I am not a man of discourse.' Such secrets cannot be spoken, even if the mystic possessed a thousand mouths to speak them.

The second dimension, which Rumi emphatically underscores in this very section of the Masnavi, is the preservation of the 'social order' (naẓm-i maʿāsh). If all secrets of the world were revealed, ordinary life would unravel, and the social fabric would be disrupted. Rumi states: 'Lest the secrets of the Unseen be disclosed / Lest the livelihood and sustenance be destroyed.' He believes that 'the pillar of this world is heedlessness / And awareness is its bane.' It is this very heedlessness—not a blameworthy one, but a natural and constructive unawareness—that keeps greed, envy, competition, and aspiration alive, turning the wheels of life. If humans were aware of the ultimate outcome of all matters and the final truth of every moment, there would be no motivation left for daily endeavors. This implies that sometimes, not knowing is itself an act of wisdom, and the well-being of society depends on certain truths remaining veiled. Ghazali, too, expressed this point earlier, and Rumi borrowed from him. The mystic knows that 'subtleties are like sharp steel swords,' and for the sake of protecting the audience and the world's order, he chooses silence.

As for the couplet itself: 'We are all ear, though the form of the ear be deaf' means that the mystic, in essence, is entirely receptive to the calls of the unseen world; the ear of his soul is sharp, but his physical ear (the 'form of the ear') has become 'deaf' to useless chatter and worldly afflictions. He no longer reacts to insignificant sounds but directs his full attention to hearing what needs to be heard. 'We are all utterance, yet the lips are silent' also means that the mystic's being is brimming with truths and words that seem to flow from the divine source, and he himself has become the 'Tongue of God.' Yet, despite this inner torrent of speech and discourse, his lips remain sealed—either because what is to be said is unsayable, or because speaking it would harm the world. This is the 'revelation of the heart' (waḥy-i dil) of which Rumi speaks, and in my view, it possesses no fundamental difference from 'divine revelation' (waḥy-i ḥaqq), serving merely as a veil to protect against the accusations of the literal-minded. The mystic is the eloquent tongue of truth, but not for every ear, nor at every moment. This silence signifies deep wisdom and insight, not ignorance or inertia.

Key takeaways

• The silence of mystics and prophets stems from the perfection of their knowledge, not ignorance.
• Some truths of the unseen world are inherently ineffable, transcending the capacity of human language.
• Revealing all truths would dismantle the social order and everyday life of humanity.
• The mystic is essentially an ear attuned to divine calls and a tongue uttering truths, yet outwardly remains silent and secretive.
• Moderate ignorance (heedlessness) is a pillar of this world's functioning, providing motivation for effort and progress.