M6:1021 — در خلای گوش باد جاذبش / مدرک صدق کلام و کاذبش

Translation: In the hollow of the ear, its attractive air is the perceiver of speech’s truth and falsehood. Meaning: This verse articulates that while the physical ear and its air are involved in apprehending the truth or falsity of speech, they merely serve as preliminaries for a deeper, more intrinsic perception by the soul.

In this verse, Rumi continues his exploration of natural phenomena as 'coverings' (roopūsh) over an inner truth, here focusing on the mechanism of auditory perception. Drawing upon ancient theories of medicine and physiology, such as those articulated by Ibn Sina, he refers to the 'still air' within the middle ear. This static air, when agitated by external sound waves, is understood to generate auditory perception. However, Rumi's — and my — crucial point is that this physical process, while necessary, is merely a 'preliminary' (moqaddamāt) and a 'covering' over the true nature of perception. The actual, deeper perception occurs independently of these apparent mechanisms. Philosophically speaking, this perspective resonates strongly with Mulla Sadra's theory of perceptions having an 'emanative subsistence' (qiyām sudūri) with respect to the soul, as opposed to an 'indwelling subsistence' (qiyām ḥulūli) where perceptions merely enter the soul. Mulla Sadra posits that perceptions emanate from the soul; the soul actively creates them. The sensory organs and physical phenomena merely prepare the soul to manifest this perception. In essence, the soul plays an active, creative role in the process of knowing, rather than being a passive recipient. The ear and the air within it provide the occasion, but the ultimate and true perceiver of speech's truth and falsehood is the soul, which transcends these physical preliminaries. Thus, what transpires in the ear is but a 'covering' and an opportunity for the soul to attain its authentic understanding.

Key takeaways

• True perception, while utilizing sensory organs, originates from a deeper, intrinsic source.
• Sensory organs (like the ear) are merely 'preliminaries' and 'coverings' for the soul's emergence of understanding.
• The soul is an active and creative agent in the process of knowing, not a passive receiver of sensory data.
• Rumi connects the discernment of truth and falsehood in speech to a profounder locus within the human being.