M6:3734 — مدرسه و تعلیق و صورت‌های وی / چون به دانش متصل شد گشت طی

Translation: The madrasa (school) and its annotations and forms, Once connected to knowledge, become 'rolled up' (or pass away). Meaning: Outward forms and tools, such as school buildings and scholarly annotations, serve as means to acquire formless knowledge. Once that knowledge is attained, these initial forms lose their purpose and are set aside.

In this verse, and in the surrounding passages, Mawlana endeavors to distinguish between 'form' (ṣūrat) and 'formlessness' (bi-ṣūrat), clarifying the relationship between the two. Within Mawlana’s ontological framework, all forms are servants of the formless; they emanate from the formless and ultimately return to it. This is a universal principle that permeates the entirety of the Masnavi and even the Divan-e Shams.

Here, Mawlana uses the examples of the 'madrasa' (school) and 'annotations' (ta'līqāt). The madrasa, with its physical building, rooms, desks, and all visible paraphernalia, is a 'form' (ṣūrat). Similarly, annotations and footnotes, written to elucidate texts, are also 'forms.' These are all external manifestations and tools that come into being for a higher purpose. What is that higher purpose? 'Knowledge' (dāniš) or 'knowing'.

Knowledge itself has no form. You cannot paint knowledge or perceive it with the five senses. Knowledge is an 'un-formed' reality (bi-ṣūrat), an internal and spiritual quality that is not apprehended by sight, sound, or touch. Mawlana asserts that all these forms—the school, the annotations, the teacher, the book—exist solely to lead you to that formless reality. The phrase "Once connected to knowledge, they become 'rolled up' (gasht ṭayy)" means that once that knowledge is attained, these forms have fulfilled their function and can be 'rolled up' or set aside, as they are no longer needed. This is akin to a ladder that is removed once the roof is reached; the ladder was not built to remain in the courtyard, but for ascent.

This movement from form to formlessness is a central principle in Mawlana's perspective, not limited solely to the realm of learning. The pleasure derived from sexual union (which is formless) arises from the form of coitus; strength and energy (formless) emerge from the form of bread and salt; and victory (formless) is the result of the form of sword and shield in battle. In Mawlana's view, the greatest intellectual and philosophical fallacy is to remain fixated on forms. Those who confine existence solely to matter and nature are, in essence, 'idolaters' of forms, oblivious to their 'provider of bounty' (ṣāḥib-i niʿmat) who is the absolute formless. This verse lies at the heart of Mawlana's broader argument, providing a clear example of how the world operates and the relationship between creator and created: forms are tools in the hands of the formless agent, enabling them to achieve their perfections and guiding us toward the formless essence of truth.

Key takeaways

• Tools and structures are merely means to achieve a formless end.
• Knowledge and gnosis possess a formless essence, liberated from outward appearance.
• Upon attaining the formless essence of knowledge, the forms that led to it lose their necessity.
• Remaining fixated on forms signifies oblivion to the formless truth and can lead to a form of idolatry.
• This verse uses the examples of school and annotations to illustrate the journey from form to the formless in the pursuit of knowledge.