M6:640 — نفی بهر ثبت باشد در سخن / نفی بگذار و ز ثبت آغاز کن

Translation: Negation in speech is for the sake of affirmation; So abandon negation and commence with affirmation. Meaning: Mowlana states that the purpose of negating or disavowing aspects of reality is ultimately to arrive at a stable, affirmed truth. One must move beyond skepticism and denial, stepping directly into the realm of profound knowledge and ontological affirmation.

This couplet, found in the concluding chapters of the Masnavi, encapsulates a profound wisdom applicable not only to mysticism but also to philosophy and logic. I assert with conviction that Mowlana's exhortation here is a call to transcend all forms of 'unknowing' (nādānam-kārī) and move towards true 'knowing' (dānāyī).

Consider Mowlana's reference to 'negation' (nafī). He speaks of a state where 'this 'I don't know' and that 'I don't know' became one's profession' (īn nadānam, ān nadānam, pīshe shud) – this initial state of perplexity, doubt, and denial is often a prerequisite for sincere inquiry. However, nafī is not a destination; it is a passage. It is a bridge one must cross, not an abode in which to settle. If one remains caught in negation and fails to move beyond it, one risks sinking into perpetual 'unknowing,' never arriving at 'knowing.'

While certain analytical philosophers today might champion epistemic humility and 'unknowing,' this humility must not devolve into a surrender to ignorance. Mowlana urges us to view this negation, this 'it is not this, and it is not that' (nīst īn o nīst ān), not as an end, but as the beginning of a grand movement towards 'being' (hast). This is precisely the point I have repeatedly emphasized: Mowlana promises us union (vuṣūl) and certainty (yaqīn), not bewilderment and skepticism.

Mowlana clarifies the path here: 'Abandon negation and commence with affirmation.' This means moving from the stage of denial and 'is not' to the stage of acknowledgment and 'is.' It's a progression from negating what is false and subsidiary to affirming what is true and essential. Indeed, every 'no' (lā) is but a prelude to an 'except' (illā). To arrive at 'There is no god but God' (Lā ilāha illā Allāh), you must first utter 'There is no god' (Lā ilāha), but you must never remain there. 'Lā ilāha' itself is the negation of all false deities, clearing the path for the affirmation of 'illā Allāh.' It is the negation of multiplicities for the affirmation of unity. It is the negation of the other for the affirmation of the Beloved.

This lesson will be explored in greater depth within the context of the 'Intoxicated Turk' story, to which Mowlana alludes. But it is clear, even here, that Mowlana's message is: discard epistemic bewilderment and homelessness. Step from doubt and uncertainty towards faith and certainty. The purpose of saying 'is not' is to arrive at 'is.' All denials are tools for ultimately affirming Absolute Being. 'Abandon negation and worship that very Being' (nafī bogzār o hamān hastī parast) – this means, instead of being preoccupied with what is not, entrust your heart to what is and worship it. This is a quantum leap in epistemology; a leap from non-existence to existence, from nothingness to being.

Key takeaways

• Negation (denial or doubt) is a tool for achieving affirmation and truth, not a destination for residence.
• Mowlana calls for a transition from perplexity and 'unknowing' to 'knowing' and certainty.
• Every 'no' (lā) is a prelude to an 'except' (illā); the negation of multiplicities serves to affirm unity.
• The ultimate goal is the worship of 'Absolute Being,' freeing oneself from preoccupation with what 'is not'.
• This couplet outlines an epistemological leap from non-existence to existence, from nothingness to being.