M6:1874 — جوهر انسان بگیرد بر و بحر / پیسه گاوان بسملان آن روز نحر

Translation: Then the essence of humanity will encompass land and sea; Pied cows will be the slaughtered on that day of sacrifice. Meaning: This verse prophesies a day when the ultimate truth of the Perfect Human (Insān-e Kāmil) will dominate all existence, and the diverse, colorful pluralities of the world will be abolished.

I find this verse to be one of the Masnavi's most pivotal statements regarding the relationship between unity and plurality. Here, Rumi paints a future where the veils of multiplicity are lifted, and a singular unity governs the world.

The discussion of "pied cows" (pīseh gāvān) that Rumi introduces before this verse refers to the chaotic world of plurality. Our world is one of "a hundred colors and a hundred hearts" (sad rangī va sad dilī), where the 'spindle of speech' weaves hundreds of religions, philosophies, and moralities, preventing a true oneness from becoming manifest. This realm is the domain of the "wolves of plurality," where each is left to their own devices, engrossed in their own sustenance, and as Rumi puts it, "this one tears that one, that one tears this one."

However, Rumi then speaks of the "lions of unity" (shīrān-e vaḥdat) who await in the "inner thicket" for God's "command to ascend" (amr-e taʿālo) to be issued. This command signals an attack on the agents of plurality, replacing multiplicity with oneness. It is then that the veils are removed, and God "without concealment" (bī-ḥijābī) directly conducts the affairs of the world.

And it is on such a day that "the essence of humanity will encompass land and sea." The "essence of humanity" (jawhar-e insān) here does not refer to ordinary human beings; rather, it signifies the "Perfect Human" (Insān-e Kāmil). The Perfect Human is God's supreme creation, seated on the throne of existence, a comprehensive being (kawn-e jāmiʿ) in whom all divine attributes, both glory and beauty, are manifested. When this superior humanity appears, it is as if the entire world becomes human, and when the entire world becomes human, it simultaneously becomes divine. Thus, the essence of humanity encompasses land and sea; it tears, devours, and swallows up all pluralities, and singular humanity governs the entire world. Therefore, "the essence of humanity will encompass land and sea" is virtually synonymous with the divine truth encompassing the whole world, for the Perfect Human is the complete mirror of Reality.

Conversely, "pied cows will be the slaughtered on that day of sacrifice." The "pied cows" are a metaphor for the proponents and agents of plurality, the "multiplicity-mongers"; and "the slaughtered" (basmalān) refers to those who are sacrificed. "Naḥr" specifically means to slaughter or sacrifice, particularly in the case of camels, where it involves a unique method of killing. This "day of sacrifice" (rūz-e naḥr) is a dreadful resurrection, which for the believers in unity is an "Eid" (feast) and for the "pied cows" of plurality, it is "destruction" and annihilation.

Key takeaways

• Our world is one of plurality and "a hundred colors and a hundred hearts," governed by the "pied cows" (symbols of agents of multiplicity).
• The "lions of unity" await divine command to overcome these pluralities and establish oneness.
• With the rising sun of unity, the "essence of humanity" (the Perfect Human) will dominate all existence.
• The Perfect Human mirrors divine attributes; their manifestation signifies the divinization and humanization of the entire cosmos.
• The "day of sacrifice" is a dreadful resurrection, bringing celebration for believers in unity and destruction for those clinging to plurality.
• Rumi portrays a stark contrast between the current chaotic world (wolves of plurality) and an idealized future (lions of unity).