M6:3747 — در تضرع جوی و در افنای خویش / کز تفکر جز صور ناید به پیش

Translation: Seek in supplication and in your own effacement / For from intellection, naught but forms will come forth. Meaning: This verse asserts that the ultimate truth is not to be found through intellectual thought, which is limited to concepts and forms, but rather through profound humility, heartfelt supplication, and the annihilation of one’s ego and self-identity.

This verse presents one of Rumi's most crucial teachings on how to attain the Formless Truth, standing in stark contrast to purely rational or philosophical approaches. Having previously established that all forms in this world—both material and mental (like the architect's thoughts)—are but shadows and manifestations of the absolute Formless (God), Rumi addresses the seeker: how then does one find the Formless?

Rumi's answer is unequivocal: "For from intellection, naught but forms will come forth." Thought, no matter how profound, or how sophisticated the concepts it generates, remains confined to the realm of "forms." Concepts, ideas, and even the most abstract philosophical theories are all "forms" constructed by the mind. The absolute Formless transcends these forms and cannot be grasped through mental construction. As Wittgenstein might suggest, some truths cannot be articulated but only shown; the Formless belongs to this category, approachable only through hints, silence, and self-effacement.

So, what is the way? "Seek in supplication and in your own effacement." Rumi points to complete humility, sincere supplication, and, most importantly, "self-annihilation" (afnā-yi khwīsh). This means letting go of the ego, self-reliant perceptions, and even those mental constructs that prevent us from apprehending the Formless. It is to become "nothing" (hīch), an empty vessel. As Rumi, and poets like Khaqani, suggest elsewhere: "If nothingness could cast a shadow, I would be that shadow of nothingness." One must transform oneself into an "empty bowl," "dig a pit" for the rain of divine grace to fall, rather than expecting a downpour into a full pit or a mind already replete with pre-formed ideas. This approach emphasizes receptivity and intuition over conceptual construction.

Rumi then explains the error of seeking from one "form" to another. He says that when the Formless seemingly withdraws its presence (like God's rest on the seventh day in the Torah), forms become active, seeking sustenance. However, if "one form seeks perfection from another form / That would be utter deviation." This echoes the question in the Sahifa Sajjadiyya: "How can one in need ask from another who is also in need?" All forms—including concepts and beings—are themselves servants and dependents of the Formless and cannot be sources of perfection for one another. Thus, the only correct path is to turn directly to the absolute Formless.

However, this teaching should not be interpreted as a rejection of material means in daily life. As I have repeatedly emphasized, understanding "reliance on God" (tawakkul) as abandoning work or refusing medical help when ill is a form of "lunacy" (mālīkhūliyā) inconsistent with Islamic teachings or Rumi's own practice. The saying, "Tie the camel's knee with reliance," illustrates a balanced perspective. What Rumi negates is the ultimate, gnostic reliance on forms in the quest for the Formless, not the utilization of means and instruments in the world of forms to manage material life. This instruction pertains to gnosis and spiritual journeying, not to livelihood or worldly management.

Ultimately, Rumi beautifully concludes that even though we live in a world of forms and believe we pursue sensory pleasures, we are, in truth, all unconsciously seeking the Formless. "Thus, in truth, God is the Beloved of all / For the sake of relish are the journeys on all paths." Every pleasure and perfection we find in forms is, in reality, a reflection of the absolute Formless, and this very attraction guides us towards Him. The journeying on various paths is in pursuit of a relish that is inherently formless, and this relish, step by step, leads one from coarser forms to more subtle ones, and finally to the Subtlest of the Subtle, the absolute Formless.

Key takeaways

• The Formless Truth cannot be comprehended through intellectual thought or mental concept-making; intellect remains confined to the realm of 'forms.'
• The path to ultimate reality is through sincere supplication, complete humility, and 'self-annihilation' (emptying oneself of ego and mental constructs).
• One must become an empty vessel for divine grace to fill, rather than possessing a mind full of pre-conceived concepts and ideas.
• Seeking perfection or aid from form-dependent beings is 'utter deviation,' as all forms are themselves reliant upon the absolute Formless.
• These teachings pertain to the acquisition of gnosis and spiritual journeying, not to the rejection of means and instruments in material, daily life.
• Even our attraction to sensory pleasures and perfections in this world is, at its core, an unconscious yearning for the absolute Formless.