M6:3710 — صورت از بی‌صورت آید در وجود / هم‌چنانک از آتشی زادست دود

Translation: Form arises into being from the Formless, Just as smoke is born from fire. Meaning: This verse asserts that all manifest forms in existence originate from a formless reality, much like smoke, which has a visible form, emerges from fire.

One of the most pivotal insights articulated in Rumi's Masnavi is precisely this narrative of formlessness and the emergence of form from it. This world of forms, beyond any doubt, steps into being from the formless realm. This is not merely a poetic assertion, but a profound philosophical and mystical perspective that Rumi revisits time and again.

This principle, "Form arises into being from the Formless," can be understood on several layers. Firstly, in the hierarchy of existence, every lower entity (form, ṣūrat) is a manifestation and a limitation of a higher, less constrained entity (the formless, bī-ṣūrat). This chain ascends to God, who is the "Most Absolute of Absolutes," utterly formless and unconstrained. In a sense, any form is formed relative to what is above it, but formless relative to what is below it. This relativity culminates in the boundlessness and infinitude of the Divine Essence, which is pure formlessness, sharing this quality with no other being.

The second meaning pertains to the emanation of multiplicity from unity. This world, replete with myriad forms and diversity, originates from the singular, formless Principle. The perennial philosophical question of how diverse beings can emerge from a singular Essence, in which no multiplicity exists, has long been debated. Rumi affirms the fact of this occurrence, even if he leaves the philosophical exposition to others. He speaks of how all these forms arise from a single Formless Source.

Its third aspect manifests in the realm of language and cognition. Formless thoughts and hidden meanings emerge within the molds of words and linguistic forms. The duty of the seeker of gnosis is to pass beyond the "cups of forms" and reach the "wine of the formless." As Rumi advises: "Pass beyond the goblets of forms, do not linger; / The wine is in the flask, but not of the flask." One must transcend the literal forms of words and, through these very forms, uncover the formless meanings. Hence the address to Adam: "Seek my beloved meaning; / Forsake the husk and form of the wheat." The prohibition against the wheat was merely a form; its true meaning was the renunciation of egoistic desires and the transition from formal cravings to the yearning for the formless.

Rumi extends this principle even to the discussion of sustenance and miracles. The story of Abraham's guests, where pebbles miraculously turn into flour, illustrates that wheat (form) is merely a vehicle for the quality of nourishment (the formless). God can imbue even pebbles with this satiating quality; thus, "wheat is dismissed." Wheat is but a form upon a formless essence (sustenance), and it is this sustenance that is the essence, not the form of the wheat itself.

But why is this transition from form to formless so crucial? Rumi states: "The least flaw of anything with form / Is that upon repeated sight, it brings weariness." The slightest defect of any formed entity, no matter how beautiful or beloved, is that with repetition and familiarity, it becomes tedious. Physical beauty, wealth, or anything that possesses form, loses its initial enchantment with repeated exposure. It is this weariness with habits and forms that compels mystics to constantly seek the "new." They even reject an "old God," seeking to discover fresh dimensions of the Divine Presence. "Pure wonder brings the formless to you"; it is the formless that engenders pure wonder and never grows old, precisely because it is not confined by form.

The example Rumi provides – "Just as smoke is born from fire" – although both fire and smoke are outwardly possessed of form, the intent is that smoke (the manifest form) arises from fire (a less constrained and more dynamic process or state), that is, from a relatively more formless and intrinsic origin. Smoke symbolizes the materialization and formalization of the energy and hidden essence within fire. This example serves as an accessible metaphor to convey the core truth: all that is visible and formed has its roots in an invisible and formless realm.

Key takeaways

• Every formed entity is a manifestation and limitation of a formless reality, extending up the hierarchy of existence to the Divine Essence.
• The world's multiplicity and diverse forms originate from the unity of a single, formless Divine Principle.
• The mystic's goal is to transcend forms (in language and in the world) to reach the formless meaning and truth.
• Forms become tedious with repetition, but the formless engenders pure wonder and never grows old.
• Even with the example of smoke from fire, Rumi emphasizes that every visible manifestation has its roots in a more subtle, unmanifest origin.