M6:3735 — این صور چون بندهٔ بی‌صورتند / پس چرا در نفی صاحب‌نعمتند

Translation: These forms, since they are servants of the Formless / So why do they deny the Giver of Grace? Meaning: Rumi questions why the world of manifest forms, which originates from and serves the Formless Reality, denies the very Benefactor from whom it receives its being and sustenance.

This couplet unveils one of the most pivotal insights in the Masnavi: the narrative of the Formless (بی‌صورت) from which this world of Forms (صور) has emerged. Prior to this verse, Rumi offers numerous examples of how we transition from forms to the formless: a cup of wine has a physical form, yet its benefit is heedlessness (بی‌خودی) and intoxication (بی‌هوشی), which are formless states. The physical union of man and woman has a form, but the pleasure derived from it is formless. The bread, salt, and all food we consume have forms, but the strength and energy they impart are formless. Even swords and shields in battle have forms, yet the victory (ظفر) and triumph that result are formless. The school, its marginalia, and all forms related to knowledge culminate in understanding and wisdom, which are inherently formless. In essence, forms are perpetually in service of the Formless, acting as a bridge to reach it.

Conversely, Rumi demonstrates how forms arise from the Formless. The architect's thought, which is formless, solidifies into the form of a building. Thus, this world of forms is a "thought from the Universal Intellect" (یک فکرت است از عقل کُل), an external manifestation of the cosmic Architect's intention, namely God. God is the "absolute, undoubtedly Formless Agent" (فاعل مطلق یقین بی‌صورت است), and these forms are but instruments in His hands, through which He organizes and regulates the cosmic order.

Now, in this couplet, Rumi, with an interrogative and admonishing tone, asks: "These forms, since they are servants of the Formless / So why do they deny the Giver of Grace?" These forms, which are subservient to the Formless in two senses—first, as His creation and manifestation, and second, as servants and prerequisites for reaching Him—why do they deny their Benefactor? Why do they turn away from Him and fail to recognize Him? This question is directly aimed at naturalists, materialists, and those who believe that everything is reducible to matter, to nature, and to natural laws. They cling solely to "form" and deny the "Formless," which is the origin and source of all these forms. Rumi warns: "Be less intoxicated by these goblets of forms / Lest you become an idol-carver and idol-worshipper." Meaning, do not be so enamored by these singular and limited forms, lest you worship this very "form" and imagine it to be the only possible or conceivable reality.

The profundity of this point lies in Rumi's assertion that even the denial of the Formless ultimately originates from the Formless itself: "Even its denial appears from Him / This act is nothing but His own reflection." Even this act of denial stems from Him and is a reflection of His own existence. "Disbelief and faith are His handiwork." This underscores God's absolute encompassment, implying that nothing, not even His negation or denial, falls outside the realm of His sovereignty. This world, in my interpretation, is a mask that God has placed upon His Formless essence. We are "compelled to find meanings in sounds and forms." Just as we must consult words to discover the meaning of speech, so too must we look to these "words" and forms of the world to comprehend God's ultimate "intent." Forms are the shadow of the Architect's thought, and denying the "shadow" is, in essence, denying the "owner of the shadow."

Key takeaways

• The world of forms (material) originates from the Formless (spiritual) and returns to it.
• Forms serve the Formless in two ways: as its creations and as means to reach it.
• The denial of the Formless is the fundamental error of materialists and naturalists, leading to the worship of the "idol of form."
• Rumi asserts that even disbelief in God emanates from the Divine essence, signaling His absolute encompassment.
• This world is a mask God has worn over His Formless Self, and we are compelled to discover divine meaning within these very forms.