M6:4012 — چون سلیمان از خدا بشاش بود / منطق الطیری ز علمناش بود

Translation: Since Solomon was joyful from God, His logic of the birds was from His 'We taught him' (ʻilamnā). Meaning: This verse asserts that Solomon's ability to understand the language of birds (manṭiq al-ṭayr) was a divine gift, flowing from his joyful connection with God, rather than from worldly knowledge or cunning.

Friends, Rumi, in this section of the Masnavi, delves into a profound discussion concerning the language of secrets, the language of allusion (kināyah). He posits that divine mysteries and mystical truths cannot be articulated through plain, unvarnished speech. The language of heaven, of prophets and mystics, is allusive; much like proverbs where the apparent meaning differs from its hidden core. The language of religion and truth operates similarly, possessing an outward form and an inner essence, and to grasp it, one must transcend the outward appearance and reach the kernel. This echoes Ghazali's observation in Iḥyāʾ al-ʿUlūm, where he states that mystics speak in the 'language of birds,' meaning a language of symbols.

Into this framework, we encounter the story of Prophet Solomon and the Quranic verse: "And Solomon inherited David. And he said, 'O mankind, we have been taught the language of birds'" (27:16). Rumi here draws a sharp distinction between the true Solomon and the false claimants to the manṭiq al-ṭayr. Solomon, because he "was joyful from God" (bashāsh būd az khudā), derived his manṭiq al-ṭayr "from His 'We taught him'" (z ʻilamnāsh būd). This knowledge is a divine, innate gift, stemming from a deep connection and genuine joy with the Origin of Existence.

In stark contrast to the true Solomon, there are demons who assume Solomon's likeness, sit on his throne, and seemingly mimic his power. These demons possess the "knowledge of deceit" (ʻilm-e makr); they are adept at trickery and outward show, but they lack "His 'We taught him'" (ʻilamnāsh nīst). That is, the divine ʻilamnā, that innate knowledge that made Solomon, Solomon, is not theirs. This is a direct allusion to the false shaykhs and fraudulent Sufis, of whom there were many in Rumi's time; individuals who used mystical terminology but were ignorant of its true essence. Rumi warns that out of thousands of claimants, perhaps only one is genuine, while the rest merely live under the names of the great, securing status and position for themselves.

The key point Rumi emphasizes here is that when he speaks of the "language of birds," he refers to "spiritual birds" (murghān-e maʿnavī) and "birds from God's presence" (ṭuyūr-e min ladun), not aerial birds or those that fly in the sky. He says, "You understand it as the aerial bird / Because you haven't seen the birds from God's presence." He tells the listener that if one imagines he means ordinary birds, it is because one has not seen or experienced the ṭuyūr-e min ladun, the divine, innate birds. These birds are beyond the Mount Qaf of imagination: "The dwelling of the Simurgh is beyond Qaf / No mere imagination can reach it." This means that one cannot attain an understanding of these innate truths through mere conjecture and fantasy. Solomon's true manṭiq al-ṭayr was a manifestation of that divine ʻilamnā, which is attained only through a sincere connection with the Truth.

Key takeaways

• Mystical truths and divine secrets are expressed in symbolic and allusive language; one must penetrate beyond the outward form to grasp their essence.
• Solomon's ability of 'logic of birds' (manṭiq al-ṭayr) was a divine gift (ʻilamnā), stemming from his profound and joyful connection with God, not from superficial knowledge or cunning.
• Rumi distinguishes between true mystics and false claimants; the latter possess only 'knowledge of deceit' (ʻilm-e makr), while the former are endowed with divine 'We taught him' knowledge (ʻilamnā).
• The 'birds' in this context refer to 'birds from God's presence' (ṭuyūr-e min ladun), whose understanding requires divine insight and is beyond the grasp of mere imagination.