M6:1020 — نه ز پیه آن مایه دارد نه ز پوست / روی‌پوشی کرد در ایجاد دوست

Translation: That [eye] draws no substance from its fat nor from its skin; / The Beloved (God) made a covering in creation. Meaning: This verse underscores that the eye, despite its physical appearance, is not the true source of sight; rather, in the act of creation and the unfolding of phenomena, God has placed apparent coverings (causes and effects) to conceal His true agency.

Here, we encounter a verse that encapsulates a pivotal aspect of Rumi’s mystical school concerning agency. Undeniably, in Rumi's worldview and that of true mystics, there is only one pure, unmediated agent, and that is God. Everything we identify in the world as a 'cause' or 'agent' is, in reality, nothing more than a rooy-poosh (covering or disguise). Rumi himself explicitly identifies this Dūst (Beloved) as Khodāvand (God), clarifying that these coverings serve to conceal His hand in creation and the affairs of the world.

This simile of the eye, drawing substance neither from its fat nor its skin, precisely parallels the image of a spring gushing from a rock; the water does not originate from the stone, but the stone merely provides a conduit for its emergence. Similarly, the eye, with all its fat, skin, and nerves, is not the source of light or vision. It is God who causes light to flow within it and sight to manifest through it. This stands in contrast to ancient theories of vision, some of which posited that light emanated from the eye to illuminate objects; Rumi argues that even if one believed this, the eye's power would still not be its own.

I have said this repeatedly: these apparent causes and effects are, in Rumi's words, like 'gloves on the hand of God.' If fire burns, it is God who burns through the fire. If water extinguishes fire or medicine cures illness, it is a divine act unfolding behind the veil of water and medicine. The true mystic, endowed with penetrating insight, tears away these gloves and perceives the hands of God behind them. The dictum lā mu'aththir fī al-wujūd illā Allāh (there is no effective agent in existence but God) expresses precisely this truth: it does not deny the existence of other beings but denies them original agency; they are all merely virtual agents.

Why would God create such rooy-pooshes? Rumi explains that this system of causes and effects, these coverings, is essential for the preservation of the 'system of heedlessness' (nezām-e ghaflat). If all humans at every moment perceived God's hand in every action, then the order of this world would collapse, and existence would manifest differently. This heedlessness, though stemming from a lower level of awareness than perfect consciousness, is necessary for maintaining worldly order: This world's pillar, O soul, is heedlessness; / Awareness is this world's bane. However, for one who has experienced a 'second birth' (tavallod-e dobāre) and gained a new perception, these coverings fall away, and they no longer perceive causes as truly independent. When the human child is born a second time, / He places his foot on the crown of causes.

This insight also addresses the question of earthly loves. Figures like Rumi perceived the perfect in the imperfect, and truth in metaphor. These 'coverings' and 'forms' that appear in the world, though not perfect in themselves, can serve as mirrors and guides toward truth. Just as muddied wine can intoxicate, and clear wine can do even more, these apparent beauties, if viewed with an gaze that penetrates beyond the surface, can become a ladder to true love and to seeing the Beloved's hand behind every phenomenon. This verse teaches us that the depth of every phenomenon, even the simple act of sight, ultimately returns to God, and it is He who, from behind the veils, sets existence in motion.

Key takeaways

• God alone is the true and unmediated agent in existence.
• Apparent causes and effects in the world are 'coverings' for God's direct agency.
• These coverings are necessary for maintaining the 'system of heedlessness' and worldly order.
• The true mystic, with penetrating insight, perceives God's hand behind the veil of causes.
• A 'second birth' or transformed perception allows one to transcend these coverings.
• Even in imperfect and material phenomena, by piercing the coverings, the divine truth can be observed.