M6:3043 — نیست جمعیت ز بسیاری جسم / جسم را بر باد قایم دان چو اسم

Translation: True unity is not from the multitude of bodies; / Hold the body to be based on wind, like a name. Meaning: This verse asserts that genuine strength and solidarity do not arise from a mere numerical abundance of physical bodies. Instead, it suggests that bodies, much like names, are inherently insubstantial and ephemeral, lacking true foundation or permanence.

I consider this verse profoundly pivotal, for Rumi here points to a foundational truth regarding the nature of "unity" (jam'iyyat) and "solidarity" that transcends the mere numerical count of bodies. He states: "Unity is not from the multitude of bodies." This assertion may initially seem paradoxical; is not a crowd, by definition, an assembly of individuals? Yet, with profound insight, Rumi seeks true unity not in the abundance of numbers, but in inner accord and spiritual alignment of hearts.

He immediately clarifies: "Consider the body, like a name, based upon the wind." This simile is remarkably illuminating. What is a name? The name we assign to something is a convention; it possesses no inherent, self-subsistent reality. You can change the name "water," and no disruption occurs in the essence of water. A name is "upon the wind," meaning it is baseless and mutable. Rumi posits that bodies, in their fragility and lack of foundation, are no different from names; they are merely temporary and conventional forms that lack true permanence, unless a heart binds them together.

In my lectures, I have repeatedly emphasized that Rumi is well aware of the "multitude of numbers," but he does not call it "unity." He refers to this superficial plurality as "pressure" (feshār) – meaning mere nonsense or worthlessness. This is where the parable of "If a thousand mice advance, the cat feels neither fear nor caution" becomes meaningful. Imagine a thousand mice confronting a single cat; if there is no inner courage (himmat) within their souls, if their hearts are not one, if they lack internal solidarity and alliance, then this multitude is meaningless. A single cry from the cat is enough to stupefy them all and send them fleeing. A great many bodies without "unity in the soul" are like a baseless rabble that, against a single powerful entity, amount to nothing.

Here, Rumi implores us: "Seek meaning-gathering, from the Creator!" This unity is a spiritual, not a material, gathering. It is precisely this idea that "hearts must be one." True power emanates from where "If there were unity in the mouse's heart / Then a few mice would gather from zeal." Only then could these mice, like self-sacrificing devotees (the Isma'ilis), attack the cat with zeal and courage, bringing it down. Thus, this verse is an invitation to transcend appearances and seek the true foundation of power and solidarity in the spiritual unity of hearts.

Key takeaways

• True unity does not stem from the superficial count of bodies, but from the inner concord of hearts.
• Bodies, like names, are inherently insubstantial and fragile, resting "upon the wind," devoid of independent essence or validity.
• Outward multitude without inner solidarity is a "pressure" (feshār) of meaninglessness, lacking any real power.
• The analogy of mice and a cat demonstrates that even thousands, without "zeal" (himmat) and "unity," are helpless before a single potent entity.
• Real power and triumph lie in "spiritual unity"; where "hearts are one."