M6:3718 — صنع بی‌صورت بکارد صورتی / تن بروید با حواس و آلتی

Translation: The formless creative power sows a form; / The body then grows forth with its senses and organs. Meaning: This couplet articulates how the formless creative power of the Divine brings forth tangible forms and physical bodies, equipping them with the senses and faculties that emerge from this unseen origination.

This couplet unveils one of the most profound insights of the Masnavi: the truth of 'formlessness' (bi-ṣūratī) as the origin and essence of every 'form' (ṣūrat). Rumi explicitly states here that the world, with all its myriad manifestations, is born of a 'formless creative act' (ṣanʿ-i bi-ṣūrat). God, as the formless Maker, 'sows' that which has no shape or form—pure will, intention, and creative force—and the harvest of this sowing is a tangible, perceptible 'form'. The human body, with all its senses and perceptive faculties, arises precisely from this formless act. Our physical being is an effect, an outgrowth, of a formless reality. The soul is the essence, and the body is derivative, just as Rumi himself says, 'The forms of the world are but the sea's foam; / Pass beyond the foam if you are pure-hearted.' The forms of the world are like froth upon the formless sea of the soul.

I have often emphasized that this narrative of formlessness is among the most pivotal insights the Masnavi imparts. All forms are manifestations and shadows of formless truth. Our own thoughts and intentions also fall into this domain, acting as a kind of 'formless creative power' that brings forth 'forms' and physical actions. As Rumi explains, this 'form,' or idea, can stir various motives within a person, prompting the body to act accordingly. If God plants the 'form' of blessing in someone's heart, they become grateful. If it is the 'form' of opportunity, they become patient. If it is the 'form' of compassion, they thrive and offer aid. Even if it is the 'form' of a wound, they lament. All these instances arise because the thought of a city prompts one to travel; the thought of an arrow, to take up a shield. The 'form' of beauties leads to revelry, and the 'form' of the unseen, to seclusion. All these actions and manifestations are 'motives for action from diverse imaginations.' That is, the primary and hidden motives behind our actions originate in the formless thoughts and imaginations that traverse our minds and souls.

In the same vein, the innumerable 'creeds and professions' (kīsh-hā va pīshe-hā) we observe in the world are all 'shadows of the form of thoughts.' The rituals, doctrines, vocations, and positions individuals occupy in life are all reflections of the inner, shapeless thoughts that have taken root in their souls. This signifies that what we perceive in the material and outward world fundamentally originates from the realm of meaning and the inward, manifesting as a form that has grown from the formless. This is the essence of Rumi's view of existence: seeing all forms and shapes emerge from a single, formless source.

Key takeaways

• Every form in existence originates from a formless source (divine or mental).
• Our physical actions and reactions are consequences of our inner, shapeless thoughts and intentions.
• God, as the formless Maker, creates the forms of the world by planting hidden wills.
• The body's senses and organs are manifestations of this formless creative power.
• Human creeds, professions, and behaviors are shadows and expressions of individuals' inner thought-forms.