M6:4583 — که چرا من خدمت این طین کنم / صورتی را من لقب چون دین کنم

Translation: Why should I serve this clay? How can I name a form as religion?

Meaning: This verse poses a fundamental question: why serve a material being or an outward form, and how can such a form be equated with religion itself? It addresses the essence of servitude and the station of the Perfect Human, who, through closeness to God, becomes a locus of divine manifestation.

This verse poses a fundamental question that lies at the heart of every spiritual journey: "Why should I serve this clay? How can I name a form as religion?" It is as if a seeker questions the nature of servitude, not towards God, but towards "clay" and "form." Yet, Rumi immediately answers this question, an answer that encapsulates his entire Masnavi and his mystical philosophy.

The answer lies in the understanding that the Perfect Human, one who has been forged in the furnace of divine proximity, is no longer merely "clay" and "form." As Rumi states in Book Two: "The dark log became a companion to the fire / Its darkness departed, and it became all light." Or, take the metaphor of a piece of iron placed in a fiery furnace. It remains in this furnace for so long that it becomes so molten that when it emerges, it possesses all the attributes of fire: it is hot, burning, luminous, and illuminating. This is the divine "dye" (صبغة الله); the "vat of His color" into which "those with spots become one color." This is akin to "I am the vat, which is to say, I am the Truth / It has the color of fire, yet it is iron." This alludes to the manifestation of divine attributes in the servant, not an identity with the divine essence. This is the existential proximity where a being ascends and intensifies in existence to the point of becoming "filled with God."

The consequence of such divine richness is that "he has divine attributes, his actions are divine actions." The best evidence for this claim is the sacred Hadith which states that My servant draws nearer and nearer to Me until "I become his tongue, his eye, and his hand." This means that "serving him is serving God." This is precisely the Quranic teaching: "Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God." Obedience to the Messenger is obedience to God; these two are congruent. Therefore, serving the "clay" and "form" of this perfected servant is, in essence, serving God.

To understand this unity in multiplicity more deeply, Rumi's example of the "city of Kashan" is highly illustrative. In a city where all are Shi'ite and refuse to sell bread to anyone named Omar, if someone named Omar goes to a shop, not only that shop but no other shop in the entire city will sell him bread. Why? Because, in essence, "all shops are one." It is as if "there is only one seller in this city." This is a beautiful allegory for the unity of spiritual stations and divine friends (Awliya). In their inner reality, they are one, and a single spirit manifests in multiple forms. If you refuse to serve one, it is as if you refuse to serve any of them, and you have denied service to the origin of that unified spirit.

Thus, the "clay" that the questioner in the verse initially perceives as mere earthy, worthless matter, has in fact become a mirror reflecting the divine light. The "form" that appears insignificant is now a perfect mirror of religion and truth. Therefore, serving such a "form" is identical to serving the Source of all truths. This is the metaphysics of union that teaches us that the distance and veil between the servant and God can be removed, and a person's resurrection can take place right here; meaning, they become present in the presence of God, hear His word directly, and what they say is His word, and what they do is also His action.

Key takeaways

• Through divine proximity, the Perfect Human transcends mere "clay" to become a manifestation of divine attributes.
• Serving the Perfect Human, who is "filled with God" and whose actions are divine, is in truth serving God Himself.
• This unity in multiplicity is illuminated by the metaphor of iron being heated in fire: the iron doesn't become fire, but acquires all its properties.
• Rumi's parable of Kashan illustrates the inner unity of divine friends (Awliya); rejecting one is rejecting all and their singular divine origin.
• The verse's question about serving "clay" and "form" points to the station of the Perfect Human whose inner being has become a perfect mirror of religion.
• Rumi aligns this concept with the Quranic teaching, "Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God," where obedience to the Messenger is synonymous with obedience to God.