M1:122 — شمسِ جان کو خارج آمد از اثیر / نبودش در ذهن و در خارج نظیر

Translation: The Sun of the Soul, which came forth from beyond the aether, Had no peer in mind, nor in external reality.

Meaning: This verse describes the sublime truth of the soul, which transcends both the material world and human cognition. It asserts that this spiritual Sun has no equal in outer existence, nor can any image or concept of it be formed in the mind, for its essence is utterly unique and formless.

Here, Rumi delineates the nature of the 'Sun of the Soul' (Shams-e Jan), contrasting it sharply with the celestial sun (Shams-e Falak). Unlike the sun in the sky, which Rumi’s contemporaries considered unique but could still be imagined—and which we now know has countless counterparts in the cosmos—the 'Sun of the Soul' is absolutely singular. This Shams-e Jan is 'eternal' (bāqi) and knows no 'yesterday' (ams); it is imperishable and transcends time, existing beyond past, present, and future. This timelessness, this absence of time, is itself a hallmark of its alien and peerless nature.

The phrase 'khārej āmad az athir' signifies that this Sun of the Soul originates from beyond the material world, even beyond the sphere that ancient astronomers called the 'aether'—the presumed medium for celestial bodies. The aether, according to the ancients, was a fiery element above the sphere of air. Later, in 19th-century physics, it was posited as the medium for electromagnetic waves, until Einstein's theory of relativity dissolved its premise, removing the 'ether' from the realm of physics. However, its dismissal left behind the philosophical enigma of 'accident without substance' (ʿaraḍ bilā jawhar): can waves exist without something to wave in? Rumi, in any case, uses this expression to show that the Shams-e Jan transcends any material or conceptual substrate posited to explain motion in the physical world.

The pivotal assertion here is 'nabūdash dar zehn o dar khārej naẓir'—'it had no peer in mind, nor in external reality.' This Shams-e Jan, which can be interpreted as the Eternal Beloved (God), Shams-e Tabrizi (as a manifestation of that Beloved), or the Perfect Human, cannot be grasped by mental conceptions, nor does it have any equal in the external world. If we take Shams-e Jan to be God, this statement is absolutely true, for God has no antithesis and no peer (lā ḍidda lahu wa lā nidd lahu). Furthermore, no concept of God can be formed in the mind, as conception always involves perceiving and summoning an image or form of an object. Yet, God's essence is 'formless' (bi-ṣūrat); how can a form be made in the mind of that which has no form?

Rumi reiterates this idea through various metaphors. He asks, 'Where is the capacity in conception for His essence, that a likeness of Him might enter it?' How can something inherently formless be contained within a mental image, or how can an example of it be conceived? It is like a camel entering a bird's nest and destroying it, or a gnat complaining to Solomon about the wind, only to vanish when the wind appears: 'Thus, the seeker of God's threshold, when God appears, the seeker becomes naught.' The presence of absolute reality is so overwhelming that it leaves no room for conception, no room for likeness, and no room for the seeker. This annihilation in the face of the Divine is the profound meaning of the peerlessness and uniqueness of the Shams-e Jan that Rumi alludes to here.

Key takeaways

• The 'Sun of the Soul' (Shams-e Jan) transcends our sensory, material, and even conceptual understanding.
• This sublime truth is absolutely peerless, possessing no likeness either in the mind or in external reality.
• By referencing the 'aether,' Rumi delineates a boundary for the material world and human perception, beyond which the Shams-e Jan resides.
• The essence of the Shams-e Jan is formless and timeless, rendering all attempts at conception or finding its likeness futile.
• The absolute presence of this truth annihilates perception and the seeker; just as God's arrival renders the seeker naught.