M6:3732 — صورت نان و نمک کان نعمت است / فایده‌ش آن قوت بی‌صورت است

Translation: The form of bread and salt, which is a blessing, Its benefit is that formless strength. Meaning: This verse asserts that every tangible, material blessing (such as food) ultimately serves to produce an invisible, inner result (like strength or vitality).

This verse is one of those where Rumi delves into the fundamental distinction between "form" (ṣūrat) and "formless" (bī-ṣūrat); a distinction that is among the most pivotal insights of the Masnavi, positing that this world of forms is but an outcome of the formless realm. In this specific couplet, Rumi offers an everyday example to illuminate this idea: bread and salt, or any food we consume, possesses a tangible, perceptible form. Yet, its ultimate benefit and outcome is the strength and vitality it imparts to our bodies and souls, a strength that itself lacks an overt, palpable form.

Let us delve a little deeper into this narrative. Rumi places this discussion within a broader intellectual context. Elsewhere, he states: "Innumerable creeds and crafts / Are all but shadows of thoughts' forms." This means that all our religions, professions, and actions are merely reflections of our thoughts and worldviews. This perspective, where thought precedes action, has been the consensus among philosophers and thinkers of tradition. It was Marx who inverted this narrative, asserting that our material life and existential conditions shape our thoughts. However, in Rumi's view, thought stands on the roof of existence, and action is its shadow on the ground. Thought is hidden, while action is manifest; yet, in their influence and connection, both are inextricably linked.

Now, Rumi takes a step further, suggesting that these forms not only originate from the formless but can also lead back to it. He provides other examples: a cup of wine consumed (form), whose benefit is self-forgetfulness and intoxication (formless); the union of man and woman (form), whose benefit is formless pleasure; sword and shield on the battlefield (form), whose outcome is victory and triumph (formless); school, books, and annotations (form), which lead to knowledge (formless). These forms are all in the service of the formless, serving as a prelude to its attainment.

Rumi's "form" (ṣūrat) here refers to the outward appearance of natural objects, perceptible by our five senses, while "formless" (bī-ṣūrat) denotes a result that apparently lacks a sensible form—it has no sound, is not visible, possesses no distinct shape or scent. It is clear, of course, that these formless aspects themselves possess "qualities" and "attributes," but in relation to those material forms, they are liberated from them, unbound by the constraints of shape and mold. This implies that existence is not merely confined to its material and sensible manifestations but possesses underlying depths, meanings, and potencies that are unseen.

This is why, after these examples, Rumi, in a philosophical climax, criticizes the denial and rejection of the formless by those preoccupied with forms. He asks: "Since these forms are servants of the formless / Why then are they in negation of the benefactor?" How can forms, which emanate from the formless and return to it ("Form came forth from the formless / And returned, saying, 'To Him we shall return'"), proceed to deny their very originator? This critique is leveled against materialists and naturalists who believe that everything is reducible to matter, nature, and its laws. This is a profound intellectual fallacy, where one forgets that one is dealing with only one form among the infinite forms that existence can assume. For this reason, Rumi warns: "Be less intoxicated by these goblets of forms / Lest you become an idol-carver and an idol-worshiper"; lest you become absorbed in a single form, deeming it the only possibility, and thus become an idolater of forms.

Key takeaways

• Every material existence (form/ṣūrat) has an invisible, inner purpose and benefit (formless/bī-ṣūrat).
• Being formless does not imply absolute non-existence, but rather liberation from the constraints of perceptible shape and tangibility.
• Thoughts and worldviews (formless) are the underlying foundation of our actions and life's manifestations (forms).
• Forms not only originate from the formless but also serve as a means to return to it.
• Materialism and formalism represent a type of idolatry, reducing existence to a single outward appearance and neglecting its formless origin and ultimate destination.