M6:625 — عقل هر عطار کآگه شد ازو / طبله‌ها را ریخت اندر آب جو

Translation: The reason of every perfumer (ʿaṭṭār) who became aware of Love, / Threw his containers (ṭablehā) into the river's flow. Meaning: This verse illustrates how, once reason and awareness grasp the truth of Love, all worldly values and attractions, previously deemed precious, become insignificant and worthless.

Here, I would argue that Rumi, in this verse, presents a luminous image of the fundamental transformation in human perception and valuation when one becomes acquainted with the truth of Love. Before this couplet, Rumi speaks of the 'dragon of Love' that, like amber, snatches and devours even mountain-like intellects. In the path of Love, the first offering is free will (ekhtiyār) and the second is intellect (ʿaql). These are the most precious commodities a lover possesses and must offer to the Beloved. In a realm where the very soil is pure gold, bringing meager gold as a gift is foolishness; one must offer things akin to that realm itself—namely, intellect and free will.

Now, Rumi turns to the example of the ʿaṭṭār. An ʿaṭṭār in ancient times referred not only to a perfumer but also to a pharmacist, as exemplified by Farid al-Din ʿAttar of Nishapur. These ʿaṭṭārs kept containers (ṭablehā) of perfumes and fragrant medicines, which were highly prized and desirable in the eyes of ordinary people. But Rumi says: “The reason of every perfumer who became aware of Love / Threw his containers into the river's flow.” The pronoun 'of it' in the Persian refers to Love itself. This means, any ʿaṭṭār, or any human being, who becomes aware of the nature and truth of Divine Love, what does he do? He pours all those containers holding worldly, material fragrances into the river's current, allowing them to be carried away and obliterated. Why? Because, in comparison to the fragrance of Love, all those material good scents hold no value or esteem whatsoever. The scent of Love is musk-spreading and utterly revealing; it cannot be hidden, and against it, no other perfume can compete. It is precisely like the scent of musk, which is incomparable to any other perfume and whose presence renders all other scents ineffective.

This verse, in essence, expresses an existential and axiological monotheism; that is, whenever Divine Love establishes itself in the human being, all the pluralistic values and material attractions that were previously important suddenly lose their validity. The perfumer's reason no longer contemplates material profit and loss; rather, through 'awareness of Love,' it reaches a station where it recognizes no 'peer' for Love. This is precisely the Quranic concept of “Lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad” (There is none comparable to Him), which Rumi applies not only to the Divine Essence but also to the incomparable manifestation of Love. Love is unique and has no equal; therefore, everything other than Love must be surrendered to the river's flow, to perish.

Key takeaways

• Divine Love seizes intellect and takes away free will; these are the lover's most precious gifts to the Beloved.
• In the presence of Love's fragrance, all worldly perfumes and material attractions lose their value.
• Awareness of Love leads to a fundamental transformation in one's system of values.
• Love, like musk, cannot be hidden; its presence reveals all and overshadows other scents.
• The Quranic phrase 'Lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad' (There is none comparable to Him) describes the Divine Essence, and Rumi extends it to Love; Love is peerless and incomparable.