M6:2255 — کودک دیوانه بازی کی کند / جزو باید تا که کل را فی کند

Translation: How can a mad child play? / A part must exist for it to negate the whole. Meaning: This verse asserts that for a finite part to dissolve into the Infinite Whole, it must first exist as a distinct entity. Just as a child needs a certain maturity to truly engage in play and then transcend it, the individual self (the part) must be manifest before it can achieve effacement in the ultimate Unity (the Whole).

This verse, profound and contemplative, affirms the essence of Divine Unity (Tawhid) and the negation of multiplicity. The query about the 'mad child' is a metaphor for the spiritual seeker who is still in a state of immaturity and unawareness, unable to embark on the true path of gnosis. One who is entangled in the world of forms (صور) cannot participate in the 'game' of unity and effacement in the Whole, a game that demands a level of understanding and presence beyond mere madness.

Yet, the pivotal insight lies in the second hemistich: "A part must exist for it to negate the whole." This is a metaphysical and mystical axiom. For a part (juz') to become effaced and negated in the Whole (kull), that part must first exist to undertake this act of negation. Annihilation in God (fanā' fi Allāh) is not possible without a prior subsistence; meaning, an identity of 'self' must endure so that it can dissolve into the Supreme Presence, rather than simply being non-existent from the outset.

This principle aligns with the concept of 'formlessness' (bi-ṣūratī) that Mowlana emphasizes throughout the Masnavi. This world is a world of forms that emanates from the formless. Water, light, breath, and wind are all symbols of formlessness that take shape and can then return to their unformed state. Mowlana himself, like the reed (ney), is a vessel without a fixed essence; its sound depends on the breath blown into it. As he states elsewhere: "We are like the reed, and the melody within us is from You; we are like the mountain, and the echo within us is from You." This contingent existence of ours, this 'reed' of our being, must be present to reflect Your melody and then to become effaced in You. If it were not, effacement would be meaningless.

'To negate' (fī konad) should be understood as to deny, erase, or efface; to 'perish' in the face of the 'Countenance of God' (Wajh-Allāh). As the Quran proclaims: "Everything will perish except His Countenance." Mowlana interprets this verse to mean that everything, even as it exists now, is simultaneously non-existent in its essence; that is, every entity inherently lacks self-subsistence and is ephemeral before the Divine Essence. This annihilation is not utter destruction but rather a lack of independent existence. This is why I often say, "The Sufi is one who is not." The dervish consciously enters the station of poverty and recognizes their true, inherent perishing. The 'part' must exist to perceive and experience this perishing and negation.

To elucidate this effacement of the part in the whole, Mowlana employs the striking example of the letter 'alif' in 'Bismillah.' When we write 'Bismillah,' we omit the 'alif' of 'Ism' (name), but this does not mean the 'alif' is non-existent; rather, it is so effaced within the 'Bā'' that it is not visibly written, yet its presence is conveyed in pronunciation. "That alif in 'Bism' has concealed itself; it is in 'Bism,' and yet it is not in 'Bism.'" The 'alif' exists, but is hidden; it is present, but annihilated in the other. This perfectly embodies the philosophy that "a part must exist for it to negate the whole."

This is the fire of Unity that ignites within multiplicity and burns away all mental and conceptual frameworks. Our mind craves and recognizes multiplicity, fragmenting truths; but gnostic vision (ru'yat) perceives the totality and unity of things without dissolving into multiplicity. "Knowledge was a single point; the ignorant multiplied it." To experience unity, one must practice servitude and subdue the lower self, rather than merely relying on intellectual reasoning. This 'part,' immersed in multiplicity, must shed these veils of multiplicity to be 'negated' in the ocean of Unity and experience it.

Key takeaways

• Annihilation in the Whole (Unity) is only possible if the part (individuality) first exists and then negates itself.
• The 'mad child' symbolizes the immature and unwise seeker who is not yet ready for the 'game' of Unity.
• Mowlana's concept of 'formlessness' (bi-ṣūratī) explains our contingent existence, emerging from the formless and ultimately returning to it.
• Annihilation is not total destruction, but rather a lack of independent existence before the Divine Essence; every being 'perishes' except His 'Countenance'.
• The example of the 'alif' in 'Bismillah' illustrates how a part can be effaced in the whole, being present yet hidden.
• To grasp unity, one must remove the veils of mental multiplicity; knowledge was a point, the ignorant multiplied it.