M6:3723 — صورت خوبان بود عشرت کند / صورت غیبی بود خلوت کند

Translation: If the form of beauties is, one revels; / If the form of the Unseen is, one withdraws into solitude. Meaning: This couplet asserts that our inner thoughts and motivations dictate our outward actions, leading us either to communal joy or private introspection.

This couplet is, without a doubt, one of the finest illustrations of the relationship between the 'formless' (bi-ṣūrat) and 'form' (ṣūrat) in human existence. Here, Mawlana clearly demonstrates how an 'idea' (andīsheh), a 'mental image,' or an 'inner motive' can serve as the impetus for our outward actions and behaviors. He states that if the thought of the world's beauties and goodness dominates a person's heart – if one sees the 'form of beauties' within – it will, inevitably, draw them towards 'revelry' (ʿishrat), companionship, celebration, and joy. Faced with pleasant manifestations, one becomes cheerful and joins friends in festivities.

Conversely, if the 'form of the Unseen' (ṣūrat-i ghaybī) and the idea of union with celestial beings and the world beyond sensory perception awaken in their heart, then their entire being will call them to 'solitude' (khalvat) and withdrawal, to sit in contemplation, remembrance, and prayer. This form of the Unseen is so powerful that it distances a person from the clamor of the crowd, impelling them towards silence and introspection, so that they may achieve union with that present Unseen.

It is precisely here that the deep connection of this couplet to major philosophical theories, such as those of Hegel, becomes evident. For many years in my youth, I was fascinated by Marxist thought and deeply pondered its contrast with Hegel. Marx, as you know, inverted Hegel's intellectual pyramid. He believed that the material world and livelihood – the external 'forms' of life – create our ideas and thoughts, our 'formless' essence; how we think is a product of our class and economic position. However, Hegel, Marx's teacher, asserted the exact opposite. He believed that 'Idea' or the 'formless' (which, in Mawlana's terms, we can call thought or 'Geist') precedes and creates matter. The world begins with Idea, with meaning, with the formless, and it is this formless that, throughout history, generates the various forms of civilization, culture, art, science, and religion. Mawlana, in this couplet and similar ones, clearly emphasizes the idea that 'the impetus for action arises from diverse imaginations' (dāʿī-yi feʿl az khayāl gūneh-gūn); that is, our motives for action stem from our various mental conceptions and thoughts. Both customs (kīshhā) and professions (pīshehhā) are 'shadows of the form of thoughts' (ẓill-i ṣūrat-i andīshehhā); they act as the cause and precondition.

Thus, the 'form of beauties' and the 'form of the Unseen' are both ideas and concepts that exist prior to external action and stimulate and guide that action. Revelry and choosing solitude are the external, concrete manifestations of those formless thoughts that have taken the form of action. This is a crucial insight in the Masnavi: the world of form originates from the formless and takes shape throughout history.

Key takeaways

• Human external actions are the fruit of inner thoughts and motivations.
• The thought of 'beauties' (worldly goodness and aesthetics) leads to revelry and social engagement.
• The idea of the 'Unseen' (the spiritual realm and transcendent reality) calls one to solitude and introspection.
• Mawlana, in this couplet, affirms the precedence of 'Idea' or the 'formless' over 'form' and action.
• This insight aligns with Hegelian philosophy, which posits Idea as the origin of being and the creator of civilizations, rather than material conditions.