M6:4584 — نیست صورت‌، چشم را نیکو بمال / تا ببینی شعشعهٔ نور جلال

Translation: There is no (inherent) form; rub your eyes well, So that you may behold the radiance of the Light of Majesty. Meaning: This verse instructs us that the world of forms is but a veil over ultimate reality; one must cleanse the inner eye to perceive the formless effulgence of God's glory.

This verse, in truth, teaches us one of the most pivotal insights in the Masnavi: the principle of formlessness (bī-ṣūratī). Rumi, like the great mystics who inherited the Platonic tradition, tells us that this world, with all its forms and manifestations, is essentially a shadow or a reflection of a higher realm—a world without form or color. Just as Plato saw the particular beauties of this world as reflections of 'absolute beauty,' Rumi views the forms of the cosmos as the locus of manifestation for God's 'Light of Majesty.'

Yet, forms can be 'waylayers' (rāh-zan). This is a crucial term. "Many a one has been waylaid by form; he intended the form, but struck at God." Many people halt at the level of form and fail to penetrate its depth. "He intended the form" means he wished to strip away the form, but this stripping was born of blindness, not an insight into what resides within the form. He did not realize that God dwells within that very form. Here, Rumi, with astonishing wisdom, echoes the perspective of Sheikh Mahmud Shabestari: "If the Muslim knew what the idol is / He would know that faith is in idol-worship." If you understand the truth of an idol, that it too is a manifestation of God, then idol-worship can also be God-worship.

"There is no form" implies that forms lack intrinsic essence; what is essential is the spirit and meaning hidden within them. Our task is to "rub our eyes well"; meaning not just our physical eyes, but our inner vision and insight, purifying them from the dust of habits and material conceptions. We must clear the dust from our perception to behold that "radiance of the Light of Majesty." This radiance is the formless light of God, manifesting from behind the veil of forms.

The understanding of this point is the key to many mysteries of the world and religion. Satan, in refusing to bow before Adam, was entrapped by form. He saw only Adam's "water and clay" and declared: "How can I serve a mere lump of clay?" He failed to see that God's Spirit resided within that form. The difference between one who sees and one who does not lies precisely in this 'rubbing the eyes well.' This cleansing of the eyes signifies a change in our perception of the world. We must look beyond forms to their origin and source, understanding that all these pluralities stem from a single unity and return to it. Of course, this profound mystical theory must never be exploited for personal gain. The mystic speaks of truth, not of its reckless application to base and trivial instances.

Key takeaways

• The world of forms is a veil concealing the formless divine reality within itself.
• All that exists in the world is a shadow and reflection of a higher, formless realm (emphasizing the Platonic-mystical perspective).
• Perceiving only forms is a major obstacle to true knowledge; one must transcend form to grasp meaning.
• "Rub your eyes well" is a metaphor for purifying inner vision and shedding the dust of habits.
• God's majesty and light manifest within these very forms, but perceiving them requires inner insight.
• A proper understanding of this verse can transform apparent idol-worship into true God-worship, if the idol is seen as a manifestation of God.