M6:63 — گوهر جان چون ورای فصلهاست / خوی او این نیست خوی کبریاست

Translation: Since the essence of the soul is beyond divisions (faslhā), Its nature is not this (conflict); its nature is that of Majesty (Kibriyā). Meaning: This verse asserts that the true essence of the human soul transcends the material world of limitations and divisions, possessing a unified, conflict-free, and divine nature.

This pivotal verse from the sixth book of the Masnavi explicitly delineates the nature of the soul's essence. Rumi unequivocally states that our soul belongs to the higher realm and transcends all 'divisions' (faslhā). Here, fasl should not be understood merely as seasons or superficial categorizations, but rather as any form of separation, conflict, hostility, or constraint stemming from the material world. If this world is rife with sorrow and strife, it originates from a sorrowless, unified realm where form emerges from formlessness, and grief from the absence of grief. The true nature of the soul, before being veiled by the dust of nature, is not these fragmentations and conflicts; rather, its disposition is divine (Kibriyā), unified, colorless, and whole.

I have often stated that the Sufis distinguished between the 'spiritualization of the body' (tarawwun-e jism) and the 'corporealization of the soul' (tajassod-e rūḥ). Some individuals are so robust in spirit that their physical bodies too partake of this spiritual quality, as if the outer husk has thinned and the kernel (soul) has encompassed everything. Conversely, there are those whose bodies have become so dense and voluminous that they have compressed and diminished their souls. The more one moves from the 'husk' (body) toward the 'kernel' (soul), shedding the demands of materialism, the closer one approaches unity and undifferentiated purity. In this state, conflict and strife are meaningless. Rumi explicitly states that pious individuals and prophets do not quarrel, for they are all of the essence of the soul. The realm of the soul, according to Rumi, is one devoid of conflict, where souls meet amicably; Heaven is the realm of the soul, while Hell is the realm of the body, where hostility and contention prevail.

Now, a potential query might arise: if the soul is not given to conflict, why did prophets sometimes engage in warfare? Rumi addresses this anticipated objection: 'Wars are between those whose principles are peace / Like the Prophet whose war is for God.' A prophet's war is not worldly or driven by ego; rather, it is a divine war waged for noble purposes and to ensure a virtuous outcome. Such warfare, in itself, stems from the demands of the realm of the soul and divine majesty, not from the material world and its 'divisions.'

This verse demonstrates that any form of division, hostility, or conflict is a sign of the dominance of 'corporeality' over 'spirituality.' The divine essence of the soul seeks peace, unity, and perfection; and whenever humans return to their true essence, they reclaim their divine disposition and find liberation from these worldly 'divisions' and fragmentations.

Key takeaways

• The essence of the soul transcends the material world, which is inherently characterized by division and conflict.
• The true nature of the human spirit is divine, unified, and free from strife.
• Divisions and fragmentations are characteristics of the material realm, from which the soul is inherently free.
• The spiritualization of the body leads to unity and peace, whereas the corporealization of the soul is the root of conflict.
• Prophets' wars are divine, serving higher, transcendent purposes, not worldly conflicts arising from 'divisions'.
• Liberation from fragmentation and hostility depends on returning to the soul's original, majestic essence.