M6:1617 — ضد و ندش نیست در ذات و عمل / زان بپوشیدند هستیها حلل

Translation: In His essence and His act, there is no opposite nor peer; Hence, all existences wore the garments of being. Meaning: Rumi asserts that God, in His very essence and actions, is utterly singular, possessing neither antagonist (zedd) nor equal (nedd). From this unique, peerless Source, all other existences derive their reality, adorning themselves with the garment of being.

In this verse, Rumi delves into one of his most fundamental theological and mystical tenets: the absolute oneness and unparalleled nature of God's essence. He states that God's essence and actions are free from any zedd (opposite) or nedd (peer/equal). A zedd is anything whose nature is in conflict with another, negating it; a nedd refers to a like, similar, or co-equal entity. God has no opposite to limit or challenge Him, nor any likeness or partner in creation or essence. This absolute singularity and uniqueness are conditions of the Divine existence, for if He had an opposite, that opposite could annihilate Him, and if He had a peer, it would imply partnership, detracting from His perfection.

It is precisely from this peerless and un-opposed nature of the Divine essence that all other hastī-hā (existences/beings) have donned the garment of being; that is, they have received their existence from Him. The entire cosmos's existence is a borrowed robe, derived from the one Being who is without opposite or peer. This implies that the source of existence is free from any multiplicity, deficiency, or limitation observed in the created world. Rumi subsequently elaborates in following verses that an opposite cannot bring forth its opposite, and a peer cannot create its peer, because a cause must always be superior to its effect (the causa prima is always stronger than its effect). This superiority of cause over effect pertains to the vertical causal chain, where every effect is existentially 'lesser' and more limited than its cause, in contrast to secondary causes in the natural world where similarity or even opposition can be found between cause and effect.

This verse offers a profound image of the nature of existence: the absolute Divine Being is like an infinite sea, having neither opposite nor peer. However, finite and diverse existences, with all their contradictions and similarities, reside like foam upon this boundless sea. This 'foam' represents the 'hows' and 'whats' (qualities and accidents) of the natural world, which churn upon the 'unqualifiable sea'—the simple, unquantifiable essence of God. Even the human soul, which Rumi calls the 'least of His creations' (kamtarīn luʿbat), itself lacks material qualities and 'hows' and 'whats'; it has no location, taste, or color. Therefore, attempting to ascribe physical attributes to the soul, much like seeking an opposite or peer for the Divine essence, is a profound error that leads to its denial. This soul, emanating from a Being without opposite or peer, is itself exempt from the strictures of natural laws and physical locality, thus reflecting the Divine uniqueness even in lower planes of existence.

Key takeaways

• God's essence and actions are utterly unique, without opposite (zedd) or peer (nedd); this singularity is the source of all existence.
• The existence of creation is a garment woven from the Divine Being, originating from His unparalleled nature.
• Opposites and similarities (zedd and nedd) exist only within the created world, not in the essence of God.
• This world, with all its 'hows' and 'whats' (qualities), rests like foam upon the unqualified 'sea' of God's Being.
• Even the human soul is free from material 'hows' and 'whats,' and cannot be comprehended through physical criteria.