In Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the relationship between the physical world and the divine essence is profoundly illustrated through the metaphor of light and color. Rumi explains that human eyes cannot perceive colors—such as red, green, or russet—without the preexisting presence of light. However, when human awareness becomes entirely captivated by these vibrant colors, the colors themselves act as a "veil" that obscures the underlying light making them visible. Extending this optical phenomenon to spiritual epistemology, Rumi posits a profound hierarchy of illumination: the outward physical light of the eye is derived from the inward light of the heart, and the heart's light ultimately emanates from God's pure, transcendent light. By contrasting sensory form (color) and spiritual essence (light), Rumi teaches that while the physical world makes existence manifest, its mesmerizing outward forms often blind humanity to the formless divine reality that continuously sustains it.