In Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the distinction between outward form (surat) and inner spiritual meaning (ma'na) is a foundational hermeneutical concept. In Book 2, Section 7, Rumi warns the listener against getting lost in the literal narrative or external appearance of a tale. He uses the metaphors of walnuts and raisins (jowz o maviz) to represent the transient physical body or outward form, urging the spiritual seeker to pass beyond these surface level details. Similarly, he likens the literal plot of a story to chaff (kah) and the hidden spiritual truth to the grain (daneh), instructing readers to 'separate the grain from the chaff' (az kah joda kon daneh ra). Through these metaphors, Rumi argues that attachment to the literal form of stories, religious rituals, or the physical world hinders intellectual and spiritual progression toward divine reality.