In Book Three of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the poet elaborates on a prophetic tradition (Hadith) stating that the Quran possesses an outward meaning (ẓahr) and multiple inward dimensions (baṭn), reaching up to seven inner depths. Rumi explains this multiplicity of meaning through the metaphor of a human being. Just as a person's physical form is visibly apparent while their inner spirit remains hidden, the literal words of the Quran are accessible to all, whereas its profound spiritual realities require deeper insight to comprehend. Rumi warns against restricting one's understanding to the outward text, likening such a literalist approach to Iblis (Satan), who perceived Adam merely as physical clay and failed to recognize the divine breath within him.

Google

## Original content
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right; line-height: 2; margin-top: 0.5rem;">

حرف قرآن را بدان که ظاهریست 
زیر ظاهر باطنی بس قاهریست
زیر آن باطن یکی بطن سوم 
که درو گردد خردها جمله گم
بطن چارم از نبی خود کس ندید 
جز خدای بی نظیر بی ندید
تو ز قرآن ای پسر ظاهر مبین 
دیو آدم را نبیند جز که طین
ظاهر قرآن چو شخص آدمیست 
که نقوشش ظاهر و جانش خفیست
مرد را صد سال عم و خال او 
یک سر مویی نبیند حال او

</div>

## English translation
Book Three — Section 203 — Commentary on This Report of Mustafa, Peace Be Upon Him: "For the Quran there is an outward (ẓahr) and an inward (baṭn), and for its inward an inward, up to seven inner depths (abṭun)"

Know that the word of the Quran has an outward —
beneath the outward is an inward most overpowering.

Beneath that inward lies a third inner depth,
in which all intellects become entirely lost.

The fourth inner depth — no one has seen it from the Prophet himself,
save God, the Incomparable, the Unseen.

You, O son, do not behold from the Quran only the outward —
the devil sees in Adam nothing but clay.

The outward of the Quran is like the human form,
whose figures are visible and whose soul is concealed.

For a hundred years his paternal uncle and maternal uncle
cannot see so much as a hair's tip of his inner state.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۲۰۳ - تفسیر این خبر مصطفی علیه السلام کی للقران ظهر و بطن و لبطنه بطن الی سبعة ابطن / Book Three - Section 203 - Commentary on This Report of Mustafa, Peace Be Upon Him: 'For the Quran there is an outward (zahr) and an inward (batn), and for its inward an inward, up to seven inner depths (abtun)'

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.

The Metaphor of Grain and Chaff, Walnut and Raisin (Form vs. Meaning) in the Masnavi

In Section 2 of *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai introduces the distinction between the outward form (*zahir*) of the Quran and its inward spiritual meaning (*batin*). He warns against reciting the Quran out of heedlessness (*ghafleh*) or mere habit, noting that such readers only pronounce the letters without experiencing spiritual taste (*zowq*) or desire. Sanai contrasts the 'wise' (*aqilan*), who receive sweetness in their souls, with the 'heedless' (*ghafilan*), for whom the Quran is merely a verbal recitation (*telavat*). This thematic division between form and essence is a fundamental prerequisite for understanding later mystical interpretations of scripture in Persian literature.

The Contrast of Outward Recitation and Inward Comprehension of the Quran in the Hadiqat

Root URL: https://ganjoor.net/
Source URL: https://ganjoor.net/

This Reference node represents the source used by the Literature-to-1Cademy migration agent.

Ganjoor

## Original content
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right; line-height: 2; margin-top: 0.5rem;">

در صحابه کم بدی حافظ کسی 
گرچه شوقی بود جانشان را بسی
زانک چون مغزش در آگند و رسید 
پوستها شد بس رقیق و واکفید
قشر جوز و فستق و بادام هم 
مغز چون آگندشان شد پوست کم
مغز علم افزود کم شد پوستش 
زانک عاشق را بسوزد دوستش
وصف مطلوبی چو ضد طالبیست 
وحی و برق نور سوزندهٔ نبیست
چون تجلی کرد اوصاف قدیم 
پس بسوزد وصف حادث را گلیم
ربع قرآن هر که را محفوظ بود 
جل فینا از صحابه می شنود
جمع صورت با چنین معنی ژرف 
نیست ممکن جز ز سلطانی شگرف
در چنین مستی مراعات ادب 
خود نباشد ور بود باشد عجب
اندر استغنا مراعات نیاز 
جمع ضدینست چون گرد و دراز
خود عصا معشوق عمیان می بود 
کور خود صندوق قرآن می بود
گفت کوران خود صنادیقند پر 
از حروف مصحف و ذکر و نذر
باز صندوقی پر از قرآن به است 
زانک صندوقی بود خالی بدست
باز صندوقی که خالی شد ز بار 
به ز صندوقی که پر موشست و مار
حاصل اندر وصل چون افتاد مرد 
گشت دلاله به پیش مرد سرد
چون به مطلوبت رسیدی ای ملیح 
شد طلب کاری علم اکنون قبیح
چون شدی بر بامهای آسمان 
سرد باشد جست وجوی نردبان
جز برای یاری و تعلیم غیر 
سرد باشد راه خیر از بعد خیر
آینهٔ روشن که شد صاف و ملی 
جهل باشد بر نهادن صیقلی
پیش سلطان خوش نشسته در قبول 
زشت باشد جستن نامه و رسول

</div>

## English translation
Among the Companions, few were memorizers, though their souls had much longing, because when their kernel filled out and ripened, the skins became very thin and split open. So too with the shells of walnut, pistachio, and almond: when their kernels have filled them, the shell becomes slight. The kernel of knowledge increased and its shell diminished, because the Friend burns the lover. Since the attribute of the Desired is contrary to the seeker, revelation and lightning are the Prophet's burning light. When the eternal attributes manifested, they burned up the rug of created attributes. Whoever had memorized a quarter of the Qur'an would hear from the Companions, 'He is eminent among us.' To combine outward form with such deep meaning is possible only through a wondrous sovereignty. In such intoxication, observing etiquette simply is not; and if it is, it is a wonder. In self-sufficiency, observing need is the joining of opposites, like round and long. The staff is the beloved of the blind; the blind man himself may be a chest of the Qur'an. He said: the blind are chests filled with the letters of the Scripture, remembrance, and vows. Still, a chest full of the Qur'an is better than having an empty chest at hand. Yet a chest emptied of its load is better than a chest full of mice and snakes. In short, when a man has fallen into union, the go-between becomes cold before him. When you have reached your Desired, fair one, seeking knowledge now becomes ugly. When you have gone up onto the roofs of heaven, searching for a ladder is cold. Except for helping and teaching others, the road to good becomes cold after good has been attained. A bright mirror that has become clear and polished: it is ignorance to apply polish to it. For one seated happily in acceptance before the Sultan, it is ugly to seek a letter and messenger.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۵۲ - حکایت / Book Three - Section 52 - Tale

The Metaphor of the Quran as a Human Being in the Masnavi

In Section 3 of *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai employs the metaphor of a container (*zarf*) and water (*ab*) to explain the relationship between the external letters of the Quran and its internal spiritual essence. He instructs the seeker to treat the letters and the outer form as the container, and the spiritual truth as the water, advising them to focus on consuming the water rather than looking at the vessel. This metaphor represents a key development in Persian Sufi hermeneutics, emphasizing inner spiritual comprehension over outward textual literalism.

The Metaphor of the Container and Water for the Quran in the Hadiqat

In Section 4 of *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai employs the imagery of the sea, shell, and pearl to describe the Quran's nature. He characterizes the external letters and sounds as a dark shell (*sadaf-e tireh*) and the internal spiritual reality as a pure pearl (*dor-e safi*) or gem (*gohar*) located within the heart. This metaphor suggests that the Quran's inimitability (*i'jaz*) is not merely in its linguistic surface but in the divine depths that remain hidden from those who only traverse the shore of the text. Sanai's use of this metaphor established a foundational trope for later Sufi poets, such as Shabestari in *Golshan-e Raz*, to explain the relationship between form (*surat*) and meaning (*ma'ni*).

The Metaphor of the Shell and Pearl for the Quran in the Hadiqat

In Section 8 of *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai discusses the true nature of reciting the Quran. He argues that one cannot experience the spiritual taste (*ta'm*) and pleasure (*lazzat*) of the Quran through mere tongue-recitation without the involvement of the soul (*jan*). Sanai urges the reader to transition from the physical realm of the body (*tan*) to the vision of the soul in order to behold the 'garden of the Quran' (*bagh-e qoran*), where the cosmic truths of past, present, and future, as well as the divine attributes, become fully manifest to the sincere reader.

Tasting the Spiritual Garden of the Quran in Section 8 of the Hadiqat

In Section 9 of *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai discusses the spiritual listening (*sama'*) of the Quran. He asserts that a true mystic (*arif*) hears the divine word directly from God (*Bari*), arguing that the artistic recitation of the external reciter (*qari*) serves as a veil (*hijab*) that blocks direct spiritual comprehension. Sanai notes that the nature of the singer is weak, while love possesses its own inner minstrel, indicating that true audition transcends external sounds and sensory forms.

Hearing the Quran from God and the Veil of the Reciter in the Hadiqat

In Section 5 of *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai employs the metaphors of the well (*chah*) and the rope (*rasan*) to describe the human spiritual condition and the role of the Quran. The human soul is compared to Joseph trapped in a well due to the temptations of Satan, while the Quran is depicted as the saving rope. Sanai instructs seekers to grasp this rope to escape spiritual destruction, contrasting those who use the rope to draw the 'water of life' with those who use it merely for worldly gain, like a rope-dancer performing for bread.

The Metaphor of the Rope and the Well for the Quran in the Hadiqat

In Section 7 of *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai introduces the concept of the Quran personified as a complainant (*geleh*) before God on the Day of Judgment. The Quran testifies against hypocritical readers who recited its verses loudly and melodically for public show, but failed to observe the true rights of its grammar, syntax, meaning, and spiritual sincerity (*sadq*). This personification illustrates Sanai's broader theme that external ritualism without internal truth is not only worthless but will actively testify against the individual in the afterlife.

The Complaint of the Quran on the Day of Judgment in the Hadiqat

In Section 6 of the *Hadiqat al-Haqiqah*, Sanai criticizes those who reduce the Quran to external divisions like tenths (*a'shar*) and fifths (*akhmas*) for superficial recitation. He argues that using the holy text as a tool for worldly gain, public show, or sectarian debate, and interpreting it through personal opinion (*ra'y*) or analogy (*qiyas*), neglects its true spiritual light and constitutes a form of hypocrisy.

Learn Before

Related