M6:2986 — پیش او استارگان خوش صف زده / اختران در درس او حاضر شده

Translation: Before him, the stars were beautifully lined up; The constellations were present in his lesson.

Meaning: This couplet speaks of the stars of the cosmos attending the lesson of Prophet Idris, indicating a deep, student-like connection the universe held with him.

This couplet unveils a strange and wondrous narrative, one that Rumi employs to articulate truths transcending ordinary comprehension. The verse refers to the Prophet Idris, a figure whose name appears in the Quran and holds a venerable place in the Torah (as Enoch) and various legends. Rumi, however, in his characteristic manner, intensifies and enriches these myths, crafting an image so enchanting it confounds conventional reason.

“Before him, the stars were beautifully lined up; / The constellations were present in his lesson.” This is not merely a literary flourish but an exposition of a profound mystical principle. Rumi elsewhere in this same story of Idris states: “There was an affinity (jensiyat) in Idris with the stars, / For eight years, he was with Saturn in ascent.” Jensiyat, or the principle of 'homogeneity' or 'affinity,' is the pivotal point in understanding this couplet. Idris was so intimately aligned and akin to astronomy and the celestial realm that he seemed to traverse not only the earth but also the heavens, befriending the stars. Rumi recounts that Idris spent eight years in the company of Saturn (Keyvān), his companion and confidant in its journey from east to west. After this period of occultation and communion with the planets, when he returned to earth, he taught astronomy. This presence and affinity were so real that, as Rumi puts it, “The pull of jensiyat drew them (the stars) to earth, / Making the constellations manifest before him.” In other words, Idris, by virtue of his inherent affinity with the higher realms, attracted the stars, and they, like eager students, attended his lessons.

Such pronouncements, undoubtedly, appear 'strange,' and Rumi himself is aware of this peculiarity. Yet, for him, the cosmos is a living entity, every part of which possesses consciousness and perception. Stars, in this view, are not merely inert masses of gas; they are sentient beings capable of hearing, learning, and presenting themselves before a divine master. This perspective aligns with panpsychism, or the belief in universal sentience, with the added dimension of the cosmos’s capacity for teaching and learning. From this standpoint, the stars do not just shine; they learn from Idris in the lesson of cosmic perception.

Rumi explicitly emphasizes that the universe adheres to principles of jensiyat: “The heedless attracts the heedless; / For their essence in intellect is the same.” This means that beings of similar nature attract one another. This principle manifests on a cosmic scale in the case of Idris and the stars; Idris’s soul was so profoundly linked to the essence of the higher realms that it summoned celestial bodies to itself and gathered them in its presence. Here, knowledge is no longer merely the accumulation of information but an penetration into the mysteries of existence and an understanding of the inherent essence of things. Idris, who was a companion to Saturn, could hear the “sound of the stars” in both their particular and general aspects, and teach it to others. The lesson Idris imparted was a lesson of 'secrets' (asrār), not merely 'information' (akhbār); it was a lesson of presence and intuitive vision, not merely one of logic and argument. This is Rumi’s unique path, seeing the world as unified and alive, and unveiling its hidden mysteries through the language of poetry and myth.

Key takeaways

• The principle of 'homogeneity' or jensiyat is the driving force that summons the stars to Idris's lesson.
• Rumi utilizes mythological figures like Idris as vehicles for profound cosmic and existential truths.
• In Rumi’s view, stars are not mere celestial bodies but conscious, perceiving entities capable of being 'students'.
• This couplet reflects a panpsychic worldview where every part of existence possesses consciousness and life.
• The knowledge Idris imparts is not merely rational; it is an penetration into the secrets of existence and an understanding of humanity's intrinsic connection to the cosmos.