M1:130 — کُلُّ شَیءٍ قالَهُ غَیرُ المُفِیق / أنْ تَکَلَّفْ اَوْ تَصَلَّفْ لا یَلِیق

Translation: Anything said by one not fully lucid, If expressed with affectation or self-importance, is unbecoming.

Meaning: In a state of mystical annihilation (fanā), Mowlana declares that any utterance made by someone in such a 'non-lucid' condition, especially if it involves artifice or boastfulness, is unfitting, as conventional language cannot adequately convey the truth of that state.

This verse unveils the profound mystical experience and astonishing humility of Mowlana. When his 'Jan' (soul) urges him to speak of 'those joyful states' (khosh-hāl-hā), Mowlana replies: "Do not burden me, for I am in annihilation; my understandings have grown dull, so I cannot properly praise" (M1:128). It is here that our discussed verse enters, transforming this personal inability into a universal mystical principle.

"Ghayr al-Mufīq" precisely refers to the state Mowlana finds himself in: beside himself, dissolved in the Beloved, in a state of fanā (annihilation). Ifāqa means to regain consciousness, and he implies he is not in an ordinary state of awareness or wakefulness. Therefore, anything uttered in this condition, if accompanied by "takalluf" (affectation, forced effort to express) or "taṣalluf" (self-importance, boastfulness), is "lā yalīq" (unbecoming); it is unworthy of that spiritual station and that ultimate truth.

This inability to articulate stems from his profound humility and has roots in the prophetic tradition. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself, in a supplication, said: "Glory be to You, I cannot enumerate Your praise as it behooves You." Mowlana borrows this sentiment to demonstrate that human language, even the language of an annihilated mystic, falls short of expressing the Beloved's grandeur. In the state of fanā, understandings become 'dull'—not from weakness, but from the intensity of Divine Presence; language falters—not from lack of knowledge, but from the boundlessness of what is known.

This verse underscores Mowlana's emphasis on authenticity and naturalness in mystical discourse. He, who deems himself so "annihilated, unified, dissolved, and immersed" in Shams that he cannot speak about him, conveys that any attempt to adorn speech or boast in such a station destroys the authenticity of the experience. Mystical speech must arise from selflessness (bey-khodi), not from an ego seeking affectation or self-importance. This serves as a lesson for all seekers on the path of gnosis: shun ostentation and artifice, and allow truth to flow from an unadorned heart; otherwise, such speech will not be 'worthy' of unveiling mysteries.

Key takeaways

• The inherent inadequacy of language to articulate sublime mystical experiences and the state of annihilation in God.
• The imperative for authenticity and avoidance of affectation or self-importance when speaking of truth, especially in the state of fanā.
• Self-awareness and discerning one's true station before the grandeur of the Eternal Beloved.
• Mowlana's humility aligns with the prophetic tradition of acknowledging the insufficiency of praise.
• One who is beside themselves loses the capacity for ego-driven speech, which is itself a mark of perfection.