M6:1062 — تا بدیری بی‌خود و بی‌خویش ماند / چون به خویش آمد ز شادی اشک راند

Translation: For a long while, he remained self-less and oblivious to himself; when he came to himself, he wept tears of joy. Meaning: This verse describes Bilal's ecstatic reaction upon beholding the Prophet Muhammad's face: he fell unconscious, and when he finally awoke, he shed tears of immense joy, overcome by the profound experience.

Here, Mawlana recounts the story of Bilal, the Prophet's muezzin, and the profound climax of his love for the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Bilal, whose body had been worn thin and frail by the suffering of worldly afflictions, described as being like a toothpick, upon beholding the beloved face of the Prophet, completely lost himself and fell into a state of pure self-oblivion.

I interpret this state of remaining 'self-less and oblivious to himself' (bi-khud wa bi-khwīsh) as a perfect example of maḥw (effacement), which Mawlana prioritizes over naḥw (grammar) elsewhere in the Mathnawi. This is not mere unconsciousness, but a profound mystical self-estrangement where the veil of the ego is lifted, and the individual becomes absorbed in the divine presence or its manifestations. Mawlana himself likens this event to Moses's fainting on Mount Sinai at the divine manifestation, an event described in the Quran as kharra Musa ṣaʿiqan (Moses fell down in a swoon); a precise and profound comparison that underscores the depth of Bilal's spiritual experience.

After a period in this complete self-oblivion, Bilal 'comes to himself.' However, this 'coming to himself' is not a return to his previous self; rather, it is accompanied by an immense spiritual opening. This opening manifests as tears of joy. These tears are not of worldly happiness, but spring from spiritual revelations and a connection to ultimate Truth. This is precisely the 'lightness of soul' (sabuk-rūḥī) and 'polishing of griefs' (jalāʾ al-aḥzān) that the Mathnawi promises; Bilal, who was among the most afflicted, attains true joy and delight. These tears symbolize spiritual purification and refinement; they are tears of ecstatic union after separation, tears of awakening and awareness of a new existential plane.

Upon regaining consciousness, the Prophet Muhammad, that physician of souls and hearts, drew Bilal close to him. Mawlana's phrase, 'Who knows what bounty reached him?' (kas che dānad bakhshishī k-o rā rasīd), is the ultimate expression of ineffability. It states unequivocally that the gift bestowed upon Bilal transcends our understanding and words. Mawlana himself, with his uncontainable love for the Prophet, wishes he were Bilal to experience such proximity and union; this illustrates how exalted and unparalleled this experience was.

The analogies Mawlana employs to describe this bounty are each worlds unto themselves: 'a copper that struck elixir,' 'a pauper who found an abundant treasure,' 'a withered fish that fell into the sea,' 'a lost caravan that found its way.' Each of these examples speaks of a state of dire need for liberation and life that is met with a sudden and immense opening into union. The dying fish returned to the sea symbolizes the alienated and exiled soul returning to its 'reed-bed' (neyestān) and its original source. This is the very wuṣūl (arrival/union) and yaqīn (certainty) that the Mathnawi promises its readers.

Key takeaways

• True joy emerges from suffering and separation, leading to spiritual lightness.
• Divine bounty and prophetic manifestations transcend human comprehension and language.
• Mystical self-oblivion is the effacement of the ego in God's presence, shedding personal veils.
• Spiritual union and profound openings are accompanied by tears of joy and existential transformation.
• Proximity to illuminated souls acts as an elixir, transmuting the base self into pure gold.