M6:2384 — پر گشاید پیش ازین بر شوق و یاد / در هوای جنس خود سوی معاد

Translation: Before this (liberation), each spreads its wings with longing and remembrance, / Towards its own kind, yearning for its return (maʿād). Meaning: This verse speaks to the soul's inherent and constant yearning for its spiritual origin, actively preparing for return to its true 'kind' and ultimate destination, even while still confined.

This couplet is spoken, as it were, by birds trapped in a cage. Even before the cage is broken and the path to freedom opens, each soul, driven by longing and remembrance of its origin, spreads its wings in anticipation of flight. Rumi uses this allegory to describe the human condition in this world: we, like those birds, though confined by body and worldly existence, possess a spirit that constantly yearns for its 'own kind' (جنس خود) and its 'return' (معاد). The phrase 'پیش از این' (before this) signifies before the full opening of the path or the arrival of death; thus, this longing and remembrance are a prelude and preparation for that grand return.

Rumi here emphasizes two fundamental pillars: shouq (longing) and yād (remembrance). Shouq is the heart's pull towards its destination, and yād is the soul's primordial, instinctive memory of its true homeland. These two factors propel the soul to 'spread its wings,' even if those wings currently lack the material capacity for physical flight: 'It spreads its wings constantly with tears and sighs, / But has no means or way to fly.' This movement is an internal one, demonstrating that even in captivity, the soul never ceases its quest, and the will to return remains alive within it.

This is a crucial point in Rumi's psychology, where our life's trajectory is determined not merely by 'thoughts' but by 'motivations,' 'ideals,' and 'will.' In this verse, longing and remembrance are the very motivations and will that shape our true identity. Rumi considers murids (disciples) to be those who go to the khaneqah to sharpen their will, not simply to increase their knowledge. The ultimate destination of each person, he asserts, will be determined by their 'longing': 'What do we long for? That will define our ultimate path.' This 'own kind' refers to the essential truth of every particle in the universe, which inclines towards returning to its origin, just as the four elements, after death, each return to their source. The soul is no exception to this rule and is drawn towards its transcendent origin.

Key takeaways

• Longing (shouq) and remembrance (yād) are the inner forces that draw the soul towards its origin.
• Preparation for returning to one's spiritual essence begins even before full physical liberation.
• The ultimate path of each individual is determined by their heartfelt desire and yearning, not merely by knowledge or thought.
• The human soul inherently inclines towards its 'own kind' and its 'return' (maʿād); this pull is fundamental and primordial.