M6:2392 — چون بتابد تف آن خورشید جشم / کوه گردد گاه ریگ و گاه پشم

Translation: When the blaze of that Eye-Sun shines forth, Mount becomes sometimes sand and sometimes wool. Meaning: This verse speaks to the profound and overwhelming transformative power of divine manifestation; even the hardest mountains disintegrate into soft dust or fiber under its gaze.

This beyt appears in the context of the 'Story of the Three Travelers' (Jew, Christian, Muslim), which Mawlana adapts from Shams-i Tabrizi and expands upon with astonishing depth. This specific verse describes the dream of the Jewish traveler, a dream in which he, Moses, and Mount Sinai are all subjected to the intense radiance of divine light and undergo profound transformation. The 'Eye-Sun' (خورشید جَشم) Mawlana refers to here is none other than the manifestation of divine light (tajalli-ye nur-i Haqq), a phenomenon mentioned in the Holy Quran concerning Moses on Mount Sinai (Al-A'raf: 143) and frequently depicted in mystical experiences. The 'blaze of that Eye-Sun' (تف آن خورشید جشم) denotes the scorching and dazzling intensity of that divine gaze or manifestation of Truth.

I have repeatedly stated, and I re-emphasize here, that the experience of 'it crumbled' (جعله دکا) and the disintegration of the mountain in the Holy Quran, from Mawlana's perspective and in our understanding, was not an external, physical event. Rather, it was a profound spiritual experience of Moses the Prophet, who perceived the mountain to be annihilated and effaced within his spiritual state. The mountain remained outwardly in its place, but inwardly, in the realm of direct spiritual vision (shuhud), it was shattered. This verse of Mawlana precisely portrays this reality: 'Mount becomes sometimes sand and sometimes wool.' This signifies that under the impact of this manifestation, it loses its solidity and hardness, transforming into fine sand or soft wool-like matter. Both 'sand' (ریگ) and 'wool' (پشم) denote the cessation of grandeur and hardness, turning into soft, dispersed particles, indicating collapse and dissolution in the face of divine majesty.

The point Mawlana addresses in this verse, and throughout his exposition of the Jew's dream, is that when the Transcendent descends and manifests, it shatters all resistance. Just as God addresses His Prophet in the Quran: 'Indeed, We will cast upon you a weighty word' (Inna sanulqi ʿalayka qawlan thaqilan, Al-Muzzammil: 5). This 'weighty word' (qawl-i thaqil) is not merely weighty in its content, but its gravity is of an existential and deconstructive nature, impacting one's very being; it breaks down resistance, renders one oblivious to oneself, and for a time, seizes one's consciousness. This is the same state Moses experienced with the divine manifestation, when 'he fell unconscious' (kharra Musa saʿiqan). The mountain, in this context, symbolizes any hard and steadfast entity that cannot withstand the 'blaze of that Eye-Sun.'

Here, Mawlana, through the narrative of a Jew's dream, implicitly points towards a 'pluralism of salvation' and spiritual experiences that transcend outward religious boundaries. This very Jew, initially depicted as 'astray,' undergoes such deep and wondrous experiences that he arrives at an understanding of the 'unity of the prophets.' This 'Eye-Sun' shines upon ready hearts, irrespective of their apparent religious affiliation, creating transformation. Thus, this beyt is not merely a description of a cosmic change but an image of humanity's existential capacity to perceive the Transcendent and to dissolve its own perceptual and existential barriers before it.

Key takeaways

• The manifestation of divine light possesses immense transformative power, capable of softening and shattering even the hardest realities.
• The crumbling of the mountain before divine light symbolizes the dissolution of material existence in the face of transcendent Truth.
• This profound transformation is often an internal, spiritual experience rather than a purely physical or external event.
• The heart's receptivity and readiness to perceive the Transcendent is far more crucial than outward religious affiliations.
• The existential impact of God's 'weighty word' or intense manifestation breaks down resistance and leads to states of self-forgetfulness and rapture.