M6:2984 — در مشارق در مغارب یار او / هم‌حدیث و محرم آثار او

Translation: In the Easts and in the Wests, his companion (was); His fellow-speaker and confidant of his signs. Meaning: This verse speaks of the Prophet Idris, suggesting that due to his affinity and companionship with celestial bodies, they became his comrades, sharing his discourse and privy to his profound knowledge across all horizons.

In this verse, Mowlana unveils a profound truth that I alluded to in the preceding couplet: the law of jinsiyat (affinity or homogeneity) and the attraction of like to like. This law is not merely operative among human beings and intellects, but Mowlana extends it to the very realm of heavens and stars. Here, the discourse is centered on the Prophet Idris (Enoch), a figure whose name appears in both the Quran and the Torah, yet whose existence has always been shrouded in a haze of legend and myth. Mowlana, in his characteristic fashion, intensifies this mythological density, painting an astonishing portrait of him.

Idris, due to a particular jinsiyat with astronomy and planets, especially Saturn, forged such a profound bond that he spent eight years in communion and presence with it. The core point here is encapsulated in: "In the Easts and in the Wests, his companion (was); / His fellow-speaker and confidant of his signs." This companion refers to the stars and planets that, across all the East and West of the cosmos, became Idris's companions, interlocutors, and confidants of his secrets and signs. In other words, through this profound affinity, Idris became so unified with the celestial realm that it was as if the stars sat before him as students.

Mowlana takes this even further, stating that when Idris returned after an absence and taught astronomy on Earth, the very stars, with their beautiful dispositions, would align themselves before him, as if they were his pupils. It is from this deep connection that people, both common and elite, "heard the voice of astronomy" from him. This "attraction of affinity" was so potent that it would draw the celestial bodies from the heavens to Earth, making them manifest and clear before Idris.

I do not deny that these are indeed strange words, resembling legends and myths more than historical or scientific facts. However, Mowlana refers to this story and legend to highlight a mystical point: whoever cultivates a deep belonging to a truth and becomes akin to it, that truth, in turn, becomes akin to them and reveals its secrets. This is a cosmic principle where spiritual connection links worlds, lifting the veils between them.

Key takeaways

• The cosmic law of jinsiyat (affinity) dictates that like attracts like, extending beyond human relations to the celestial sphere.
• Mowlana utilizes mythical figures like Idris to elucidate mystical truths, even when the narratives are extraordinary or legendary.
• A profound spiritual connection can lift the veils between higher and lower realms, revealing cosmic secrets.
• True knowledge and wisdom are sometimes disclosed to mystics through communion with non-human entities, including celestial bodies.
• Idris's inherent affinity for astronomy drew the stars to him, transforming them into his companions and confidants.