M6:3095 — پس هماره روی معشوقه نگر / این به دست تست بشنو ای پدر

Translation: So, always gaze upon the Beloved's face; This is in your hands, listen, O father.

Meaning: This verse emphasizes that Divine Beauty is ever-manifest in the world, and perceiving it requires our heartfelt effort and attention; thus, one must listen to this inner message with the ear of the heart.

This verse, appearing late in the Mathnawi, encapsulates a lifetime of mystical experience for Rumi, offering a profound lesson on God's omnipresence in the world and our role in discovering it. I see it as an extension of Rumi's magnificent concept of the world as the “mirror of Divine Beauty.” The entire cosmos, all of creation, is a mirror of God, and God reveals Himself through these mirrors. We can view this world in two ways: one, by treating it as an effect deriving from a cause, thus inferring the cause from the effect, much like deducing fire from smoke. This is reasoning and inference. The other, higher path, is to see the world not merely as God's effect but as the mirror of His Beauty—that is, to encounter the Face itself directly. This kind of perception, of course, demands special eyes, eyes that see the whole in the part, and observe that grand Beauty in this small mirror. God's manifestation in this world is not the entirety of His essence, but rather His manifestation through the aspect of His attributes and names. It is through these channels that He reveals Himself to us, radiating from within the mirrors, not overtly.

So, when Rumi instructs, “always gaze upon the Beloved's face,” he is precisely urging us to cultivate this special eye. This metaphor of the mirror (mir'āt) is highly significant, found in the works of great mystics like Ibn al-ʿArabi, and Rumi employs it repeatedly. God is not hidden; rather, it is our eyes, accustomed to multiplicity, that fail to perceive Him. He is the “One” who has manifested through repetition, and this repetition has given rise to multiplicity. This world and all within it is a manifestation of God, and nothing else; yes, there are shadows, but shadows are non-being alongside light.

The most critical point, however, lies in the second hemistich: “This is in your hands, listen, O father.” The phrase “this is in your hands” is a resolute affirmation of human free will and active participation in the mystical experience. Glimpsing the Beloved's face is not merely a grace bestowed upon us; it is the outcome of our effort, spiritual aspiration, and resolve. As Rumi states at the beginning of the Mathnawi, “Whoever remains far from their origin / Seeks again the day of reunion.” This seeking is an active verb, a quest. If we perceive crookedness or imperfection, the root lies in our own vision, not in the architecture of the cosmos. “A crooked hair can veil the heavens / If all your parts are crooked, what then?” One crooked hair can obscure the entire sky. Thus, the responsibility for correct perception rests entirely with us.

The command “listen, O father” signifies an instructive and inwardly focused address. In Rumi's lexicon, “listen” is not just a mere command but an invitation to hear with the ear of the heart and to perceive deeply. Just as “Listen to this reed” at the Mathnawi's opening is not only the reed's narrative but Rumi's own command to us to heed the tongue of truth. Rumi, acting as the “Tongue of God,” invites us to listen to and comprehend the truth. The address “O father” also conveys a tone of compassion, guidance, and seasoned wisdom. It is as if Rumi, who has traversed this path and achieved perfection, invites us to this insight and spiritual journey with the affection and authority of a spiritual parent.

In sum, this verse can be seen as a call to self-knowledge and knowledge of God through the observation of the world. A world that is the mirror of the Lord, and an eye that beholds this reflection is an eye that has been cultivated by us and prepared for the encounter. This perspective on God's constant presence and our responsibility to perceive it fundamentally differs from existentialist philosophies that emphasize solitude and God's absence. For Rumi, God is never absent; we are the absent ones who, by transforming our perception, must realize His perpetual presence.

Key takeaways

• The world is the mirror of Divine Beauty; the Beloved's face can be seen in every part of the cosmos.
• Beholding the Beloved's face is a choice; the responsibility for seeing or not seeing rests with us.
• “Listen, O father” is an invitation to inner listening and spiritual guidance, from one who has attained perfection.
• This verse emphasizes that God is always present; absence stems from our own perception.
• Contrasting with existentialism: in Rumi's mysticism, separation is not loneliness or abandonment, but a longing for an eternal union that can be regained.