M6:3316 — کو همان‌جا که به وقت علتی / چشم پرد بر امید صحتی

Translation: Where is that place where, at the time of ailment, The eye flutters in hope of health?

Meaning: This verse articulates the intrinsic human longing for healing and well-being, suggesting that even in the throes of illness, the human spirit instinctively reaches out for the source of health and recovery.

Here, Rumi confronts us with one of the most profound allusions to the human condition of seeking and longing. The simple question “koo?” (where?), echoing the dove's plaintive cry that Khayyam also evokes, transcends mere inquiry to become an existential quest. Rumi, following the narrative of the 'debtor' who incessantly asks 'where?', implies that if we grasp the true meaning of this 'koo,' it refers to 'that very place' which is the springhead of divine attributes of mercy: power, purity, and profound sagacity. Whenever our contemplative heart is engulfed in grief and sorrow, our hope instinctively soars towards that ultimate source.

This particular verse articulates this truth with striking palpability: 'Where is that place where, at the time of ailment, the eye flutters in hope of health?' Observe this image! A person afflicted by illness, with what expectation does their eye twitch in anticipation of recovery? This twitching of the eye, this sudden spasm, was traditionally seen as a sign of forthcoming good news. But Rumi delves deeper. This fluttering eye, this unspoken bodily gesture, is in reality a signal to the ultimate source of healing, to the place that cures maladies and bestows health. This yearning for health, deeply rooted in the soul of every sick person, traces back to that primal 'koo.'

Just as a farmer in drought seeks 'wind' (rain) for his parched crops, or a sailor whose ship is about to sink seeks 'wind' for salvation; or when our tongue engages in overt remembrance (dhikr-e qālī) like 'Yā Hū,' and simultaneously our 'heart' points to 'the One who resides behind that 'Hū''; all these are diverse manifestations of that fundamental 'koo.' This verse conveys that in the pinnacle of need, weakness, and sickness, the wellspring of hope within us makes our eyes turn towards that hidden reality. Only the 'friend of God' (walī Allāh), the perfect human, who is 'with God' (maʿ Allāh) and perpetually abides in the divine presence, has no need for this 'koo.' But for us, for me who is distant from Him, this 'koo'-saying, this quest, is life itself and a sign of our unbreakable connection to our origin. This 'koo' demonstrates that we are always, even in the most despairing moments, connected to the truth of that source of hope.

Key takeaways

• The question 'koo?' (where?) transcends mere inquiry, becoming an existential pointer to the ultimate source of divine mercy and attributes.
• In moments of profound need and illness, the eye's involuntary twitch of hope for health symbolizes the soul's innate yearning for healing from a hidden, spiritual origin.
• Intrinsic human hope, even in despair, remains connected to that ultimate springhead of power and healing.
• The act of seeking ('koo'-saying) signifies separation from the Origin, a state transcended by the perfect human who is perpetually 'with God' (maʿ Allāh).