M6:3576 — درعدم پنهان شده موجودیی / در سرشت ساجدی مسجودیی

Translation: In non-existence, a being lies hidden; In the essence of the prostrator, a prostrated-one resides.

Meaning: This couplet suggests that existence pre-exists its manifestation in the realm of non-being, and at the core of every worshipper, the Worshipped is concealed, hinting at the profound unity between apparent opposites and the Creator and creation.

In the sixth book of the Masnavi, towards the end of its tales and parables, we encounter a couplet where Mawlana reaches the zenith of his discourse on azdad (opposites or contrasts) in the order of existence. We have previously seen how from Nimrod's fire, Abraham's garden sprouts, or how generosity (bāzl) yields profit (dakhl), and eternal life lies hidden beneath the veil of death. These are all examples of natural and palpable azdad. However, this couplet takes a further step, pointing to ontological and mystical azdad, as if God has placed consciousness within unconsciousness, and wakefulness within sleep.

I have always maintained that this world revolves around contrasts and interactions; as our sages like Avicenna and Mulla Sadra eloquently put it, "Were it not for opposition, the continuity of divine emanation from the Generous Source would not be sound." This is a most profound point. The flow of divine grace, the continuity and perpetuation of work and movement in this world, is contingent upon these very contrasts. From the interplay of water, fire, earth, and air, this cosmos has been brought into being. But Mawlana, in this couplet, elevates the concept of contrast from the physical and natural realm to the metaphysical and mystical plane.

"In non-existence, a being lies hidden." This statement is profoundly resonant for us who have journeyed from non-existence to being. Mawlana offers an image of our existence prior to material life; as if we were existent, yet concealed and unseen within the veil of non-existence, awaiting the opening of this caravanserai's door to enter the stage of being. This non-existence is not a mere void, but the hidden realm of beings, under the control and management of the All-Compelling God. We were in a waiting room before this world, and after it, we shall depart through another door of this caravanserai.

However, the second part of the couplet is Mawlana's central message, delving into one of the deepest mystical secrets: "In the essence of the prostrator, a prostrated-one resides." This refers to the unity of the prostrator (sājid) and the prostrated (masjūd). How can the one who prostrates and the one to whom prostration is made converge in a single essence? It is here that veils are lifted, and the seeker perceives as if the observer and the observed, the worshipper and the worshipped, have become one. Shams Tabrizi, in his Maqalat, expresses this point in another way, stating that if the Kaaba were removed, people would seem to prostrate to one another; a reference to the lifting of veils and a profound inner unity. In the poetry of the great mystic Ibn al-Farid, the same theme is evident, where in the station of unity, it is as if I and God both pray together and prostrate to each other. This is the very "connection beyond description, beyond measure" that Mawlana speaks of, the bond between the Lord of humanity and the soul of humanity. This implies that God is present in the essence and soul of human beings, and when we prostrate, we are in truth prostrating to that divine aspect hidden within our very being.

This is a point that, at first glance, appears blasphemous, and indeed, throughout the history of mysticism, many objections have been raised against it. Yet, Mawlana considers it a secret and a truth that the people of gnosis taste. This does not mean that the created becomes the Creator; rather, it signifies the lifting of veils and the annihilation of the seeker in the Real, to the extent that in the state of annihilation, one sees nothing but His face. Let us recall the angels' prostration to Adam: Iblis saw only Adam as clay and did not perceive God, but the angels prostrated to that God who resided in Adam's form. Adam, at once, was both prostrator and prostrated, for in his being, the divine secret was hidden. This couplet is a call to see the inner reality within outward appearances, and the manifestation of the Real in everything that outwardly appears to be a contradiction.

Key takeaways

• Our existence prior to birth was in a state of 'hidden non-existence,' as if awaiting manifestation in this world.
• This couplet represents Mawlana's highest expression of the 'azdad' (opposites) theory, examining contrasts not at a natural level but at an ontological depth.
• From a mystical perspective, the essence of the prostrated (the Divine) is hidden within the nature of every prostrator, hinting at the unity of worshipper and Worshipped.
• The concepts of 'hidden non-existence' and 'prostrator-as-prostrated' signify the lifting of veils and the annihilation of the seeker in the Real, rather than a conventional merging of Creator and creation.