M6:2433 — وصف هیبت چون تجلی زد برو / می‌سکست از هم همی‌شد سو به سو

Translation: The description of that Majesty, when its manifestation struck the mountain, / It shattered from within, scattering everywhere. Meaning: This verse describes the overwhelming and shattering effect of divine manifestation (theophany) upon Mount Sinai, illustrating the immense power and awe-inspiring nature of God's presence.

This verse articulates the pinnacle of an extraordinary spiritual experience, recounted by Mawlana through the voice of the Jewish traveler. It is an experience that Mawlana himself, I believe, must have deeply lived. Mount Sinai could not withstand the divine manifestation, and this couplet precisely captures that moment of theophany and the mountain's response.

Recall the Quranic account in Surah Al-A'raf, verse 143: “When his Lord revealed Himself to the mountain, He made it crumble and Moses fell down unconscious.” Here, Mawlana clearly has this Quranic event in mind, rendering it with dramatic intensity. The 'Majesty' (هیبت) of God, when it manifests, is nothing short of His ineffable glory and grandeur, descending upon the mountain's finite existence like an immense light.

The phrase “it shattered from within, scattering everywhere” (می‌سکست از هم همی‌شد سو به سو) must be understood beyond mere physical destruction. This shattering signifies the inability of hard, solid matter to withstand the boundless power of meaning. The mountain, a symbol of steadfastness and weight, in its encounter with the divine manifestation, finds its physical existence broken and disintegrated. This echoes the “heavy word” (قولاً ثقیلاً) mentioned in Surah Al-Muzzammil (verse 5); a word whose weight crushes all resistance and renders the recipient unconscious and beside themselves.

A crucial point here is the distinction between external reality and internal experience. As I have mentioned, no source indicates that Mount Sinai literally ceased to exist; the mountain remained in place. However, in Moses' spiritual experience and in the dream of the Jewish man, the mountain disintegrated. This implies that the manifestation does not necessarily cause external changes, but rather instigates fundamental transformations within the perceptual landscape of the seeker. One who receives a theophany can no longer perceive the world as before. Their perception shatters, and the truth of existence is revealed to them in a new form. It is as if revelation, without uttering a single word, commands and prohibits, and this wordless command and prohibition transforms the very structure of perception and being. This is precisely why Mawlana regards these passages as expressions of his own mystical experiences, re-narrated through the voices of others.

Key takeaways

• Divine manifestation is so potent that it shatters even the most solid forms of existence, like a mountain.
• The mountain's crumbling symbolizes the breakdown of limited material perception and capacity before infinite grandeur.
• This event signifies not merely physical destruction, but a fundamental transformation in the seeker's inner perception and experience.
• The power of 'heavy word' (قولاً ثقیلاً) or direct divine revelation breaks down resistance, leading to new awakenings.
• Mawlana utilizes this Quranic narrative to convey his own profound mystical experiences.