M1:1583 — چون به نالد زار بی‌شکر و گله / افتد اندر هفت گردون غلغله

Translation: When he cries out piteously, without thanks or complaint, A tumult falls upon the seven heavens. Meaning: This verse describes the peak of spiritual attainment, where the mystic, having reached profound proximity to the Divine, transcends both gratitude and complaint, uttering a raw, existential cry that reverberates through the cosmos.

Undoubtedly, this verse stands as one of Rumi's most profound and eloquent references to the ultimate station of spiritual journey, a maqām where the seeker transcends the duality of gratitude (shukr) and complaint (gila). I have always emphasized that one can categorize thinkers and mystics based on their approach to existence and the Beloved: some are only given to complaint, some to both thanks and complaint, some only to thanks, and finally, a group reaches a state where they are neither thankful nor complaining. Rumi, at the peak of his gnosis, unquestionably belongs to this fourth group.

Both gratitude and complaint inherently imply a distance. When you are thankful, you receive a blessing from a Giver and express your appreciation; when you complain, you lament a deprivation or a suffering. In both cases, a duality exists between you and the other, the object of your address. But imagine a state where this distance vanishes; a point where the seeker becomes so close to the Beloved that there is no longer a need to express thanks, nor an opportunity for complaint. Here, there is no dialogue born of separation, but rather a wail born of union, of selflessness, from an existential depth that has witnessed itself annihilated in the ocean of absolute being.

This wail is not a cry of weakness; it is the lament of a seemingly 'frail bird' within whom 'the kingdom of Solomon with its armies' resides. This profound, existential cry does not arise from a remediable loss, but from the realization of pure being. It is this 'piteous wailing' (zār nālidan) where all boundaries collapse, and the seeker's entire being, devoid of the labels of thanks or complaint, reveals itself to existence. And what is the result? 'A tumult falls upon the seven heavens.' This cry, this supplication, possesses such power that it stirs a commotion in the seven heavens—that is, across all levels of existence—drawing the cosmos's attention.

Contrast this with Hafez's perspective. Hafez, though a connoisseur of love, says: 'From that heart-cherishing Beloved of mine, there is thanks along with complaint / If you are a discerning one of love, listen well to this tale.' Hafez remains within the realms of both thanks and complaint, considering both legitimate. But Rumi transcends even this. He says that the wail that shakes existence is one without thanks or complaint. This signifies two distinct experiences of love and two differing gnostic perspectives, both valuable in their own right, but whose paths diverge at their summit. Rumi, here, reveals the station of fanā (annihilation), where the self of the seeker is so thoroughly dissolved that no grateful or complaining agent remains, but only a pure lament erupts from the core of being.

Key takeaways

• This verse describes the apex of spiritual realization, where the seeker transcends the duality of gratitude and complaint.
• Both thanks and complaint imply distance; at the station of union, this distance dissolves.
• The mystic's wail at this stage is not a sign of weakness but the deepest expression of their existential reality.
• This cry possesses such power that it shakes existence and creates a tumult throughout the seven heavens.
• Rumi, in this state, belongs to a unique category of thinkers who are neither thankful nor complaining.