M1:316 — نه چنان حیران که پشتش سوی اوست / بل چنان حیران و غرق و مَستِ دوست

Translation: Not such bewilderment as turns its back on Him, But such bewilderment as is immersed and drunk with the Friend. Meaning: Rumi distinguishes between two kinds of perplexity (hayrat): one stemming from ignorance or turning away, and another, true mystical perplexity, which arises from being utterly absorbed and intoxicated by the Beloved.

Rumi, in this beyt and the preceding ones, charts the spiritual path from Shari'at (sacred law) to Tariqat (the mystical path) and from Tariqat to Haqiqat (ultimate reality). He first explains that fiqh prepares the ground for Tariqat, much like a bathhouse built for cleansing, not merely for hauling refuse. Tariqat in turn is a channel, a pathway, to reaching Haqiqat. But what is Haqiqat? Rumi introduces the pivotal concept of hayrat (bewilderment or perplexity) to articulate this ultimate reality.

I must emphasize that terms like hayrat, shakk (doubt), yaqin (certainty), taraddud (hesitation), and iman (faith) are fundamental to the lexicon of the Masnavi. The truth of religion cannot be confined within rigid ideological frameworks, for ideologies tend to paint the world in black and white, presenting simplistic paths for life. But religion is far richer than these frameworks can contain. Truth always embodies diversity, variation, and a spectrum of colors. It is precisely for this reason that the work of religion is "none but hayrat."

However, Rumi here makes a crucial distinction between different kinds of hayrat. Hayrat, at first glance, might imply confusion, ignorance, or not knowing, but this interpretation is superficial and inadequate. Rumi explicitly states: "Not such bewilderment as turns its back on Him." This means that the hayrat he speaks of is not one born of indifference or oversight. One who turns their back on the Beloved is, in fact, oblivious to Him and is not bewildered. This is the hayrat of ignorance, of being lost.

The true and religious hayrat is one that faces the Friend: "But such bewilderment as is immersed and drunk with the Friend." This hayrat is the hayrat of knowledge, the hayrat of presence. In this state, the seeker is not overwhelmed by not knowing, but by the intensity of the Beloved's presence and radiance. They become so immersed in the sea of the Friend that they lose themselves, becoming intoxicated by that presence. This state of perplexity arises not from a lack of knowledge, but from the perfection of vision and the increasing splendor of divine beauty. As he states, "One's face is turned towards the Friend, and the other's face is the Friend's face." This means ordinary seekers turn towards God, but the Saints (awliya) are themselves the "Face of God" (wajh-Allah), and their very countenance is the face of the Friend. This existential hayrat is the complete outcome of being fully open to the Divine. Such hayrat does not steal peace; rather, it brings a peace deeper than any other, a peace that contains within it longing and immersion. In essence, this hayrat is the pinnacle of spiritual knowledge and direct vision.

Key takeaways

• Bewilderment (hayrat) is the true essence of religion, not mere confusion or ignorance.
• Rumi distinguishes between two types of hayrat: one stemming from ignorance (turning one's back on the Beloved) and the other, mystical hayrat (facing the Beloved).
• Positive hayrat results from utter immersion and intoxication in the Beloved's boundless presence.
• This hayrat arises from the perfection of spiritual vision, not from a lack of knowledge.
• This state brings the seeker closer to the station of wajh-Allah, where the seeker's face becomes the Beloved's face.