M6:1063 — مصطفی‌اش در کنار خود کشید / کس چه داند بخششی کو را رسید

Translation: Mustafa drew him close to his side; / Who knows what bounty reached him? Meaning: This verse depicts the moment the Holy Prophet compassionately embraces Bilal, emphasizing that the profound depth and magnitude of this divine grace and bestowal are beyond human comprehension or description.

This verse narrates a deeply moving and spiritually charged scene: Bilal, emaciated and frail from the torment of torture, resembling a mere toothpick, faints upon seeing the blessed face of the Prophet. The Holy Prophet, in an act of supreme compassion and tenderness, draws him close to his side. This 'drawing close' is not merely a physical gesture; here, Rumi speaks of a profounder bond, an existential empathy, and an immediate, unmediated transmission of divine grace.

I firmly believe that the 'bounty' (bakhshish) that reached Bilal was a gift beyond words. The Prophet (PBUH) did not utter specific words to him at that moment, but rather 'empathized' (ham-deli) with him. This empathy is a silent miracle, to which Rumi alludes elsewhere (d6-s22 [01:51:32]): 'Those words the Prophet spoke at that moment / If they struck the night, it would emerge from night's obscurity.' This indicates that such a word or state emanated from the Prophet that, had it touched the dark night, the night would shed its darkness and become as bright as day. This signifies that the Prophet's bounty transcended mere language and exerted a profound effect upon existence itself. Thus, the phrase 'Who knows what bounty reached him?' is entirely apt; it is impossible to know what gift God bestowed upon Bilal. Can it be expressed? Can it be truly known? It is a bounty that settled upon Bilal's soul from the realm of the Placeless, the Unconditioned, and the Immediate.

Indeed, Rumi himself ardently yearns for such a moment. His profound passion and devotion to the Prophet (PBUH) are undeniable. He places himself in Bilal's shoes, expressing a burning desire: 'Would that I were by Mustafa's side, would that I were a black slave, would that I were the one who fainted at the sight of the Prophet, and he would take my hand and speak secrets into my ear.' Rumi's longing stems from his understanding that proximity to the Prophet transforms the base metal of the heart into pure gold. This is what he himself states elsewhere (d6-s22 [01:47:55]) in addressing Ali (AS): 'From you it shone on me, since you keep it hidden.' The Prophet shines upon Ali, and Ali upon Rumi. This shining and radiating is the unmediated transmission of divine lights, which also reached Bilal.

Rumi employs various metaphors to convey the magnitude of this bounty, drawing the mind towards an understanding of this ineffable gift: he likens Bilal's state to 'copper touched by the elixir'; like 'a pauper who struck a profitable treasure'; or 'a withered fish that fell back into the sea'; and like 'a lost caravan that found guidance.' In all these examples, a monumental, transformative, and salvific change occurs, overturning all of existence. Bilal, through that companionship and empathy with the Prophet (PBUH), transcends his identity as a suffering slave and attains a station of presence and proximity where no longer bodily pain, but the sweetness of union, encompasses his entire being.

Key takeaways

• The bounty bestowed upon Bilal transcends words and human description; it is a grace transmitted only through presence and unmediated empathy.
• Rumi, in this and similar verses, places himself in the shoes of the Prophet's companions, expressing a longing for physical presence alongside the Prophet during moments of spiritual ecstasy.
• This spiritual companionship, like an elixir, transforms the copper of existence into pure gold, elevating one from despair and suffering to a state of union and sweetness.
• The essence of the Prophet's (PBUH) gift to Bilal was a profound, existential 'empathy' (ham-deli) that left a tremendous impact on his soul, rather than mere words or promises.