M6:2303 — رسته چون یونس ز معدهٔ آن نهنگ / منتشر گردیم اندر بو و رنگ

Translation: Like Yunus, released from the whale's belly, / We scatter ourselves into scent and color (the world of senses). Meaning: This couplet compares our daily emergence from the unconscious disaggregation of sleep back into conscious life and the sensory world, to the prophet Yunus's liberation from the belly of the whale.

This couplet follows a profoundly deep and philosophical imagery by Mawlana, where night is depicted as a 'whale' that swallows us each evening, holding us within its belly. Yet, this act of being swallowed is not terrifying; it is an essence of grace. I have previously explained, drawing parallels with Kant and 20th-century positivists, how our insistence on identity and the continuity of cause behind a curtain is merely an assumption; we remain unaware of what truly transpires beyond the veil of our senses. Mawlana, with this very perspective, masterfully describes our state in sleep. In slumber, our 'tadbir va farhang' (intellect and acquired identity), like a ship, drowns in the water. 'Neither I remain, nor that skill of mine'; neither our self nor our faculties persist. Our body lies inert, like a lifeless corpse.

It is here that the verse in question emerges: 'This whale vomits forth what it has consumed / Like Yunus, released from that whale's belly / We scatter ourselves into scent and color.' After the night passes, with the sunrise and awakening, this great whale of night 'vomits' us out. Just as Yunus was freed from the fish's belly, we too emerge from the whale's stomach. 'Scent and color' (بو و رنگ) here denote the world of senses, the natural realm, and material engagements. We scatter ourselves again into this perceptible world, meaning we return to our daily identities, regain our consciousness, and become immersed in sensory activities and perceptions. This is a daily re-creation; it is as if we are born anew each morning.

However, this whale of night, despite swallowing us, is benevolent. Mawlana states: 'Humans, like Yunus, become glorifiers / For in that darkness, they found profound comfort.' People, upon waking, begin to praise God, for in the darkness and engulfment of night, they found ease and tranquility. This night, which he calls 'layl-i wahsh' (a terrifying night), is simultaneously a 'ganj-i rahmat' (treasure of grace). Sleep is an opportunity for rejuvenation; 'sharp eyes, fresh ears, a light body' are the products of this immersion in darkness and peace. Night is described as 'like a whale, dhu’l-hubuk' (ذوالحبک), an allusion to the Quran ('and the heaven, dhu’l-hubuk,' Q 51:7), meaning a whale with diverse paths and dimensions, which appears both fearsome and life-giving.

This parable of Mawlana carries an anti-existentialist message. Night and its darkness do not signify 'tanhāʾī' (loneliness or abandonment), but 'juda'ī' (separation). There is a difference between being alone and being separated. In separation, there is someone from whom we have separated and to whom we will return; but in loneliness, there was never anyone to leave or to return. In Mawlana's universe, we are never 'alone'; even in the darkest nights and within the whale's belly, God is with us. 'We shall not flee, with a helper such as You.' When someone like You is our helper, we no longer fear any darkness or terror, for we know that within its formidable appearance, grace and comfort are hidden. This perspective eradicates the fear of taking risks and venturing into the unknown, planting tranquility in the heart of darkness, reliant on God's perpetual presence.

Key takeaways

• Daily awakening is a return from the temporary nocturnal loss of identity to the world of consciousness and senses; a Jonah-like liberation from the whale of night.
• Night and sleep represent a disaggregation of causality and the daily 'self,' leading to a daily re-creation of our identity and capabilities.
• The phrase 'scent and color' (بو و رنگ) in this verse signifies our return to the material and experiential world, re-entering the realm of senses and activity.
• The whale of night, despite swallowing us, symbolizes grace and rejuvenation; it grants us peace in its darkness so we may awaken with sharp eyes and a light body.
• The experience of night is a 'separation' (juda'ī), not 'loneliness' (tanhā'ī); for God's presence throughout this journey dispels the fear of terror and being abandoned.