M6:3082 — اولا بر بست یک چشم و بدید / نور روی او و آن چشمش پرید

Translation: First, she closed one eye and gazed / At the light of his face, and that eye withered. Meaning: When Moses returned from Mount Sinai, his face shone with such divine light that his wife, Safura, tried to glimpse it with one eye, but even that single eye was overwhelmed and lost its sight, symbolizing humanity's inability to bear direct divine manifestation.

This verse, from Book Six of the Masnavi, is embedded in a profound and meaningful narrative: the return of Moses from Mount Sinai, his face resplendent with divine manifestations. Here, Mevlana, with the characteristic subtlety of the mystics, portrays the issue of divine epiphany and humanity's capacity to bear its intensity.

I hold that the entire universe is a mirror reflecting the Divine Beauty. God manifests Himself in these mirrors, and through these manifestations, we can come to know His beauty and attributes. However, this knowing occurs in two ways: one is inferential, through cause and effect, much like inferring fire from smoke. The other, more direct way, is a face-to-face encounter with the Source of Beauty, not through inference, but through direct observation. This observation, however, demands a different kind of eye; an eye that can see the whole in the part, and the immense beauty in small mirrors.

Moses’ wife, Safura, was confronted with this radiant light. Moses’ light was a light originating from the Light of Truth, and ordinary eyes could not bear its sight. We know that Moses himself had to fashion a veil from his own garment to cover his face, lest people be harmed or blinded by the intensity of his light. But in this verse, the story turns to Safura’s test of love and longing. Unable to endure the separation and the veil, she initially, with a lover's caution, opened one eye to gaze upon the light, hoping that if that eye were damaged, the other would remain. Yet, the face that had become the locus of divine effulgence was so penetrating and powerful that even that single eye could not withstand it and 'withered' (parid). This 'withering' of the eye can mean burning out, being blinded, or simply becoming useless from the intense light. At this point, Safura’s patience wanes, and she turns to this 'moon' with her other eye.

This allegory transcends a mere historical narrative. This account, on the one hand, demonstrates the grandeur and penetrative power of divine manifestation; a light so burning and piercing, even through a favored servant, that mortal eyes cannot bear it. On the other hand, it portrays the mystic’s passion and devotion, who in pursuit of union, sacrifices his very being and loses his sight. This is the 'bloody path' of love, as Mevlana describes it, where its adherents must be ready to give their lives.

This tale teaches us that in confronting absolute truth, humanity cannot endure it without inner purification and readiness. Truth, like the sun, shines upon all, but not every eye can bear to look directly at it. We must prepare our 'kindling' (sōkhte), a wick that has previously been intimate with fire, so that we can receive and reflect the light within ourselves. This verse subtly speaks of the struggle between the desire to see and the inability to withstand seeing; a struggle that persists in the heart of every seeker between the urge to lift the veil and the fear of being consumed by the fire of manifestation.

Key takeaways

• The world serves as a mirror for divine beauty, yet perceiving this manifestation requires a special kind of 'eye'.
• The light of Truth is so intense that ordinary eyes cannot bear it and may 'wither' (lose sight).
• Love and longing for union compel one to gaze upon Truth, even if it means sacrificing one's vision.
• Divine manifestation, even through a perfect and beloved human, is so piercing that it necessitates a veil for others.
• This verse symbolizes the inner struggle of the seeker between the desire for unveiling and the fear of being consumed by the fire of gnosis.