M6:890 — می‌زد اندر آفتابش او به خار / او احد می‌گفت بهر افتخار

Translation: His master would strike him in the sun with a thorny whip, While he would say "Ahad" out of pure honor. Meaning: This verse depicts Bilal being tortured by his master, who whips him with thorns under the scorching sun. Instead of crying out in pain or complaint, Bilal defiantly declares "Ahad" (The One God) as an act of profound honor and love.

I contend, without a doubt, that this verse represents the pinnacle of love's manifestation; it is the ultimate expression of a truth that Mevlana repeatedly emphasized. The story of Bilal of Habash, a slave who embraced the call of the Prophet (PBUH) and endured the most severe tortures for his Beloved, finds no more eloquent depiction. His idolatrous master, in the scorching heat of Hijaz, would strike Bilal with thorny whips; these were harsh physical torments. However, Mevlana points to a crucial detail that unlocks the meaning of this scene: Bilal does not cry out in pain or ask for help; instead, "he would say Ahad out of pure honor (iftikhār)."

This 'honor' that Mevlana speaks of is not worldly pride; it is the honor of a lover who, when faced with threat and torture, proclaims the name of the Beloved aloud. Bilal, at this moment, involuntarily and without conscious intent, utters the name of God from the depths of his being, for his soul was brimming with love. Here, there is no longer any room for the pain of the thorny whip. As Mevlana states: "No effort to ward off the pain of the thorn was useful (madkhal nabūd)." Striving to alleviate these pains becomes irrelevant, because Bilal's entire being is saturated with the pain of love. The pain of love has made all other pains and sufferings easy for him.

The word "Ahad" for Bilal is not merely a name; it carries "the scent of familiarity (būy-i āshnā)." It is like hearing the name of an old friend from whom one has been separated, and upon hearing it again, one is overcome with ecstasy. This indicates the innate and internal nature of this love and this name. The name was not unknown to him, but rooted in his very being.

Mevlana places Bilal alongside other figures such as Pharaoh's sorcerers and Jirjis (Saint George); these are all lovers who gave their lives for the Beloved and never turned their backs. Bilal's act is, in essence, the manifestation of 'sacrificing one's body to the thorn,' not out of weakness or surrender, but out of the strength of love and honor for the Beloved. It is here that we see how complaint and grievance against the world and its hardships have no place in Mevlana's school of love; Bilal neither complains nor seeks gratitude; he simply utters "Ahad" in the fire of love, and this is the zenith of his station.

Key takeaways

• Love makes all physical pains easy and inconsequential for the lover.
• Bilal's cry of "Ahad" expresses the honor of a lover, not a complaint against torture.
• The name of the Beloved is innate and familiar to the lover; hearing it brings ecstasy and joy.
• The highest station of a lover is to endure suffering for the Beloved without thanks or complaint.
• Bilal symbolizes the steadfastness of lovers in the face of torture and their unwavering devotion to the Beloved.