M6:743 — می‌رود چون زندگان بر خاکدان / مرده و جانش شده بر آسمان

Translation: He walks on the dust-heap like the living, [yet he is] dead, and his soul has gone to the sky. Meaning: This verse portrays an individual whose physical body is active in the earthly realm, but whose soul has detached from worldly concerns, having already ascended to and settled in the celestial domain.

Here, Rumi alludes to a profound narrative found in Sunni traditions, where the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is reported to have said: 'If anyone wishes to see a dead person walking alive on the earth, let him look at Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.' This expression, beyond its literal surface, unveils a deep spiritual truth. Rumi expands on this concept, stating: 'He walks on the dust-heap like the living, [yet he is] dead, and his soul has gone to the sky.'

This mirrors the description by Imam Ali (AS) in Nahj al-Balagha, concerning the divine saints, where he tells Kumayl: 'Their souls are attached to the highest assembly (al-mala' al-a'la).' This signifies that, though their bodies reside among people on earth, their spirits are bound to the celestial heavens. This is what I refer to as a 'dual life,' a concept I have previously explored as the 'meaning of life.' For individuals living such a dual existence, their lives are not mere empty narratives, but rich tapestries woven with profound meaning and depth.

This mystic is, in essence, 'dead' to worldly life; its attachments, anxieties, and limitations no longer hold sway over them. Yet, simultaneously, they are 'alive' with a transcendent, spiritual vitality inextricably linked to the higher realms. This state is such that, as Rumi articulates: 'His soul, at this very moment, has a dwelling in the heights; if he dies, his spirit has no transfer.' His soul is already in the higher realm, thus, upon physical death, there is no need for it to 'transfer' to another world, as it has already settled there. This 'pre-mortem transference' is an understanding that 'comes by death, not by intellect.' It is an intuitive, inner realization that becomes fully manifest with the dissolution of the body and the lifting of veils, an insight that mere rational faculty cannot fully grasp.

Key takeaways

• "Voluntary Death": The body is on earth, but the soul has already ascended to the higher realm.
• The Dual Life: The mystic lives with two lives; one outwardly in the world, the other inwardly in the heavens.
• Meaningful Existence: This duality bestows upon life a meaning and depth beyond mere physical being.
• "Pre-Mortem Transference": The soul requires no transfer after physical death, as it has already settled in the celestial realm.
• Experiential Understanding: This truth is grasped not by intellect, but through a deep, inner experience, sometimes only perfected through complete spiritual death.