M6:1066 — آن خطاباتی که گفت آن دم نبی / گر زند بر شب بر آید از شبی

Translation: Those addresses (utterances) that the Prophet spoke at that moment, Were he to strike them upon night, it would emerge from its night-ness. Meaning: This verse speaks to the infinite power of the Prophet's words and presence, suggesting they could transform even the darkest night into bright day, embodying a divine empathy that transcends mere verbal communication.

This verse emerges from a profound sequence where Rumi expresses his boundless adoration and intense longing for the blessed presence of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Here, Rumi imagines himself in the Prophet's immediate company, much like Bilal, one of the Prophet's devoted companions. He yearns for that unmediated proximity, hoping the Prophet would share his secrets directly. This profound yearning for union signals Rumi's own spiritual station, a station he attributes to the Prophet's 'shining upon Ali' and 'Ali's shining upon Rumi.' Yet, even when immersed in the 'ocean' of divine knowledge, he still 'craves a pitcher of water,' symbolizing an insatiable desire for ever-closer connection.

The verse at hand, M6:1066, culminates this description: “Those addresses (utterances) that the Prophet spoke at that moment / Were he to strike them upon night, it would emerge from its night-ness.” Rumi asks: what did the Prophet utter into Bilal's ear at that moment? What kind of speech was it that, if directed at the darkest night, would liberate night from its essence of darkness and transform it into the light of day? This is not mere poetic exaggeration, but a deep allusion to the transformative power of prophetic speech. These 'addresses,' in my view, were not just conventional 'words'; they were the manifestation of 'empathy' and an unmediated presence that had an ontological effect.

Rumi then extends this concept to God's ṣunʿ (creation and action) in the cosmos. He states: “You know well what the sun, in Aries, / Tells the plants and the unripe dates.” Does the spring sun speak to the uncomprehending plants, to the 'unripe dates,' commanding them to grow and blossom? Yes, it does, but not through conventional, arbitrary language; rather, through an act that is itself the very essence of speech. God's ṣunʿ, His creation and governance of existence, is His 'speaking' to all parts of the world. The ongoing order of the cosmos is itself the divine address, as it has been said: 'The entire world is the sound of His melody.' This is not a speech of 'convention' but of 'reality.' God presses the button of 'Be, and it is,' and the world comes into being; He does not merely issue a disembodied command.

The Prophet, in this context, is the tongue and action of Truth. His words, transcending mere articulation and idiom, are the manifestation of a divine will that inherently alters the nature of things. This is why Rumi explicitly states, immediately after these verses: “I cannot recount that idiom.” Human language is incapable of describing those 'addresses,' for they were not of the nature of 'idiom' or conventional speech, but rather of action and an existence-altering impact. This echoes Rumi's broader emphasis that some truths cannot be 'said'; they must be 'seen' or directly experienced.

Key takeaways

• The Transformative Power of Prophetic Speech: Beyond mere words, the Prophet’s utterances can fundamentally alter the nature of things, turning darkness into light.
• Empathy and Unmediated Presence: The Prophet's 'addresses' to Bilal were not just verbal communications but a profound manifestation of empathy and presence with ontological impact.
• God's Creation as His Speech: Rumi views God's creative and regulative actions in nature (e.g., the sun's effect on plants) as a form of true 'speaking,' not just a conventional command.
• Language's Inability to Describe Truth: Rumi explicitly states that human language is inadequate to fully describe these prophetic 'addresses,' as they transcend conventional 'idiom' and delve into existential effect.