M6:1080 — خوابها می‌دید جانم در شباب / که سلامم کرد قرص آفتاب

Translation: My soul, in its youth, used to see dreams, In which the disk of the sun would greet me. Meaning: Speaking through the voice of Abu Bakr, Rumi recounts dreams from his youth where the sun itself would greet him, symbolizing a glorious spiritual destiny awaiting him.

This verse speaks of youthful dreams, which Rumi—and I too believe this to be the case—articulates through the voice of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq. It is characteristic of Rumi to narrate his inner states and personal experiences, not directly, but by attributing them to others; he reconstructs dialogues that are not historically documented, yet are very much naqd-i ḥāl (a direct account of his own present condition). In this dream, the soul, in its youth (shabāb), repeatedly witnesses a scene where the sun approaches it and offers a greeting. This is a profound and symbolic dream of high spiritual fortune and a brilliant future. The light of the sun, in mystical wisdom, has always been a symbol of the divine essence, truth, or a prophet who reflects the light of God. The sun's greeting to the young soul is an intimation of special attention and grace from a transcendent being or a great truth awaiting this seeker. In the verses that follow, Rumi, speaking through Abu Bakr, explains that prior to encountering the Prophet, he considered this dream to be impossible or a “maḵhuliyā”—a state of melancholy or madness that lies outside the realm of reality. However, upon being confronted by the illuminating presence of the Prophet (and, in reality, the light of Shams-i Tabrīzī for Rumi himself), that impossible state transforms into reality: “When I saw you, my impossible became possible / My soul became immersed in glory.” This means that the distant and unimaginable vision finds its realization with the appearance of the perfect and complete being of the Prophet, and the soul becomes immersed in splendor and majesty. At this stage, the dream's sun no longer shines: “The light of this sun fell from my eyes,” because a greater, more complete light has overshadowed the sun. This precisely conveys the meaning I have previously discussed concerning Rumi's sacred jealousy towards the name of the Beloved: sometimes the Beloved is called the “sun” to protect their true name from everyone; but once the Beloved themselves appears, no sun or moon can take their place. This verse is a manifestation of a fundamental truth in mysticism: the journey from symbol to reality. The soul initially perceives truth in the form of a symbol like the sun, but after spiritual journeying and attainment, truth itself appears, and the symbol fades. This is not just a personal dream but an allegory for the path of every seeker who, at the beginning, witnesses hidden promises and symbolic revelations, and with progress in the journey, apprehends those promises directly and manifestly.

Key takeaways

• Rumi narrates his inner states through the voices of others; Abu Bakr's dream here reflects Rumi's own spiritual condition.
• The sun's greeting to the young soul symbolizes high fortune and divine attention to the seeker.
• The 'impossible' dream of youth transforms into 'reality' upon encountering truth and the 'perfect light' of the Prophet (or Shams-i Tabrīzī).
• A greater light eclipses a lesser light (the sun); when the essence is revealed, the symbol loses its distinct charm.
• This verse illustrates the mystical journey from symbolic dreams to the tangible realization of spiritual truths.