M6:1081 — از زمینم بر کشید او بر سما / همره او گشته بودم ز ارتقا

Translation: He lifted me from the earth to the heavens; Through this elevation, I had become his companion. Meaning: This verse describes a mystical dream where a spiritual sun or guide elevates the dreamer from the earthly realm to the celestial spheres, bestowing spiritual ascent and companionship.

This verse, attributed to Abu Bakr in his dialogue with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is in truth an exposition of a profound dream, one that Mawlana reconstructs and which, I contend, has roots in his own spiritual experiences. Abu Bakr recounts seeing a sun in his dream that speaks to him, pulls him from the earth to the heavens, and makes him its companion.

I have often remarked that Mawlana is not merely a storyteller; rather, he considers stories to be the 'report of his own present state' (naqd-i hāl). Here too, this dream is a reflection of Mawlana's own condition, articulating a truth about the seeker's journey and the role of the perfect spiritual guide. The 'elevation' (erteqa) mentioned is not merely a spatial ascent; it is an existential and spiritual sublimation, occurring under the grace of a divine 'Sun' (Shams) or 'Lamp' (Misbāh). This is precisely the transformation Abu Bakr experiences in the Prophet's presence, and what Mawlana himself found in Shams-e Tabrizi. This sun, this perfect guide, liberates the seeker from delusion, imagination, and the limitations of the earthly realm, drawing him into the boundless expanse of intuition and transcendence—a place where every impossible thing becomes the very 'present reality' (hāl).

Recall Abu Bakr's words: 'I said, this was melancholy and impossible; can an impossible thing ever become a description of one's state?' In his youth, he sees this dream and dismisses it as makhūliyā (melancholy or madness) or something unattainable. However, upon encountering the Prophet, he realizes that the dream was indeed the truth and a description of his future state, now materialized. This is precisely the essence of gnostic transformation: what seemed impossible in the realm of conjecture and imagination becomes actualized and possible in the shadow of the Divine Friend's presence. The seeker understands that 'when I saw you, I saw myself'—that is, in the mirror of the guide, he perceives his own higher, transcendent self. This is an instance of 'becoming more oneself' (khod-tar shodan), a concept I have frequently emphasized; the seeker, in servitude, becomes truly free and approaches his existential perfection.

This experience of being 'lifted from the earth to the heavens' is not merely an individual dream, but an allegory for the ascending journey of the human soul towards God. Every soul that breathes in this earthly world is an exile, longing to return to its origin. This 'lifting' to the heavens is a reminder of the journey from alienation (ghurbat) towards the true homeland. Just as the reed is cut from the reed-bed (neyestān) and both men and women wail in its lament, so too is humanity severed from the realm of meaning, yearning for return to its root. This verse promises precisely this return and elevation—an elevation that ultimately leads to union (vosūl) and certainty (yaqīn), carrying the seeker from the realm of 'separation' (jodā'i) to the sphere of 'union' (vasl). This is stepping onto a path where 'effacement is needed, not grammar' (maḥw mībāyad naḥw); a path where the lover's soul is liberated from forms and molds, returning to its formless origin.

Key takeaways

• This verse narrates Abu Bakr's mystical dream, which Mawlana considers a 'report of his own present state.'
• The 'elevation' (erteqa) signifies an existential and spiritual ascent, not merely a physical one.
• A perfect spiritual guide (like the sun) liberates the seeker from material limitations and guides them to intuition.
• What seemed impossible in the realm of imagination becomes actualized through the presence of a Divine Friend.
• In the mirror of the guide, the seeker finds their 'higher self' and approaches their existential perfection.
• Being 'lifted from earth to heaven' symbolizes the exiled human soul's return to its true homeland.