M6:1088 — یوسفی جستم لطیف و سیم تن / یوسفستانی بدیدم در تو من

Translation: I sought a Joseph, graceful and silver-bodied; In you, I beheld a Joseph-land (Yūsufestān).

Meaning: In praise of the Prophet, Abu Bakr expresses that he was searching for a single, ideal Joseph, a symbol of ultimate beauty. However, in the Prophet's being, he discovered not just one Joseph, but a vast 'Joseph-land' (Yūsufestān), an abundance of sublime beauty and perfection.

This couplet continues Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq's eulogy of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); a eulogy that Mawlana, of course, puts into Abu Bakr's mouth, for 'it is sweeter when others' secrets / are told in others' narratives.' Earlier, Abu Bakr narrates a dream he frequently experienced in his youth: the sun greeted him and carried him from earth to the heavens. He initially dismissed this dream as mākhūliyā (melancholia or impossible delusion).

However, Abu Bakr explains that upon encountering the Prophet, the impossible became real: 'When I saw you, my impossible became real / My soul became immersed in splendor.' This means that through his encounter with the Prophet, his improbable dreams were fulfilled, and his spirit became submerged in grandeur. The Prophet's radiance was such that the ordinary sun lost its significance in his eyes: 'When I saw you, O Soul of lands / The sun's love fell from my sight.'

In this same vein, Abu Bakr refers to his quest for 'Joseph.' In Islamic culture, Joseph is a symbol of unparalleled beauty, purity, and spiritual perfection, whose story in the Quran serves as both a lesson and a source of beauty. Abu Bakr states he sought such perfection—a consummate Joseph: 'I sought a Joseph, graceful and silver-bodied,' delicate in nature and silver-bodied in form. Yet, what he found in the Prophet's being far surpassed a single Joseph. He found a Yūsufestān.

The term Yūsufestān (Joseph-land) is one of Mawlana's most brilliant and unique coinages. It signifies a land, a garden, or a place brimming with Josephs, as if countless Josephs have gathered there. This is not merely a symbol of the Prophet's ultimate beauty and grace, but also points to the abundance, multiplicity, and infinity of his perfections. A single Joseph is but one example; a Yūsufestān signifies the manifestation of all Josephs and all beauties within one being. This coinage presents the Prophet as the source and spring of all worldly beauties and perfections.

I myself, as I have mentioned before, have employed this exhilarating phrase in my own poetry, precisely because its power in describing absolute perfection is unparalleled. This is not merely a description; it is an indication of the truth that whatever perfection you seek, you will find a manifestation of it in that 'Absolute Soul' and 'Soul of lands.' Any 'paradise' or 'houri' you search for, a glimpse of it will be found 'from every part of you.'

Key takeaways

• The couplet expresses Mawlana's own sentiments of praise for the Prophet through the voice of Abu Bakr, a common narrative device in the Masnavi.
• The term Yūsufestān is Mawlana's unique coinage, signifying a land overflowing with Joseph-like beauty and perfection, symbolizing the Prophet's infinite completeness.
• Encountering the Prophet is transformative, turning past impossibilities into realities and giving form to dreams.
• Joseph, in this context, symbolizes beauty, grace, and spiritual perfection, which manifest in countless forms within the Prophet's being.
• The Prophet's perfections transcend any single example; he is the comprehensive and boundless manifestation of all beauty and virtue.