M6:1183 — گفت چون باشد خود آن شوریده‌خواب / که در آید در دهانش آفتاب‌؟

Translation: He said: "How could that bewildered sleeper be, / From whose mouth the sun has entered?" Meaning: This rhetorical verse speaks of a humble, unknown servant of God (Helal) who, in a bewildering dream-like state, experiences the sun of truth entering his mouth—a profound symbol of inner illumination that transforms his entire being and speech.

Mowlana, as I contend, speaks with utmost love in this verse from the story of "Helal," the sincere and insightful servant. Without a doubt, "Helal" in this narrative represents Mowlana himself; an archetype of a hidden mystic, bearing a radiant jewel within, whose true essence remains unknown to the world. The question, "He said: How could that bewildered sleeper be, / From whose mouth the sun has entered?" is not a query for information, but an expression of awe at the depth and grandeur of this spiritual event.

The phrase "bewildered sleeper" (شوریده‌خواب) carries a subtle nuance; it is as if this chosen servant, in a state between sleep and wakefulness, or more precisely, in an unconventional state of awareness, directly receives the sun of truth into his very being through his mouth. This entry of the sun into the mouth signifies the illumination of the soul, and the radiance of one's speech and conduct. Such a manifestation is, undoubtedly, one of those "impossibilities" (محالات) that become "realities" (حال) for the saints of God; meaning it transcends the realm of possibility and enters the domain of actualization. The individual's speech becomes luminous, their behavior radiant, and their entire being illuminated. This can be interpreted as the opening of the inner eye (عین القلب), which God describes by saying: "When God desires good for a servant, He opens the two eyes of their heart so that through them they may perceive the unseen."

The key distinction of this "bewildered sleeper" from similar experiences lies in its contrast with Hafez's experience. Hafez, in a famous ghazal, says: "O interpreter, give good tidings, for last night the sun / In the sweet morning sleep, fell into my chamber." Hafez speaks of the sun entering his room. But Mowlana, here, says the sun entered Helal's mouth. This is a profound and decisive difference between the sun entering an "external space" (the room) and entering the "inner core of being" (the mouth). The latter signifies a fundamental transformation in the very essence and substance of the person; not merely the illumination of the surroundings, but the illumination of the source of speech and the penetration of light into the depths of existence.

Helal, this servant, is outwardly a "sais" (stableman), and his master, though a Muslim, is "blind" (چشم بسته); meaning he lacks the insight to recognize the hidden jewel within him. This is an analogy for the reality that many saints of God and possessors of insight have lived in obscurity and humility, and the outwardly focused eye is incapable of perceiving the depth of their being. Just like Luqman and Joseph, whose worth was unrecognized during their servitude and imprisonment. This is the "hidden jewel" that the Prophet, later in Helal's story, addresses as "stranger of the throne." This verse, in essence, conveys that for Mowlana, truth manifests from the unseen world, directly and fully, within the being of the gnostic human, utterly transforming their existence, even if they themselves are initially bewildered by the magnitude of this change.

Key takeaways

• This verse describes a radical and internal spiritual transformation, symbolized by the sun entering one's mouth.
• Mowlana, through the character of Helal, portrays himself as a humble servant granted direct divine manifestation.
• The sun entering the mouth signifies a fundamental transformation of speech and being, not merely external knowledge.
• This internal, transformative experience is profoundly distinct from an external manifestation of the sun in a room (as seen in Hafez).
• True spiritual greatness often resides in the most hidden and humble forms, unseen by superficial eyes.
• The verse illustrates how, from the mystic's perspective, the impossible becomes a tangible reality through divine manifestation.