M6:1185 — هم‌چو عیسی بر سرش گیرد فرات / که ایمنی از غرقه در آب حیات

Translation: The river bears him on its head, like Jesus, As you are safe from drowning in the Water of Life. Meaning: This verse describes the seeker who is so completely immersed in divine grace that fear of annihilation vanishes; instead, the Water of Life lifts and immortalizes him, just as Jesus walked upon water.

This verse paints a sublime picture of a safe and exalting immersion in divine grace. Here, Rumi describes the state of the thirsty seeker who, having initially sought but a muddy drop to quench his thirst, is suddenly overwhelmed by such an abundance of water that it lifts him from the ground and carries him along. This is no mere thirst-quenching; it is a profound transformation and ascent. This experience transcends simple relief from thirst; the river, here “Furāt” (meaning a flowing, abundant river), itself lifts him and, as Rumi puts it, “bears him on its head.” This immersion is not a source of destruction, but rather the very essence of safety and immortality, for this is the “Water of Life” (Āb-e Ḥayāt). This is the water that is eternal and everlasting, and whoever partakes of it shall live eternally. The analogy to Jesus (PBUH) is key in this verse. Jesus, who by divine power walked upon water and did not drown, here symbolizes the seeker who, at the peak of immersion in the ocean of divine meanings and bounties, not only avoids annihilation but becomes a means of permanence and exaltation. It is as if the water itself carries him on its shoulders like a sacred being, telling him: “Now you possess absolute security; you are immersed in eternal life within the Water of Life.” The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also stated in a narration—whose authenticity is debated, yet Rumi relies on it—that if Jesus’s certainty (yaqin) had been greater, he would have walked on air. This narration indicates that walking on water is itself a manifestation of a high degree of yaqin, and Rumi sees this certainty actualized in the seeker immersed in the Water of Life. In this image, Rumi inverts the conventional fear of drowning. Immersion here does not signify the annihilation of individual existence, but rather liberation from limited being and union with infinite being. This is a formal annihilation for true permanence; perishing in the Water of Life to attain eternal life. This is a kind of “swimming” in the sea of knowledge, as I have previously noted, but this time not an active swimming, but rather being “carried” by the sea itself. This illustrates Rumi’s characteristic fervor and lightness of spirit, which transforms even death and annihilation, under the shadow of divine love and grace, into a source of life and flight.

Key takeaways

• A metaphor for absolute safety within divine grace and the abundance of divine mercy that transforms thirst into immersion in eternal life.
• The manifestation of certainty (yaqin) and immersion in the Water of Life, symbolizing the seeker's profound connection with ultimate reality.
• The analogy to Jesus walking on water, representing spiritual power and immunity to drowning when facing the boundless divine ocean.
• Fearlessness in being absorbed by the ocean of Truth; rather, experiencing permanence and immortality at the peak of annihilation.
• An image of the transformation of limited being into infinite being through immersion in divine grace.