M6:1187 — هم‌چو من که بر هوا راکب شدم / در شب معراج مستصحب شدم

Translation: Like me, who became a rider upon the air, / In the night of Mi'raj, I became a companion (of the Truth). Meaning: In this verse, Rumi speaks of his own spiritual ascent, asserting that, like the prophets before him, his profound certainty enabled him to soar through the air and attain companionship with the Divine during his mystical journey.

This verse appears within a narrative where Rumi recounts a dream attributed to Hilal, in which the sun rises from his mouth. Rumi then links this metaphor to Jesus's miracle of walking on water and subsequently quotes a Prophetic tradition stating that if Jesus's certainty (yāqīn) had been greater, he would have walked on air. Rumi immediately connects this to his own experience, stating: "Like me, who became a rider upon the air." This is a remarkably bold and explicit claim, placing Rumi on par with prophets and great saints who, through perfect certainty, have transcended the laws of the material world. This is not arrogance, but an articulation of his sublime mystical station; a station attained only through profound, unwavering yāqīn.

I strongly contend that the core of this verse lies in the concept of yāqīn. Certainty, here, is not merely a mental belief; it is a cognitive presence and experience that encompasses the entire being of the mystic. One who is in a state of complete certainty is no longer bound by the 'hows' and 'causalities' of the mundane world, but rather enters the realm of 'how-lessness' (bī-chūnī). Walking on air is not merely a physical miracle; it is a symbol of the soul's triumph over the body and matter—an indication that when the human soul reaches its zenith, it is liberated from the constraints of the physical form and can command it. This is precisely where "the transcendent becomes naturalized" (māvarā-ye ṭabīʿat ṭabīʿī mī-shavad).

The phrase "In the night of Mi'raj, I became a companion (of the Truth)" (dar shab-e Mi'raj mustaṣḥab shodam) is also deeply significant. The Mi'raj represents the pinnacle of spiritual journey, a celestial ascent towards ultimate Reality, with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as its supreme archetype. Rumi's assertion that he became mustaṣḥab—a companion, taken into the presence of (the Truth)—during this journey, signifies reaching the station of annihilation in God (fanā fī Allah) and subsistence through God (baqā bi Allah). This is not merely a journey from one point to another, but an entry into the divine sanctuary and an experience of profound, unmediated union. This 'union' (woṣāl) and 'certainty' (yāqīn) are the rare commodities that Rumi promises to lead his readers to through the Mathnawi. This station is where the soul becomes the essence and the body a mere derivative, as he says elsewhere: "The forms of the world are but the foam of the sea / Pass beyond the foam if you are of the pure." In this verse, Rumi offers us a glimpse into the zenith of his own soul's purity, where the peak of certainty, the apex of Mi'raj, and the deepest companionship with the Truth are all condensed into a single, potent expression.

Key takeaways

• True certainty liberates one from material constraints, enabling mastery over them.
• The Mi'raj symbolizes the soul's ultimate journey into the Divine Presence—not mere physical travel, but unmediated union and proximity.
• Through this bold claim, Rumi aligns his own spiritual experience with that of the prophets and great saints.
• To be 'mustaṣḥab' signifies attaining divine companionship and proximity, an experience of annihilation in God.
• The ability to ride on air symbolizes the soul's triumph over the body and the material world, stemming from absolute certainty.