M6:1912 — تو بخوان آن را به خود در خلوتی / هین مجو در خواندن آن شرکتی

Translation: You read it to yourself, in solitude; Beware! Seek no partnership in reading it. Meaning: This couplet conveys a mystical instruction that spiritual messages and inner unveilings must be received and pondered in one's own solitude, without the involvement or partnership of others. The act of reading and understanding this secret is a deeply individual and unshared experience.

In this couplet, Mevlana, speaking through a hātif (a divine voice) encountered in a vāqe'a (a state I define as a true, infallible spiritual unveiling, far beyond a mere dream), conveys a profoundly significant instruction to a Sufi. This vāqe'a, unlike ordinary dreams, emanates from a pure inner self, untainted by lust or desire. Consequently, everything the Sufi perceives and hears within it is pure truth, untouched by satanic interference.

The instruction is for the Sufi to find a specific 'paper scrap' (ruqʿa) among the parchments of a bookseller (varrāq). However, the crucial and deep point lies in how this knowledge is to be approached: "You read it to yourself, in solitude; beware, seek no partnership in reading it." This is not merely advice, but a definitive command. One must approach it clandestinely, seize it, and read it in utter privacy and seclusion, without anyone else seeing it. As we say today, it is not to be 'shared' or entered into a 'partnership' with. This is your 'provision' (rizq), uniquely ordained for you. Even if, by chance, its secret is revealed, no one else will benefit from it, for it is your destined share, and it cannot be transferred to another.

This instruction underscores the intensely personal and individual nature of mystical experiences. True gnosis and the attainment of certainty (yaqin) is a process that cannot be fully achieved collectively or through 'partnership' with others. As I have stated before, inner knowledge and self-knowledge (khishtan-shenāsi), which Mevlana considers the 'root of the root of the root of religion,' is only possible in solitude and by turning inward. This is the 'unmediated connection' (wasl-e bi-vāseta) that the mystic establishes with the essence of truth; a relationship so intimate and unveiled that it tolerates no other presence, considering any partnership an impediment. This demonstrates that the spiritual journey, though it may begin with external promptings, ultimately culminates in the sanctuary of the heart, where each individual stands alone with their own truth and their Lord.

Key takeaways

• Genuine spiritual unveilings (vāqe'a) originate from a pure source and are revealed to purified hearts.
• The reception of divine and mystical truth is a profoundly individual experience that must occur in inner solitude.
• Spiritual secrets cannot be 'shared' like conventional knowledge; each person must seek them personally.
• Each individual's spiritual provision (rizq) is unique to them; even if revealed, others cannot benefit from it.
• To achieve certainty and unmediated contact with truth, withdrawal from external distractions and recourse to the heart's privacy is essential.