M6:1916 — چون به خویش آمد ز غیبت آن جوان / می‌نگنجید از فرح اندر جهان

Translation: Chun ba khwīsh āmad ze ghaybat ān javān Mī-na-gunjīd az faraḥ andar jahān (When that youth returned to himself from that state of ghaybat (absence/trance), He could not contain himself in the world from joy.) Meaning: This verse describes a spiritual seeker who, after a profound mystical experience or trance, returns to a state of self-awareness, overwhelmed by an immense, boundless joy that makes him feel too vast for the world.

This verse presents a vivid tableau of a profound mystical state: a youth returning to himself from a state of ghaybat. This ghaybat, without doubt, refers to a deep spiritual experience, a trance or mystical unconsciousness in which the seeker is absent from himself and the apparent world. Upon his return from this state, he is so overwhelmed by faraḥ—an expansive joy—that mī-na-gunjīd az faraḥ andar jahān, he could not contain himself in the world. This is the zenith of spiritual felicity and inner expansion, knowing no bounds.

I have said many times that such joy is not superficial, but rather the fruit of profound knowledge. Mowlana himself clarifies later in this narrative the immense nature of this joy and its underlying cause. This happiness was so intense that, were it not for divine grace and preservation, the youth would have perished from the sheer agitation and excitement—his very essence would have been torn apart. His earthly vessel simply could not contain such an unquiet spirit. This point is crucial; it reminds me of Imam Ali's words in Nahj al-Balagha, where he states that if it weren't for a divinely appointed term of life (ajal-e mosammā), the souls of those deeply in love with God would instantly take flight from this world. This underscores the depth of the mystical experience and its extraordinary impact on human existence.

But what was the root of this faraḥ and joy? As Mowlana himself tells us, this youth, beyond six hundred veils, had heard the answer and message of the Divine. He no longer felt he was speaking to a cold wall or a dead nature; instead, he realized he was in connection with a living world, with a conscious cosmos, and with a God enthroned above all creation, from whom he had received a response. This is the greatest possible joy for a human being: to hear the Beloved's reply from behind thousands of veils. This discovery had opened his sense of hearing (ḥiss-e samʿ) beyond the veils. It is here that the hope for the opening of other senses, such as sight (ḥiss-e chashm), is kindled within him. If the ear could hear, why should the eye not see? Mowlana says elsewhere that if one sense breaks free, others will follow; like a sheep jumping a ditch, and the flock follows suit. This is the successive unfolding of man's inner being, which begins with one magnificent experience and permeates all other dimensions of existence.

Key takeaways

• The term ghaybat here signifies a state of spiritual unconsciousness or trance, where the seeker is absent from self and the mundane world.
• Returning from ghaybat is accompanied by boundless faraḥ (joy); an ecstasy too profound for the physical body to endure.
• The intensity of this joy is such that, without divine preservation and grace, it could lead to physical demise.
• The primary source of this faraḥ is the reception of a divine response from beyond countless veils, fostering a direct sense of connection with a living cosmos and a conscious God.
• Such a profound experience can pave the way for the opening of other inner senses; one breakthrough encourages further spiritual advancements.