M6:1919 — از حجب چون حس سمعش در گذشت / شد سرافراز و ز گردون بر گذشت

Translation: When his sense of hearing passed beyond the veils, He became exalted and rose above the heavens. Meaning: This verse speaks to the mystic's profound joy upon hearing the divine response from beyond all obscurities, illustrating how the opening of his inner hearing elevated him to a state transcending both worlds.

This verse unveils a sublime mystical experience: "When his sense of hearing passed beyond the veils." These 'veils' (حجب) are the myriad obscurities that separate us from reality. At this station, the mystic no longer speaks to a deaf and mute world; rather, his inner ear opens to receive the "answer" from God, the "message of the Beloved." This is no mere dialogue with a wall, nor a whisper to inert nature, but a living communication with a conscious cosmos and a God who presides over all existence. The profound joy Mowlana alluded to in the preceding verse (he "could not contain himself with joy in the world") stems precisely from this realization and direct perception that his prayer has not gone unanswered, and his call has been heard. A person at such a spiritual rank, quite literally, cannot contain himself within his own skin.

It is this very opening of the auditory sense beyond the veils that causes the mystic to become "exalted" (سرافراز) and to "rise above the heavens" (ز گردون بر گذشت). This signifies transcendence not merely of the earthly realm, but of all levels of existence, beyond the celestial spheres themselves. It is a spiritual ascent that knows no bounds. This is not just about traversing physical distances, but about liberation from the constraints of space and time, perceiving truth in dimensions beyond our ordinary senses.

A subtle point Mowlana makes elsewhere, which lends deeper meaning to this verse, is that "When one sense breaks its bond / Others follow, one after the other." This means the opening of one sense is the beginning of the opening of all other senses. Once a person's inner ear becomes accustomed to hearing subtle, unseen sounds and receiving those "unheard calls," hope is ignited in the mystic's heart that his "sense of sight" (حس چشم) will also find a way beyond the veils, allowing him to behold "unseen vistas." This is akin to a single sheep jumping over a ditch, and the entire flock following suit. It is a law of spiritual contagion in the inner realm: when one channel of perception to the Unseen is opened, other channels too open sequentially, resulting in constant "communication" with the higher world; an unceasing "seeing and addressing" with the Truth.

This state of 'bewilderment' or 'astonishment' (واله و حیران شدن) is what Mowlana describes elsewhere, even tracing the root of the word 'Allah' back to this very concept of 'bewilderment' (تحیّر). It refers to the Being who causes humans to be astonished and is the only Being worthy of inspiring such profound wonder. This verse embodies the zenith of this sacred bewilderment and spiritual exaltation.

Key takeaways

• The mystic's joy upon hearing God's response from beyond the veils is the zenith of gnosis.
• The opening of the inner sense of hearing marks the beginning of spiritual exaltation and ascent.
• Spiritual transcendence goes beyond the celestial spheres, shattering the constraints of time and space.
• According to the principle of sensory contagion, the opening of one inner sense paves the way for others.
• This experience reveals a living, conscious, and responsive cosmos, not a silent, inert world.
• The state of 'bewilderment' or 'astonishment' (valeh-o-heyran) before the Truth is a high mystical station.