M6:2094 — چون انا الحق گفت شیخ و پیش برد / پس گلوی جمله کوران را فشرد

Translation: When the Shaykh uttered "An al-Haqq (I am the Truth)" and carried it forward, he then choked the throats of all the blind ones. Meaning: This verse describes how, upon a true mystic's proclamation of "An al-Haqq" and the spread of this profound insight, the sheer power and truth of it silences and overwhelms those who deny such a possibility.

Here, Rumi addresses one of the most profound and sensitive topics in Sufism: the station of "An al-Haqq" (I am the Truth). He speaks of the true Shaykh, the accomplished mystic who has reached complete annihilation of self (fanāʾ); primarily, this refers to Mansur al-Hallaj, whose name is synonymous with this declaration. The mystic's utterance of "An al-Haqq" is not an assertion of ego or self-aggrandizement; rather, it is a declaration of the complete effacement of his "I" into the Absolute Being of Truth. When the individual existence, or the "ana" of the servant, is so completely absorbed and rendered "non-existent" (lā) in the Divine Being, nothing remains but Truth itself. In this state, the Shaykh does not consider himself God; rather, he sees nothing but God. The phrase "carried it forward" (pīsh burd) implies that through this utterance, the Shaykh opens a path in mystical knowledge, elevating it to a stage where others can also perceive this existential possibility and assent to it. This realization opens a new horizon in intuitive monotheism.

"The blind ones" (kūrān) in "he then choked the throats of all the blind ones" refers to the shallow-minded deniers and critics who fail to grasp the profound reality of annihilation in God (fanāʾ fī Allāh) and only perceive the literal meaning of the words. When the perfected Shaykh, through true witnessing and spiritual state, declares "An al-Haqq," this truth is so clear and decisive that it chokes the throats of these deniers; it deprives them of the ability to deny or argue, reducing them to silence. This silence is not born of understanding, but of astonishment and helplessness in the face of a truth they cannot comprehend. This is precisely the difference between Pharaoh's claim ("I am your Lord Most High") and Hallaj's statement. Pharaoh claimed divinity without having seen or become the Truth, whereas the Sufi, when stepping outside of himself and seeing nothing but God, utters this phrase, and his words align with truth.

A central point that I emphasize regarding such statements is the matter of "state" (hāl). The truth-condition of these sayings is the "state" and "station" of the speaker. Just as saying "I am twenty years old" is true for a twenty-year-old, it is false for a forty-year-old. "An al-Haqq" is similarly true in relation to the state of the annihilated mystic, but false for imitators and false claimants. Bayazid Bastami, as narrated, also experienced this station and declared, "Glory be to me! How great is my Majesty!" Upon returning to his senses, he asked his disciples to kill him. Yet, in that state of absence from self, the arrows of his disciples had no effect on him. This means that at that moment, his existence transcended the physical body and sensory perception.

Rumi then uses a powerful metaphor to address the fate of deniers and egoists. "Puffing towards the moon or the sky" is an allusion to the futile efforts of those unaware of their true station who attempt to deny or disrespect a transcendent truth. Such efforts yield no fruit other than returning upon themselves, leading only to the person's own disgrace and condemnation. This is the same warning God gave regarding Abu Lahab: "Perish the hands of Abu Lahab!" These words of Rumi are a warning against viewing the station and words of the people of Truth with a Pharaonic gaze, for such a gaze will only lead to one's own self-negation and the suppression of true knowledge.

Key takeaways

• "An al-Haqq" is an expression of the mystic's complete annihilation of self in Absolute Truth, not an assertion of ego.
• The true Shaykh, through "An al-Haqq," opens a new horizon in intuitive monotheism.
• The "blind ones" symbolize superficial deniers who lack the capacity to grasp the truth of annihilation.
• The veracity of "An al-Haqq" depends on the speaker's spiritual "state" (hāl) and "station" (maqām), not on the literal words.
• Attempts to deny transcendent truth, like puffing at the moon, only result in personal disgrace and condemnation.