M6:2325 — بودمی آگه ز منزلهای جان / وقت خواب و بیهشی و امتحان

Translation: I would be aware of the soul's stations, / at the time of sleep, unconsciousness, and trial. Meaning: This verse speaks to humanity's profound inability to know and manage the deeper stages of its being when conscious control is suspended, such as during sleep, states of unconsciousness, or moments of severe testing.

In this verse and the surrounding couplets, Rumi touches upon a crucial epistemological point: humanity's fundamental inability to fully manage its own existence. During times when control slips from our grasp—such as sleep, unconsciousness, or moments of profound trials and afflictions—we remain unaware of the "soul's stations" (manzelhā-ye jān), those deeper, hidden layers of our being. This unawareness is a sign of our lack of absolute independence; for if the reins of affairs were entirely in our hands, we would undoubtedly possess full oversight of our "soul" and its "stations" even in such moments.

I have said this repeatedly: if our will were absolute, we would instantly transform ourselves into the most perfect, beautiful, and knowledgeable beings in the world. We wish to be the most virtuous, yet we cannot. This inability to organize ourselves and the path of the "soul" is, in truth, our fundamental "nothingness" (hich) that becomes more apparent at night or in states of unconsciousness and weakness. At night, we are emptied; our being returns to a state of "non-existence" (adam), and then we are refilled with another "breath" or "spirit"—that is, by God—and returned to being. This "filling" is not by our choice, but by the Creator's will.

So, when we find ourselves in such a state of radical weakness and unawareness regarding the "soul's stations," especially during times when our conscious mind is not seemingly active, how can we be so conceited and "self-admiring" (mo'ajab)? It is here that Rumi, in the subsequent verses, points to this great paradox of human existence: on the one hand, absolute powerlessness in managing the self during crucial moments, and on the other, a self-admiration and pride that is a product of our ignorance. This verse serves as a wake-up call from this heedlessness, reminding us of the divine "generosity" (jūd) that has bestowed upon us existence, knowledge, and soul without any prior merit.

Key takeaways

• Human inability to control the deepest dimensions of one's being, especially when conscious will is suspended (sleep, unconsciousness, trials).
• This verse critiques human self-admiration: how can we be 'conceited' when we are unaware of our 'soul's stations' in crucial moments?
• Night and similar states symbolize a return to 'nothingness' (hich) and surrender to divine providence.
• Our existence and being stem not from merit but from God's absolute 'generosity' (jūd); our powerlessness here confirms this point.