M6:2444 — جمله کفها در دعا افراخته / نغمهٔ ارنی به هم در ساخته

Translation: All hands raised in prayer, Together fashioned the melody of 'Show Thyself to me!' Meaning: This verse describes a dream vision where a multitude of figures, with upraised hands, collectively utter a profound and shared plea: the request of Moses to God, 'Show Thyself to me!'

This verse emerges from Rumi's narrative of the Jewish traveler's dream, a dream so profound and rich in meaning that Rumi seems to articulate his own mystical experiences through it. In this vision, our traveler encounters Moses on Mount Sinai. Yet, this is no mere encounter; the scene transforms into a universal and majestic event where multitudes of people, all assuming the likeness of Moses—staff in hand, cloak draped—gather on the mountain slopes. Here, it is not just one voice, but all hands raised in prayer, all collectively fashioning the melody of 'Arini' (Show Thyself to me!), echoing Moses' profound plea to God: 'My Lord, show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You.'

This 'melody of Arini,' collectively composed, is undoubtedly not a mere verbal request, but a cry from the depths of the soul, an unending yearning for union and divine manifestation. Rumi here recalls the Quranic verse, 'And Moses fell down unconscious,' from the moment God manifested upon the mountain, causing it to crumble. A crucial hermeneutic point is that this 'destruction' of the mountain occurred not in external reality, but in Moses' spiritual vision. The physical mountain remained, but within Moses' inner being, the awe of the divine presence was such that it shattered the mountain's resistance and overwhelmed Moses. Thus, this 'Arini' and this 'swooning' narrate a terrifying yet deeply spiritual inner experience; a manifestation unspoken, yet full of meaning.

It is profoundly significant that in this dream, the Jewish traveler comprehends the 'unity of prophets.' These many Moses-like figures filling the desert signify the fundamental oneness and shared goal of all prophets and those who have reached spiritual union. Though their forms initially appear identical, upon awakening from his trance, the traveler observes that 'the form of each appeared different to me.' This indicates that while there is unity in the essence of their quest and spiritual aim, each prophet and mystic has their own unique path, appearance, and origin. The Quranic declaration, 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers,' becomes manifest in this visionary realm. All share one ultimate aspiration: to behold the Divine, and thus, all participate in a single melody, the 'Arini' melody.

This verse also deeply connects with Rumi's emphasis, 'Look not with scorn on any infidel / For there is hope that he will die a Muslim.' If a Jew can experience such a profound and unifying vision, perceiving the 'unity of prophets' and being absorbed in the 'Arini' melody, then the hope for salvation and spiritual triumph might extend far beyond superficial religious divisions. This 'Arini' melody is the shared human song of a humanity separated from its origin, thirsting for reunion in the realm of separation; not a purposeless loneliness, but a separation imbued with the hope of connection.

Key takeaways

• The 'Arini melody' signifies humanity's universal and profound yearning for divine manifestation and union.
• Divine manifestation and its 'seeing' are internal, spiritual experiences, not mere external, material observations.
• The multitude of 'Moses-like' figures in the dream symbolizes the fundamental unity and shared goal of all prophets and seekers of truth.
• This mystical experience, witnessed by a 'Jew,' points to the pluralism of salvation and the expansive nature of divine mercy.
• The 'Arini' cry originates from a state of 'separation' (jodāʾī), not 'loneliness' (tanhāʾī); it is a plea for union from a Beloved who is present, though seemingly distant.