M6:26 — در قران این جهان با آن جهان / این جهان از شرم می‌گردد جِهان

Translation: When this world is placed alongside that world (of the unseen), This world recoils, trembling, out of shame. Meaning: Rumi, in this verse, points to the fundamental disparity between the material realm and the divine world. When these two are juxtaposed, the earthly domain, recognizing its relative insignificance before the majesty of the spiritual, recoils in shame and agitation.

Here, Rumi articulates a profound ontological point that pervades his thought: the fundamental distinction between the finite, bounded existents of this world and the infinite, boundless reality of the Unseen World. Qiran (قران) in this verse signifies juxtaposition, pairing, or comparison, not the holy book. The question is, what transpires when you weigh these two realms of existence—this world of nature and that world of meaning and divinity—against each other?

Crucially, the word jahan (جِهان) in the second hemistich is a verb, meaning 'it jumps,' 'it recoils,' 'it shies away,' not the noun 'world' (جهان). This material world, when placed beside the grandeur of that unseen realm, literally trembles and recoils out of sheer shame and embarrassment. This shame arises from the recognition of its own lowly and base nature in comparison to the boundless majesty of the other. It is akin to the divine sea of generosity and existence, whose very name, when uttered alongside other finite seas, causes those seas to feel bitter with shame, for 'the greatest name has been paired with the least' (M6:27).

As I have often emphasized, from Rumi's perspective, existence possesses various ranks. Everything we perceive in this world, be it divine wrath or grace (like vinegar and honey, which must be combined), holds a purpose and is part of the divine design. Every 'thorn' (خار) in this world serves as 'fuel for the fire' (قضای آتش), and every 'fragrance of a rose' (بوی گل) invigorates the joyful mind. However, this does not imply equivalence with that other world. That realm is of a different station, a station before which this world is but 'straw' and 'the lowest of the low': 'This expression is narrow and deficient in rank; for what kinship can straw bear to the lowest of the low?' (M6:27). Even my own words, here, are insufficient and inadequate to express this grandeur. Hence, there is no true relation between this world and that; this one, in comparison to the other, stands in ultimate humility.

This perspective of Rumi's cautions us against superficial views. While we live in this world and must manage its affairs, we must never forget that it is but an 'island' (جزیره) in the 'spiritual sea' (بحر معنوی). This 'shame' of 'this world' serves as a reminder to every seeker that authenticity and truth are to be sought elsewhere, not in this realm of forms and veils. This shame is a sign of perceiving the infinite qualitative difference that exists between Absolute Being and contingent possibilities.

Key takeaways

• The material world experiences shame when compared to the divine, unseen realm.
• The word jahan (جِهان) in the second line is a verb, meaning 'it jumps/recoils/trembles'.
• True existence and perfection reside in the unseen world; this world is merely a reflection.
• Rumi emphasizes fundamental qualitative differences between existential planes, not just quantitative ones.
• This verse serves as a reminder for the seeker to look beyond material manifestations for ultimate truth.