M6:2989 — هر یکی نام خود و احوال خود / باز گفته پیش او شرح رصد

Translation: Each one their own name and their own state / Reported before him, explaining their station. Meaning: This verse recounts the story of stars presenting themselves to Prophet Idris, with each star reporting its identity and cosmic position, drawn by an innate affinity.

This verse presents a profoundly beautiful and deep image from the Masnavi, wherein Mowlana delves into the story of stars appearing before Prophet Idris. I interpret this as a lesson from Mowlana's worldview, where every particle of existence possesses consciousness and a knowing presence, capable of introducing itself.

Mowlana explains that the stars' approach to Idris was not out of coercion or involuntariness, but due to an 'attraction of kind' (jadhb-i jinsiyyat). This is a hidden force that draws similar beings and affinities towards one another. The stars, being of the same 'kind' as Idris – or, more accurately, finding in his existential presence a space for mutual recognition – were drawn to him, seeing him as a mirror reflecting their own being.

I understand jinsiyyat here not in a biological sense, but as a 'type of gaze' or 'insight,' as Mowlana himself clarifies: 'What is kinship (jinsiyyat)? A type of gaze / whereby they find their way to one another.' This nazar (gaze/insight) is the rational and inner vision that occurs not with the physical eye, but with the eye of the intellect. In our philosophical tradition, we speak of 'theoretical wisdom' (ḥikmat-i naẓarī); this implies the intellect's gaze upon the truths of the world. It is as if our intellect possesses an eye that can see beyond outward forms and perceive hidden realities. Thus, the stars, too, found each other through such a nazar, and this kinship made them manifest in Idris's presence.

Where Mowlana states, 'Each one their own name and their own state / Reported before him, explaining their station,' it is highlighted that stars are not merely inanimate, mechanical objects. They possess 'names' and 'states' (nām-o aḥwāl), meaning a personal, dynamic identity and condition. They not only articulated their names but also explained their 'celestial station' (sharḥ-i raṣad), their position and trajectory in the heavens. For me, this narrative emphasizes the Mowlanaic principle that the entire universe is alive, and every part of it, with its own consciousness and particular language, is in dialogue and reporting its condition. This is a living world, full of meaning, where every being articulates its identity in the presence of a Perfect Human (like Prophet Idris); it is a manifestation of that same Quranic bayān (eloquence/articulation) that everything in the cosmos possesses.

Key takeaways

• The universe is a living, conscious entity, with each part possessing identity and awareness.
• The 'attraction of kind' (jadhb-i jinsiyyat) is an inner force that draws affinities together, facilitating mutual recognition.
• Nazar here signifies not physical sight, but intellectual insight and the perception of hidden realities.
• Stars not only possess names and states but can also explain their cosmic positions, indicating they are active, communicative beings.