M6:985 — مستمع چون یافت هم‌چون مصطفی / هر سر مویش زبانی شد جدا

Translation: When he found a listener like Mustafa, Every hair on his head became a separate tongue. Meaning: This verse illustrates the profound impact of an ideal, receptive listener, who inspires the speaker to an overflowing and boundless articulation.

This verse, embedded within the narrative of Bilal Habashi's liberation by Abu Bakr through the Prophet Muhammad's intercession, illuminates a profound point about communication. As Abu Bakr recounts Bilal's plight and the injustice he endures, the Prophet listens with his entire being. Mowlana beautifully describes how Abu Bakr, encountering such an utterly attentive listener in the Prophet, felt an surge of eagerness to speak, so much so that 'every hair on his head became a separate tongue.' This is a vivid metaphor for the overflowing eloquence and heightened articulation that emerges from a speaker deeply moved by truth, when met with a truly worthy audience. It is as if his entire being transforms into language to convey the realities within him.

This insight is foundational in mysticism and particularly in Mowlana's approach. Listening is not a passive act; it is an active, creative engagement. A true listener, here personified by Mustafa, is present with all their intellect, ears, and heart, and this very presence inspires the speaker. In a sense, the speaker's inner language is unlocked only by the listener's outer ear. As Mowlana himself states elsewhere:

I deem it forbidden to speak with others; But when your tale arises, I lengthen my speech.

This verse demonstrates how, in the presence of such a receptive ear, words that might have been confined within the heart find their opportunity to emerge, spilling forth from the speaker's soul and spirit. It is a sacred connection; one where the listener, through their receptivity, elevates the speaker to the pinnacle of expression, fostering the blossoming of language. Here, language becomes not merely a means of conveying meaning, but an event, an existential phenomenon: the birth of speech in the presence of understanding.

Key takeaways

• A worthy listener inspires boundless eloquence in the speaker.
• The complete presence of a listener like Mustafa elicits a torrent of articulation.
• The speaker's inner language is unlocked by a receptive, external ear.
• The relationship between speaker and listener in mysticism is reciprocal and creative.
• Profound understanding transforms speech into an existential phenomenon, not just a means of conveying information.