M6:1060 — شد خلالی در دهانی راه یافت / جانب شیرین‌زبانی می‌شتافت

Translation: It became a toothpick, found its way into a mouth, Then hastened towards a sweet-tongued one. Meaning: This verse describes Bilal's state after immense suffering: despite his emaciation, he found intimacy with the Prophet, entering his sacred presence and thereby hastening towards the ultimate Beloved.

This verse, continuing the narrative of Bilal the Abyssinian, the esteemed companion of the Prophet, marks a pivotal moment in his destiny. Here, Rumi masterfully depicts Bilal's state after his liberation from slavery and immense, arduous suffering. Bilal, emaciated and frail from the "teeth of tribulation and oppression" (zakhmi dars-i mihnat), had become as thin as a toothpick (khalāl). Yet, in Rumi's profound rendering, this transformation into a "toothpick" is not a sign of decline, but rather the very essence of readiness and capability. A toothpick, though seemingly insignificant and small, performs a delicate and purifying function; this is the same latent wisdom as the ney (reed flute) that Rumi emphasizes at the Masnavi’s opening. The ney, hollow and severed from the reed-bed, despite its apparent frailty, becomes the instrument of divine breath. Similarly, Bilal, in all his weariness, acquires the capacity for presence in the company of history’s greatest human.

The verse states that this very Bilal, rendered thin and humble like a toothpick by suffering and torture, "found its way into a mouth," and that mouth is, without doubt, the pure and sanctified mouth of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH). He then "hastened towards a sweet-tongued one" (shīrīn-zabān), which is again a clear reference to the holy presence of the Prophet, whose words were entirely sweetness and truth. This proximity to the Prophet, for Bilal, who symbolizes those who endure suffering on the path of truth, signifies the attainment of ultimate contentment and peace.

Rumi here imparts a profound mystical principle: outward suffering and physical deterioration, if accompanied by sincerity and love, are not obstacles to union, but rather a path to divine proximity and presence in the company of God’s saints. The toothpick, itself a product of trimming and reduction, reaches a state of utmost purity, mingling with the most delicate part of a great human being. This is akin to copper turning to gold; it is the return of a dying fish to the sea of life, which Rumi himself later alludes to: "Blessed is the copper that touched the elixir / Blessed is the destitute who found a treasure brimming with benefit."

Another crucial point is Rumi’s own yearning for such a destiny. I can discern this fervent passion in Rumi’s words; it is as if he wishes he were Bilal, that his body would become so frail as to merit such intimacy. He longed for the moment when "the Prophet drew him close / Who knows what bounty he received?" This is not merely the reed’s complaint of separation; this is the narrative of a path that, through suffering and nothingness (represented by ney and khalāl), hastens towards the unique shīrīn-zabān and ultimately achieves union. In Rumi's thought system, the world is not a place of complaint and injustice, but a factory for forging human beings, and every suffering, if rightly understood, can be a stepping stone toward the true destination.

Key takeaways

• Bilal's emaciated appearance (like a toothpick) symbolizes inner purification and readiness for divine proximity.
• Suffering and tribulation, when accompanied by love, are not obstacles to union but rather pathways to it.
• The "sweet-tongued one" directly refers to the Prophet Muhammad, whose intimacy is a conduit to the Absolute Beloved.
• Rumi expresses his personal yearning to experience such closeness and affection with the Prophet through Bilal's story.
• This transformation into a 'toothpick' finding its way into a pure mouth symbolizes the shift from apparent worthlessness to true, eternal value.