M6:3091 — زانک بر دیوار دیدندی شعاع / فهم کردندی پس اصحاب بقاع

Translation: For they saw the ray of light upon the wall, / And thus the dwellers of the abodes understood. Meaning: This verse suggests that merely observing a reflection or ray of truth on a simple, apparent surface is sufficient for those with perceptive hearts to grasp the essence of that truth.

This verse continues Mawlana's fundamental idea that the world is a mirror for divine beauty. I have repeatedly emphasized in my discussions that for Mawlana, 'the entire world, all of creation, is a mirror of divine beauty.' God reveals Himself in these mirrors, and we can perceive the Whole in the part; in this small mirror, we can observe that great Beauty.

Sometimes we view the world as an act and effect of God, inferring the Cause from the effect, much like inferring fire from smoke. But at other times, we adopt a deeper perspective. We neither deduce nor infer; instead, we directly encounter the possessor of the Face and Beauty. This is the state where we regard the world not merely as God's act, but as the mirror of His beauty. God does not shine overtly; He shines from within these mirrors.

The verse states that it is sufficient to see a 'شعاع' (ray or reflection) of truth upon a 'دیوار' (wall) for the 'اصحاب بقاع' (dwellers of abodes or hearts) to comprehend it. The wall here symbolizes an ordinary, earthly, perhaps even insignificant surface. Yet, when a ray of truth falls upon it, it becomes a carrier of meaning. This is not like Sa'di's saying, 'You are great, and do not show yourself in a small mirror.' No, Mawlana here emphasizes that even in small mirrors and on ordinary walls, the light of Truth can be perceived and understood.

Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, a near-contemporary of Mawlana, frequently used the term 'mirror' (مرآت). Mawlana himself utilized this concept numerous times. Sheikh Mahmud Shabestari in his Gulshan-e Raz (The Rose Garden of Mystery) states: 'Non-being is the absolute mirror of being / From it appears the reflection of the Light of Truth.' This is the same idea that even non-existence and the fixed essences in God's knowledge are mirrors upon which the light of absolute Being shines, leading to their manifestation in the world. This explains why 'the world became human, and the human became a world.' Humanity is the mirror of God's existence, and no other being possesses this mirror-like quality towards the Truth to the same extent as we do.

Therefore, this verse expresses the power of divine manifestation and the penetration of truth, which reveals itself even on simple and ordinary surfaces. Conversely, it shows that if we possess perceptive eyes, we can discern the great origin from these small reflections. There is no need for complex arguments or elaborate explanations; sometimes a single ray illuminates the entire truth. Mawlana himself affirms this: 'Listen to the mirror, but do not ask its explanation.'

Key takeaways

• The world functions as a mirror reflecting divine beauty and attributes.
• Truth manifests itself in every medium and capacity, even the simplest and most ordinary (the wall).
• Inner perception (the dwellers of abodes) can infer the great Truth from a small ray of its light.
• For understanding truth, direct reasoning or argumentation is sometimes unnecessary; seeing its reflection suffices.
• This perspective on the cosmos aligns with the 'mirror' concept in Ibn Arabi's mysticism and other Sufi thinkers.