M6:1809 — هم‌چنین اجزای مستان وصال / حامل از تمثالهای حال و قال

Translation: Similarly, the parts of the beings of those drunk with union / Are bearing the imprints of their past states (ḥāl) and utterances (qāl). Meaning: This verse indicates that the very essence of mystics who have achieved divine union is imbued with the imprints of their former spiritual states and fervent invocations, which have ultimately led them to this sublime station.

I have previously discussed physical pleasures and their underlying physical theories; now, Rumi transcends that domain to enter the realm of spiritual delights. In this verse, he states that those 'drunk with union' (mystics who have attained divine proximity and union) carry within their very being—the essence of their souls—the imprints of their past ḥāl (states) and qāl (utterances). Qāl refers to their invocations (dhikr), supplications (munājāt), and intimate conversations with the Beloved. Ḥāl encompasses those temporary spiritual joys, moments of exhilaration and rapture that manifested during their journey of spiritual striving.

These 'imprints' of ḥāl and qāl, like layers of images accumulating upon one another, gradually build up and lead the mystic to a permanent state of spiritual intoxication. Here, Rumi highlights the subtle distinction between ḥāl (state) and maqām (station) in Sufism. A ḥāl is a transient experience, coming and going, much like a gentle breeze that momentarily touches a person, or an arrow shot and departed. The Prophet (PBUH) reportedly said that divine graces (nafahāt) blow during these times, and one should seize them. However, maqām signifies a condition where these states become recurrent and establish a permanent dwelling within the human soul. One is no longer merely 'intoxicated for an hour' but transforms into the 'ever-intoxicated.' This is no longer merely visiting the Beloved's abode and returning; it is moving in, residing permanently, twenty-four hours a day.

Attaining this station is not easy, save for rare individuals who reach the wellspring without prior excavation. For others, it demands years of spiritual digging and striving. Once this water is found, the individual is like one who has entered a rose garden; the nostrils of their soul are perpetually filled with the fragrance of blooming flowers, and their being is intoxicated by those perfumes. In this stage, as Rumi concludes elsewhere: 'The mouth remains speechless in the beauty of the state / The eye has become oblivious to the world's forms.' That is, the mystic becomes so captivated and enraptured by the Beloved's beauty and majesty that they avert their gaze from every other form and image in this world, and nothing else can draw their attention.

Key takeaways

• This verse bridges physical and spiritual pleasures, speaking of a higher spiritual rank.
• "Those drunk with union" are mystics who have attained the highest station of proximity and connection to the Divine.
• Their very essence is imbued with the "imprints of past states (ḥāl) and utterances (qāl)"; the memories and effects of former spiritual joys and invocations.
• Ḥāl (state) refers to fleeting spiritual experiences, whereas maqām (station) is the permanent dwelling within those experiences, achieved through the continuation of ḥāl and qāl.
• In the station of union, the seeker is perpetually intoxicated by the Divine presence, and their blissful states are no longer temporary.
• The mystic at this stage becomes so absorbed in the Beloved's beauty that they turn away their gaze from all other forms and manifestations of the world.