M6:4019 — آن زلیخا از سپندان تا به عود / نام جمله چیز یوسف کرده بود

Translation: That Zoleykha, from the fragrance of wild rue to that of aloeswood, had named everything Yusuf. Meaning: Due to her intense love for Yusuf, Zoleykha perceived and named every object and phenomenon after him, seeing and feeling his presence in all things.

Mowlana here introduces an analogy that illuminates a state where the heart and tongue become so profoundly absorbed in the Beloved's remembrance that no distance remains between the seeker and the sought. It's akin to the perfect gnostic (arif-e kāmel) who is 'with God without ever asking 'where are You?'' (ma' Allāh ast bī koo-koo hamī), meaning an unbroken presence with the Divine, where any utterance of 'where?' would not stem from loss but from the sheer intensity of presence. It is in this context that Mowlana places himself, yearning to say even a meaningless word like māku (a weaver's shuttle), desiring it to be a shadow of koo-koo (where?), leading from koo-koo to hoo-hoo (He, the Divine), and ultimately to the direct apprehension of Truth itself. This analogy, aiming to illustrate the pinnacle of such absorption, leads to the story of Zoleykha.

Zoleykha, in her love for Yusuf, had reached a station where she perceived the entire world as a unified mirror of Yusuf. Her tongue spoke only his name, and her ear heard only his whispers. Whatever she saw or heard, she attributed to Yusuf. As Mowlana states, 'she had named everything Yusuf.' It was as if every phenomenon, from the least significant fragrant herb (sepandān) to the most precious perfume (oud), had taken on the name 'Yusuf' in Zoleykha's eyes. Her companions, too, understood well that whatever Zoleykha uttered was, in essence, a reference to Yusuf. Whether she spoke of the coldness or warmth of the air, whether she deemed something beautiful or ugly, her focus was invariably Yusuf. Mowlana elaborates that if she praised anything, her intent was the 'embrace' (e'tenāq) and union with Yusuf, and if she criticized anything, her meaning was 'separation' (ferāq) and distance from him.

This anecdote reveals how the name and remembrance of the Beloved can reconstruct the world. In this state, the Beloved's name becomes like a 'fur coat' (postīn) that warms and brings solace to the lover in cold times. This is precisely what Mowlana explicitly states: 'This is what the Beloved's name does in love.' This is not merely an emotional state, but an ontological transformation in the lover's perception. The world is no longer seen as a collection of disparate objects; rather, everything is considered an emanation of the Beloved. This is the cognitive unity in which the gnostic sees nothing but the Divine, perceiving every particle of existence as His manifestation, such that even names do not become veils, but rather open a path to direct presence.

Key takeaways

• The intensity of love can unify human perception, redefining everything around the Beloved.
• At the peak of amorous absorption, the Beloved's name is no longer a mere word, but transforms into an agent of presence and warmth itself.
• Zoleykha serves as a prime example of the Beloved's complete manifestation across the lover's entire being and perception; every object seemingly takes on Yusuf's name.
• This anecdote demonstrates how language, in the state of love, acquires a meta-linguistic meaning, where every utterance becomes a pointer to the hidden Beloved.