M6:2739 — باقیش چون روز برخیزی ز خواب / بشنوی از نوربخش آفتاب

Translation: The rest of it, when you rise from sleep one day, you will hear from the light-bestowing Sun. Meaning: Rumi states that the deeper truth of existence will only be revealed to you when you awaken from the slumber of heedlessness, and you will hear it directly from the divine source of light, the Sun of Truth. This emphasizes immediate, unmediated experience and living in the present.

This verse stands as a profound testament to Rumi's yearning for naqd-i ḥāl (the cash of the present state); an ardent desire for unmediated presence and direct experience of truth, as opposed to nasiyah-i va'dahā (the credit of promises) and a naive faith in a future that may never arrive. Rumi asserts, "The rest of it" – the hidden secrets, the unspoken truths, that dimension of existence which defies verbal articulation – will only be revealed to you when "you rise from sleep." This "sleep" is not mere nocturnal slumber, but the sleep of heedlessness (ghaflat), unawareness of oneself and of the ever-present Reality. As long as one remains in this sleep, whatever is said or heard acts as a veil; a veil over the moon-like face of truth, a blindfold over the eyes. But when you "rise from sleep," then you "will hear from the light-bestowing Sun." The sun is the source of light; a light that does not conceal itself and requires no intermediary. This sun is a symbol of Truth itself, the unmediated Divine essence that is present and manifest in every moment. To hear from the sun means to receive unveiled, to observe without a screen. This reception is not through intellect and argumentation, nor through narration and tradition, but through direct intuition and mystical experience. Herein lies the distinction between the mystic (ʿārif) and the philosopher or jurist. The philosopher works with reason, the jurist with scripture and tradition, but the mystic seeks the "revelation of the heart" (waḥy-i dil); seeking to hear directly from the sun of truth. This "hearing" resonates with the opening word "Bishnav" (Listen) of the Masnavi, indicating that Rumi considers himself the "Tongue of God" and invites the listener to become an ear, to receive from this source of light. That slap delivered by the Beloved, that wrath that comes from the Friend, all are naqd (cash, immediate presence). It is the cash of presence, the cash of attention, the cash of divine guardianship. We long for precisely this naqd that comes from the hand of the Friend, even if it seems bitter, for we prefer the Friend's presence over a thousand sweet promises of absence. This verse teaches us to seek paradise "here and now," not in the illusory promises of tomorrow. The light-bestowing sun is always present; it is we who sometimes slumber in heedlessness, closing our eyes to it.

Key takeaways

• Truth is revealed only in the "present moment" (ḥāl) and through unmediated experience, not in future promises.
• "Sleep" is a metaphor for heedlessness and unawareness; spiritual awakening is a prerequisite for understanding truth.
• The "light-bestowing sun" symbolizes the direct, unmediated Divine source of light and knowledge, which is unveiled.
• Rumi advocates for hearing directly from the sun, meaning direct intuition and spiritual vision, over intellect or tradition.
• Anything that comes from the Divine, even hardship, is valued as "cash of presence" (naqd-i ḥuḍūr) over sweet promises of absence.