The Torrent of Love Drawn into Depth
These excerpts taken from Mawlānā Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī’s Dīvān-i Kabīr reveal how love profoundly affects and transforms the human ruh (spirit). Here, love is more than a simple emotion; it becomes a step taken towards being, a process of enduring tribulation. A deep yearning, grasping the hem of the soul, drags a person into unknown realms, in pursuit of a hidden treasure; in this journey, all worldly ties are severed, and one abandons oneself to an entirely different realm.
The Extraordinary State of Uniting with Being
Those who are people of this love become separated from the community, for the path to ḥaqīqa (inner reality) is solitary. Mawlānā expresses both the hardship and the beauty of this separation at the same time. Under the influence of love, a person is both near and far; just like the can (spirit), present everywhere yet never fully grasped. This state points to the extraordinary experience of reaching being, a state that transcends boundaries. Love, by rejecting worldly assumptions, enables a person to focus on their essence, on divine love.
The Secret of Sabr (Patient Endurance) and Shukr (Gratitude)
The fervor of love can sometimes turn into impatience, even rebellion. However, Mawlānā shows the way to transcend and make sense of this fervor. The qalb (heart) must be made to boil and burn, plunging the entire being into a process of purification. This destruction, in fact, prepares the ground for a new birth; by uttering words belonging to burning, the transformation of character is achieved. Love reminds one of the importance of sabr (patient endurance) and shukr (gratitude), emphasizing that it is possible to reach being through submission.