ÜÇÜNCÜ FEN · İKİNCİ BÂB · İKİNCİ FASIL · Sekizinci Madde
Humanity's soul, having come from the lofty realm as a stranger and wanderer in this base world, has been occupied with observing the actions of the animal self. To draw its benefits to itself and repel its harms, it has connected with it and turned towards the body. Thus, it remains imprisoned in this troubled and constricted world.
When sleep descends upon this body, that noble soul journeys to its own realm and finds two kinds of benefit. The first is freedom from the anxieties arising from the feeling of estrangement in this lower world; it becomes completely at ease. It is released from observing the actions of the self. In that realm of union, it meets with souls and enjoys the pleasure of tranquility. It enters into conversation with the origin and return [of existence], becoming secure and joyful in its true homeland. The second benefit is that when the noble soul reaches its own homeland and learns certain secrets from primordial intellect, even though it is imprisoned within the intermediary realm, it gains numerous meanings through an intermediary, a means, which are clarified by their counterparts in the world of perception.
The secret of dream interpretation (tabir-i rü'ya): Warnings and portents of past events, and the outcomes of future affairs, are known through truthful dreams. If the sleeper’s soul passes through the intermediary realm and confronts the collective intellect [akl-i küll], it observes directly there and receives inspirations. Its sleep is wakefulness like daytime, entering into the sea of contemplation and manifestation (mukashafa). Thus, the human body is like shackles (tahta-bend), from which the soul is released during sleep and carried to other abodes.
Thus, besides these six directions, it sees another abode and another realm beyond this world. It knows with certainty that it came from there and will return there upon death. Thus, it does not incline towards this lowest world but cherishes affection for that lofty homeland. To ascend to it and return to its origin, it turns towards it and watches over it. Through striving (mujاهدة) and observation, it attains the station of divine knowledge [ma'rifatullah] and thus reaches the blessing of divine love (mahabbatullah). In sleep, and even in the state of death, it does not remain in the intermediary realm but enters and exits the spiritual realm (malakut), and the nearness and tranquility of God are bestowed upon it.
**Rubai:**
The bewildered heart has a path from itself to the beloved;
A revealed and concealed path exists for the lost one.
Even if six directions block your way,
Fear not, for there is a hidden path from the depths of the soul to the beloved.
When a perfected (kamil) person is afflicted by the multitude of visitors, he would say, "My friends! With your permission, I will briefly attain unity," and he would draw his cloak over his head and sleep. For the eye of insight (basirat) of one whose body sleeps opens to its own realm; it goes to the collective intellect [akl-i küll], which is the origin and return.
**Nazm:**
1. Within this intensity, that subtle soul briefly fell into light slumber.
2. It became a rider on swift imagination, hunting in the unseen wildernesses.
3. He closed his eyes from this world; the beauty of the beloved unveiled her face.
4. Indeed, the eye of the world cannot open to the face of the beloved unless it closes its own eye.
5. Again, he found the beloved within himself; again, he saw the Sultan on his throne.
6. Her beauty is indescribable; yet he beheld it with the eye of imagination.
7. That light was revealed in the heart of the knower and appeared with its former form.
**Translation of Nazm (Modern Turkish):**
1. Last night, until dawn, my companion, the image of the Beloved, was a dream. Though my eyes slept, my mind and heart were awake.
2. The pleasure of the beloved’s words still lingers in my soul. Alas, what sweet lips, what sweet speech he had!
3. Woe to me, what did my dream say to me? Even though my task was to repeat those words until dawn.
4. My eyes are dark as night without that rosy-cheeked one. How pleasant were those nights when the rosy-cheeked one was in my heart’s eye.
5. The sleep of the people of the heart is to reach the presence of the beloved. For every moment, their desire was to find that beloved.
6. The knower's eyes sleep, but his heart does not sleep with love. For eternity, love has been a companion to him in all states.
7. May it be blessed, let sleep be permissible for that eye which sees Him in a dream. God did not separate His gaze from Him even for a moment.