Commander of the Faithful: see note to v. 1399.
‘compulsion’: the specific Arabic term for ‘compulsion’ (jabr) is used in Islamic theological discourse to mean predestination, which is the sense intended here.
commanding self: The ‘commanding self’ is the literal translation of the most common Arabic term used for the carnal soul. It is derived from Koran 12: 53, where one finds the more complete version: ‘the soul commanding to evil’.
He split the moon: Koran 54: 1. See note to v. 118.
Heading ‘O Lord, we’ve wronged ourselves!’: Koran 7: 23, the response of Adam and Eve to God after they are blamed for eating from the forbidden tree.
‘Since you have sent me astray!’: Koran 7: 16, 15: 39, Satan’s contrasting response after being banished by God from heaven as a punishment for refusing to bow down to Adam (see note to v. 544).
Each act of ours is God’s manifestation: an allusion to the theological position that God creates our actions, only after which Man acquires them. In this way the belief in predestination is upheld, while Man is also responsible for his actions.
For whose sake are good women? For good men!: Koran 24: 26, where it is asserted that the good are meant for each other just as the impure are meant for each other.
Heading He is with you wherever you may be: Koran 57: 4, emphasizing God’s omnipresence.
Heading ‘Let whoever wants to sit with God sit with the Sufis’: this is a repeated message in Sufi literature, which emphasizes the benefits of associating with Sufis. See further Nicholson, vii (Commentary), III.
Delights me more than musical audition: musical audition is the most common translation of the Sufi practice of sama‘, or meditative listening to music while unaware of oneself and immersed in the remembrance of God, which sometimes also involves dance. This was one of Rumi’s favourite activities, and consequently became the most distinctive practice of the order of Sufis which his disciples later formed, the Mevlevis or ‘Whirling Dervishes’ (see further the Introduction).
He cries, ‘O Lord!’ God says, ‘I’m always here!’: from a saying of the Prophet Mohammad about God’s immediate answer to the prayers of his faithful servants. See further Nicholson, vii (Commentary), 113.
No-place: or Placelessness, see note to v. 1390.
like those four rivers ruled by heaven’s fold: the Koranic (47: 15) rivers of water, wine, milk, and honey in paradise.
Heading Commentary on the saying of ‘Attar … antidote’: this verse is from a ghazal in the collection of poems, or Divan, of Faridoddin Attar (concerning whom, see Introduction, and Encyclopaedia Iranica, s.v. “Attar’).
Heading The reverence of the magicians … cast your rod first?: see note to v. 279.
Listen!: Koran 7: 204, where it is used to instruct attentiveness to the Koran, in order to gain God’s mercy.
Enter their houses by their doors: Koran 2: 189, a verse that is often cited as a proverb to mean that one should do things in the proper way.
Knowledge and wisdom lawful meals produce: an allusion to the emphasis placed by the early ascetic precursors of Sufism on reliance exclusively on sustenance which is known to be lawful and not ill-gotten according to the religious law, as part of their extreme emphasis on purity.
Even though God created all the pain!: an allusion to the theological doctrine that God is the creator of all acts.
A verse we cause you to forget: Koran 2: 106, concerning the abrogation of certain verses in the Koran by other ones that are revealed later.
They caused you to forget … they made you forget recite: Koran, 23: 110, where the unbelievers are warned that their mockery of the righteous caused them to forget God’s message.
‘I swear’ until ‘in hardship’, for relief!: Koran 90: 1–4, the last verse of which asserts that without God’s help Man is helpless in the face of the challenges before him.
God’s jealousy: the notion that God possessively demands our exclusive attention and devotion.
Even … maa?: in Persian maa is the relative pronoun meaning ‘we/us/our’, which is the way that it is used in v. 1743. However, in Arabic it is a particle serving, in different contexts, to either negate or affirm, and this is the sense intended in v. 1744.
When I say ‘none’, read: ‘but’ the Deity!: wordplay involving parts of the Muslim testimony of faith: ‘There is no deity but God.’ Rumi is suggesting that he cannot mention directly his intended subjects (God, the sea of spirituality), which are too lofty and would therefore burn up his tongue (v. 1768).
Heading Sa‘d is truly jealous: Sa‘d ebn ‘Obada was a Companion of the Prophet remembered for his jealous disposition.
the order ‘Be!’: see note to v. 1390.
Pay tax on your fair face: this implies that your face is so fair that it should be counted as precious wealth on which one must pay tax.
It’s dawn … all night: a reference to the process of composition of the Masnavi. Rumi would recite verses when inspired with them, even if that meant staying up all night, and Hosamoddin would write down what he recited.
We sit and drink Mansur’s most potent wine: Mansur al-Hallaj (d. 922) was a Sufi who died on the gallows. He is famous for having made the utterance ‘I am the Truth’ while experiencing mystical ecstasy, and later traditions identify this as the reason why he was executed, although this is contradicted by the earliest sources (see further ‘Hallaj’ in Encyclopaedia Iranica). ‘Mansur’s wine’ therefore refers to a particularly intoxicating love for God.
Each day He’s busy with a new affair: Koran 55: 29, where it refers to God’s constant activity, as He bestows favours on His creation.
The mountain beckoned John the Baptist near: this alludes to a tradition among the ‘Stories of the Prophets’ which relates that a mountain opened itself up to protect John the Baptist from his pursuers.
Just like the beardless youth whom they call ‘lord’: a reference to the practice by some Sufi groups of contemplating divine beauty in the form of pre-pubescent boys. Rumi strongly disapproves of this practice.
While Joseph’s scent… be like Jacob–cry!: see note to v. 125.
Listen to this advice from Sana’i: Here Rumi quotes verses from a ghazal from the collection, or Divan, of Hakim Sana’i (concerning whom, see Introduction).
The Resurrection: this refers to the end of time when the dead are resurrected and the truth is revealed. Rumi uses this Koranic image frequently to represent the experience of mystical enlightenment, through which reality can be witnessed in this life.
Recite: ‘Community of jinn and men … if you can pass beyond, go then: Koran 55: 33, where God challenges His creatures to transcend heaven and earth, in order to point out that they are unable to do so without His authority.
not: the negative particle and word for ‘no’ in Arabic, with which begins the Muslim testimony of faith (There is no deity but God). Rumi urges the reader to pass beyond negation to the affirmation of God expressed in the second part of this testimony, as exemplified by the saints in v.1935.
God’s blast: see note to v. 750.
that which in Mary was revealed: meaning the Divine Spirit.
through me you hear and see: part of a Sacred Tradition, or saying of the Prophet in which he presents a message from God in his own words, which is frequently cited in Sufi literature. God affirms that his worshippers continue to draw close to Him through extra acts of devotion until they eventually see and hear through Him, and thus become annihilated in Him. See further Nicholson, vii (Commentary), 131.
‘God’s for him’: from a saying of the Prophet Mohammad which states that God is there for whoever should devote himself to Him. It is used here to allude to subsistence in God after self-annihilation. See further Nicholson, vii (Commentary), 131.
the Prophet’s heavenly tree: the tree of paradise called ‘Tuba’ in the Islamic tradition.
But they refused to shoulder it … they shrank from it: Koran 33: 73, concerning the primordial trust a
ccepted by Man to be His vicegerent in creation, after the heavens and the earth had shrunk from such a weighty responsibility (see note to v. 514).
For just a bite Loqman is held at bay: Rumi plays on the similarity between his name and the Arabic word for bite or morsel (loqma). For Loqman, see Glossary.
redhead: the name the Prophet gave to his wife Aisha (see Glossary).
‘And throw a horseshoe in the fire as well’: this refers to the use of horseshoes as charms, by, for instance, writing the name of the object of one’s desire on a horseshoe and throwing it in a fire, in order to bring that person under one’s control (see further, Nicholson, vii (Commentary), 135). It is used here primarily because of the association with things red: rubies, redhead, glowing horseshoe in a fire.
Mohammad said, ‘Belal, refresh us all … dazed!’: Belal was a freed Abyssinian slave, who became a Companion of the Prophet Mohammad. On account of his attractive and powerful voice, he was chosen by the Prophet to serve as the first muezzin.
His dawn prayer thus was subject to delay: allusion to the tradition that the Prophet and his followers once woke up only after the time for the dawn prayer had already passed.
the Invisible: the unseen spiritual world.
Salt made … more eloquent: essentially a play on the Arabic and Persian words for ‘salt’, cognates of which can also mean ‘excellent’ and ‘well-formed’, respectively. A hadith is a report about what Prophet Mohammad said or did. For the full text of the hadiths that have been identified as the ones referred to here, see Nicholson, vii (Commentary), 137.
Heading Commentary on the verse of Hakim Sana’i: the two couplets cited here are taken from the Hadiqat al-haqiqat of Sana’i, concerning whom see the Introduction.
feel doubt as to a new creation: Koran 50: 15, where it is understood to refer to bodily resurrection on Judgment Day (see note to v. 1925). Rumi uses it here as an example of the error of scepticism concerning what one cannot perceive for oneself.
the Last Day’s trumpet blast: see note to v. 750.
Job’s fount which cleanses and serves as a drink: allusion to Koran 38: 41–2, which describes the spring provided by God to Job for both washing and drinking.
Am I not your Lord?: Koran 7: 172, God’s question in the tradition of the establishment of the covenant between God and Mankind (see further note to v. 514).
Be!: Koran 2: 117 etc.; see note to v. 1390.
The Pole of each age: meaning the supreme Sufi saint of each age, who is the spiritual axis of the universe.
The miracles of Moses and Mohammad: referring to the miracle of Moses’s rod turning into a snake (for which see note to v. 279 above), and the miracle of the moaning pillar described in the preceding passage.
They strike five times a day: rulers would have drums beaten at the palace gates five times each day to proclaim their sovereignty.
The Meccans who reviled the Prophet: at the start of his mission the Prophet Mohammad was reviled by his fellow citizens, and eventually migrated to Medina (see Glossary).
‘Show us the straight path!’: Koran 1: 6, part of the first sura, or chapter, of the Koran, which is repeated during ritual prayer.
Heading Hatem’Tai: the subject of a popular biographical tradition which is thought to stem from a chivalrous pre-Islamic poet by this name. He represents the epitome of generosity in the Arabo-Persian literary tradition.
Water of Life: see note to v. 578.
Sameri: the ‘Samaritan’. He is identified in the Koran (20: 87–97) as the man who led the Jews to worship the golden calf.
Yazid: Yazid ebn Mo’awiya, the second Omayyad caliph, succeeding his father, Mo’awiya, who had been a Companion of the Prophet from a prominent Arab family. He is universally reviled for having ordered the beheading of the Prophet’s grandson Hosayn and the massacre of his followers in Kerbala.
qebla: the direction, from any given location, towards the Kaaba in Mecca (see Glossary), which Muslims face to pray.
But you’ve reversed the way rope-makers plait: a reference to the way rope is traditionally made, with one sequence of plaiting being followed by another in the reverse direction. The bedouin in this way describes his wife as having become worse over the years rather than improving.
Heading ‘Why preach what you don’t practise’ … ‘more abhorred by God’: both these citations are from the same passage in the Koran (61: 2–3).
Poverty’s pride: part of a well-known saying of the Prophet Mohammad, in which he singles out poverty as a characteristic in which he takes pride for having surpassed the level of all previous prophets.
poverty’s my pride: see note to v. 2353.
Hashemites: the Prophet Mohammad was born amongst the Banu Hashem, or Hashemite, clan of Meccan Arabs.
If strangers enter … all their hair: Muslim women traditionally cover their hair in the presence of people who are not closely related.
It’s beautified for men: Koran 3: 14, in reference to the attractive things provided in this world, which are counted as inferior to nearness to God.
he’s consoled by her: Koran 7: 189, in reference to the creation of woman.
‘Please redhead, speak to me!’: representing the words of the Prophet to his wife Aisha; see note to v. 1983.
But it’s for the eclipse men beat their bowls: a traditional way of reacting to the eclipse of the moon, which was thought to have been caused by a dragon that must be driven away.
Be! And it was: Koran 2: 117 etc.; see note to v. 1390.
donkey-sellers’ fights: fights staged by the owners in order to deceive potential customers.
Like changing footprints so you can’t be tracked: deliberately planting footprints that face towards the opposite direction of one’s actual path, in order to mislead trackers.
Heading He has lost this world and the hereafter: Koran 22: 11, in reference to fickle people who follow God for rewards and turn away when they experience adversity.
O my servants!: Koran 39: 53, as part of an instruction to the Prophet Mohammad to tell his people to repent and start to follow true guidance.
Heading He belittled you in their eyes so that God could bring to pass something that needed to be done: Koran 8: 44, where it refers to the rejection of Prophet Mohammad by his own tribesmen in Mecca (see Glossary).
God’s she-camel, her share: Koran 91: 13, in a passage about the mission of Saleh to the Thamud (for both, see Glossary).
jathemin: Koran 7: 78, an Arabic term meaning ‘falling prostrate’ which is used in a passage describing the Thamud (see Glossary) after they are destroyed by an earthquake for rejecting the Prophet Saleh.
Why should I feel bad for the wicked’s sake: Koran 7: 93, where it represents the thoughts of the Prophet Shoaib after the people who rejected him are destroyed.
Heading He let the seas meet each other with a gap which they don’t encroach upon: Koran 55: 19–20. See note to v. 298.
Water of Life/Draught of Life: see note to v. 578.
Heading That God may forgive you your past and future sins: Koran 48: 2, as part of a speech addressing the Prophet Mohammad and recounting the favours he has received from God.
Lord grant me … It is not suitable … After me: Koran 38: 35, as part of Solomon’s appeal to God to grant him a unique form of sovereignty that no one after him would be blessed with.
see by the light of God: part of a saying of the Prophet Mohammad about the miraculous insight of the true believer, who sees by the light of God.
Love makes men turn deaf and blind: a saying of the Prophet Mohammad.
The Tablet’s contents: this refers to the Preserved Tablet, for which see the note to v. 1072.
He taught the names: Koran 2: 31. See note to v. 1243.
Come here … a paradise of images of me: Koran 39: 29–30, where God addresses the perfect souls, described as being at peace.
Much more than wrathful I’m compassionate: an allusion to a Sacred Tradition (see note to v. 1948), in which God st
ates that His mercy precedes His wrath.
The Masnavi, Book One: Bk. 1 (Oxford World's Classics) Page 44