In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the mystic's vision of the seven candles deepens as the radiant flames miraculously transform into seven men. Rumi describes the divine light radiating from these spiritual figures as ascending to the 'azure vault' of the heavens. To emphasize the overwhelming supremacy of this spiritual illumination, Rumi contrasts it with the natural light of the sun, stating that before these profound lights, ordinary daylight appeared as 'mere dregs.' The overpowering force of this divine radiance completely effaces all other worldly sources of illumination. This metaphorical transformation signifies the embodiment of divine light within perfected spiritual masters or saints, illustrating that their inner spiritual luminosity vastly eclipses any physical or material light in the created universe.

The Transformation of the Seven Candles into Seven Men in the Masnavi

In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the mystic's vision of the seven candles deepens as he witnesses a profound paradox: the seven candles merge into a single radiant light that splits the heavens, only to separate back into seven. This continuous oscillation between one and seven symbolizes the intricate relationship between divine absolute unity ($$Tawhid$$) and the multiplicity of the created world. Rumi emphasizes the extreme ineffability of this spiritual connection, asserting that a single instant of such divine unveiling cannot be articulated by the tongue or comprehended by the ear, even over the span of many years. Overwhelmed by the majesty of this vision, the seeker's intellect shatters, plunging him into a state of unconsciousness and self-annihilation ($$fana$$). When he eventually regains his senses, he is fundamentally transformed, moving forward without the illusion of individual ego or physical boundaries.

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## Original content
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هفت شمع از دور دیدم ناگهان 
اندر آن ساحل شتابیدم بدان
نور شعلهٔ هر یکی شمعی از آن 
بر شده خوش تا عنان آسمان
خیره گشتم خیرگی هم خیره گشت 
موج حیرت عقل را از سر گذشت
این چگونه شمعها افروختست 
کین دو دیدهٔ خلق ازینها دوختست
خلق جویان چراغی گشته بود 
پیش آن شمعی که بر مه می‌فزود
چشم‌بندی بد عجب بر دیده‌ها 
بندشان می‌کرد یهدی من یشا

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## English translation
Suddenly from afar I saw seven candles;
I hurried toward them on that shore.
The light of the flame of each of those candles
had risen beautifully to the rein of heaven.
I was dazzled; even dazzlement itself was dazzled;
the wave of wonder passed over the head of reason.
What kind of candles have been lit here,
that the two eyes of creation have been sewn shut from seeing them?
The people had become seekers of a lamp
before a candle that outshone the moon.
A strange blindfold was upon their eyes;
it bound them: He guides whom He wills.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۸۹ - نمودن مثال هفت شمع سوی ساحل / Book Three - Section 89 - Showing the Example of Seven Candles Towards the Shore

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باز می‌دیدم که می‌شد هفت یک 
می‌شکافد نور او جیب فلک
باز آن یک بار دیگر هفت شد 
مستی و حیرانی من زفت شد
اتصالاتی میان شمعها 
که نیاید بر زبان و گفت ما
آنک یک دیدن کند ادارک آن 
سالها نتوان نمودن از زبان
آنک یک دم بیندش ادراک هوش 
سالها نتوان شنودن آن بگوش
چونک پایانی ندارد رو الیک 
زانک لا احصی ثناء ما علیک
پیشتر رفتم دوان کان شمعها 
تا چه چیزست از نشان کبریا
می‌شدم بی خویش و مدهوش و خراب 
تا بیفتادم ز تعجیل و شتاب
ساعتی بی‌هوش و بی‌عقل اندرین 
اوفتادم بر سر خاک زمین
باز با هوش آمدم برخاستم 
در روش گویی نه سر نه پاستم

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## English translation
Again I saw that the seven were becoming one;
its light was splitting the collar of the heavens.
Again that one became seven once more;
my intoxication and bewilderment grew vast.
There were connections among the candles
that cannot come onto our tongue or into our speech.
Whoever grasps that in a single act of seeing
could not show it with the tongue for years.
Whoever's understanding sees it for a single instant
could not hear it with the ear for years.
Since it has no end, turn toward You,
for I cannot enumerate praise of You.
I ran farther forward toward those candles,
to see what thing this sign of Majesty was.
I was becoming selfless, stunned, and ruined,
until I fell from haste and hurry.
For a while, unconscious and without intellect in this state,
I fell with my head upon the dust of the earth.
Then I came back to consciousness and rose;
in moving, it was as though I had neither head nor foot.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۹۰ - شدن آن هفت شمع بر مثال یک شمع / Book Three - Section 90 - Those Seven Candles Becoming as One Candle

In Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, after the deceptive vizier's withdrawal, the Christian disciples ask their commanders who among them is the true successor. Rumi seizes this narrative moment to deliver a profound philosophical discourse on the distinction between outward physical multiplicity ('form') and inward spiritual oneness ('meaning'). He argues that while true prophets and spiritual guides may appear as distinct individuals in the physical world, their divine essence is unified. To illustrate this, Rumi employs the metaphor of multiple lamps in a single room: though each lamp possesses a unique physical form, the light they emit is entirely indistinguishable. He also compares this unity to squeezing a hundred apples and quinces, causing their individual numbers to vanish into a single juice. Finally, Rumi likens worldly multiplicity to the shadows cast by battlements, urging the seeker to 'demolish the battlement' of physical form to perceive the undivided light of the Real.

The Metaphor of the Lamps and Spiritual Unity in the Masnavi

In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the mystic Daquqi experiences a profound vision that begins with the sudden appearance of seven exceptionally radiant candles on a shore. These seven candles symbolize the exalted spiritual saints or 'Friends of God' ($$awliya$$) who serve as divine guides for humanity. The overpowering brilliance of their flames, which rises to the heavens and completely bewilders the observer, represents the awe-inspiring nature of divine light channeled through these perfected individuals. This initial manifestation in Daquqi's vision establishes the foundational theme of spiritual illumination, illustrating how the majestic unveiling of divine truth can overwhelm human comprehension.

The Symbolism of the Seven Candles in Daquqi's Vision

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The Merging of the Seven Candles and Ineffable Unity in the Masnavi

## Original content
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هفت شمع اندر نظر شد هفت مرد 
نورشان می‌شد به سقف لاژورد
پیش آن انوار نور روز درد 
از صلابت نورها را می‌سترد

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## English translation
Seven candles, in the vision, became seven men; their light rose to the azure vault. Before those lights, the light of day was mere dregs; by their overpowering force, those lights effaced the other lights.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۹۱ - نمودن آن شمعها در نظر هفت مرد / Book Three - Section 91 - The Appearance of Those Candles as Seven Men in the Vision

In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the historical reconciliation of the warring Aws and Khazraj tribes serves as a profound allegory for the transformative power of spiritual unity. Rumi explains that the Prophet Muhammad (Mustafa) erased their ancient, bloodthirsty hatreds through the light of Islam, turning bitter enemies into brothers. To illustrate this miraculous shift, Rumi employs the metaphor of grapes in a vineyard. While individual grapes maintain their distinct, outward physical forms, when they are pressed, they surrender their boundaries and merge into a single, indistinguishable juice. This destruction of individual forms symbolizes the annihilation of the ego and the realization of spiritual oneness. Furthermore, Rumi contrasts sour, unripe grapes—representing those stubbornly trapped in ignorance and unbelief—with those that willingly ripen and embrace unity. Ultimately, he praises divine Love as the master force capable of dissolving duality, rancor, and strife, binding hundreds of thousands of fragmented particles into one cohesive soul.

The Unification of Aws and Khazraj in the Masnavi

In Book 4 of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi*, the poet explores the profound spiritual unity of prophets and true believers, contrasting it with the inherent multiplicity of the animal soul. Rumi explains that while human bodies and animal spirits are fundamentally isolated—driven by envy, competition, and separate physical needs—the souls of true believers, described as 'God's lions,' share a single divine essence. To illustrate this underlying oneness, Rumi employs the metaphor of sunlight: just as the single sun in the sky casts light into a hundred different walled courtyards, the divine spirit illuminates many distinct physical bodies. If the physical walls separating these courtyards were removed, the perceived multiplicity of lights would immediately be revealed as one unified radiance. This allegory emphasizes that physical separation is merely an earthly illusion, and at the level of pure spirit, all true believers are intimately connected as a single soul.

The Metaphor of Sunlight and the Unity of Believers in the Masnavi

In Book 2 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the narrative explores the Sufi concept of a continuous, pre-existent divine light that empowers all spiritual luminaries. Rumi traces this primordial "flash of lightning" through a chronological lineage of prophets and saints. He explains that this divine grace, which elevates individuals from "lowly dust" into "glorious horsemen," illuminated Adam's knowledge and passed down through figures like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, enabling their respective miracles. Following the prophets, this identical spiritual illumination was inherited by the four Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali) and subsequently by revered Sufi masters such as Junayd and Bayazid. By linking these figures, Rumi illustrates that all genuine spiritual authority and esoteric knowledge stem from a singular, transcendent divine light that purifies chosen individuals from their earthly temperaments.

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