(Notes from Sefik Can Efendi, 1998)
Sipehsalar writes: If I was to describe one tenth of Rumi’s ecstasy, love and “attraction”, I couldn’t fit it into this book. (Sipehsalar, Persian version, p. 22)
O reader, may Allah make you succeed. Know that rapture of attraction is a state of fascination and ecstasy induced by God’s attracting his slave to Himself. It is being overwhelmed such that one forgets one’s self, it being fascinated by God’s greatness, power and attributes. Attraction is reunion with God, dying before death, and attaining God while living. If there no spiritual talent in the person walking on the path of Allah, no matter how much that person strive or how much he performs self-mortification, he never attains union with God. Attraction is a favor of Allah, the Most Glorious, in the eternal past. That is it is a spiritual bestowment that Allah has granted on the spirits of some people in the world of the spirits before coming to the world.
Our Prophet says: There is an attraction among the attractions of Allah that is better than the worship of the whole mankind and ginies.” If there happens an pause, a joylessness, a hopelessness to the person who walks on the path of Allah when he reaches a level, Allah, Most Dominant, Most Glorious, takes the traveler of the path of Allah to safety with his attraction due to the abundance of His Mercy and Favors and makes him attain his destination.
The eternal attraction bestowed by God was clearly visible in Rumi. Therefore, of every level and stage he attained with the continuously coming and overflowing attractions he would tell somewhat:
The love burak (a vehicle for ascending to the heavens) of meanings has taken away my mind and my heart. Ask me: ‘Where did it take them?’ It took my mind and heart to that side which you don’t know, to beyond. I reaches a pavilion from where I saw no moon, no sky. I arrived in such a world that there even the world ceases to be the world. For one moment, excuse me, spare me, so that my mind returns to me and I can tell you what the spirit is and talk about its beauties. Don’t disregard my words. Listen to me, you, too, have a spirit. Try to understand the spirit. There are favors of the Beloved to us, bestowments, grants and gift. These are amazing, never before seen favors and bestowments. These are unique gifts. From the path of the senses comes clear lights and the hearts are being enlightened. When the spirit which resembles the star of Canopus, appears from the direction of rukn-i yemani(?) moon ceases to be visible as well as the sun and the seven poles of the skies. The light of the spirit overpower them all. For a moment take the religion which resembles a piece of gold and put it under your tongue so that you may realize how valuable an ore is in your heart, inside yourself. Enlighten the lights of the five sense that are in you. See them as the five daily prayers. Your heart is like the Chapter Fatiha which consists of seven verses. Every morning there comes a voice from the heavens. If you can remove the love of this world from your heart you can hear it and find the trace of the path of truth and start to walk on it.
(Divan-i Kebir, 3039)