THE LAMENT OF THE ROOH

What the Rooh is saying, listen!

And (listen to) the complaint of all its separation!

The Rooh (Soul) of a human was engrossed and thoroughly absorbed in the Aalam-e-Arwaah (the world of Souls – Malakoot) with love and awareness of Haq Ta’ala. Becoming attached to the material world (Naasoot) it became overwhelmed with the corporeal physical attributes of lust and anger and hence its spiritual attributes – divine love, spiritual enlightenment, etc. – began fading.

If it is alerted by an unseen force or the company of a master of Tasawwuf or the study of the journals of divine love and the lovers of Allah, and it recalls its original condition and original attributes through evidence or natural flair, then it becomes regretful over its loss or suppression.

It then expresses this regret with the tongue or with its condition. This is what is meant by “what it is saying”.

It has been likened to a flute for this same reason of regret, sadness, moaning and wailing.

In view of the many praiseworthy attributes of the Rooh – divine love, spiritual enlightenment, perpetual divine remembrance (Zikr) – and all have diminished, hence it broods about each and every one and becomes depressed and distressed for it has become separated from each one. For this reason, Moulana Roomi (Rahmatullahi alaih) says, “the complaint of all its separation”.

(Kaleed-e-Mathnawi)