M6:2867 — قاضیان را در حکومت این فنست / شاهد ایشان را دو چشم روشنست

Translation: For judges, in governance, this is the art: That their witness possesses two luminous eyes. Meaning: This verse posits that in divine governance and judgment, the judge relies not merely on the witness's testimony, but on their radiant, impartial eyes, for these eyes perceive truths without distortion.

This verse continues Mawlana's discourse on the position of the witness (shāhid) and intercessor (shāfiʿ) in the divine court, and it is truly one of the pivotal steps in understanding his mystical worldview. Here, Mawlana speaks not of human judges, but of divine judgment and governance, elucidating the role of prophets and saints within this cosmic administration.

I have often stated that in the Quran, God tells the Prophet: “Indeed, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, and a warner.” The Prophet is a shāhid (witness). But what does this “witnessing” entail? Mawlana beautifully elaborates on this term. A shāhid, in this context, is one who comprehends the “stations of servants” (maqāmāt al-ʿibād); that is, they know each human’s standing, what they have done, what they will do, and what they have been. This is a comprehensive and holistic view of the conditions of all beings. The Absolute Judge, God, rules based on this intuition, and this is His art and custom of judgment.

But why does the witness hold such power and esteem? Mawlana says that the shāhid possesses “two luminous eyes” (do chashm-e rowshan). The luminosity of these eyes is not merely physical sight; rather, it signifies insightful and impartial vision. Here, the word gharaḍ (ulterior motive or bias) is crucial. Mawlana explains further: “The claimant sees, but with gharaḍ / Gharaḍ acts as a veil for the heart’s eye.” Gharaḍ, meaning any attachment, greed, or partiality, is a veil that covers the eyes of the heart, and even the outer eye, preventing the perception of truth. As the Arabic proverb states, “Ḥubbuk al-ashyāʾ yuʿmī wa yuṣim” – excessive love for something makes a person blind and deaf.

The true witness, meaning the saints of God, is purified of these biases. Being bi-gharaḍ (without bias), their eyes perceive the “secrets” (sirr) impartially. In the divine court, the witness, in essence, sits in the place of the judge’s eye, for the Judge (God) knows that whatever this witness has seen is impartial and untainted. This is the very meaning Mawlana expresses elsewhere: “The judge and the witness are one.” This, of course, transcends the superficial understanding among humans where judge and witness are two separate entities. In the divine system, when an eye becomes so luminous and impartial that it sees only the Truth, that eye is no longer separate from the Truth; its gaze becomes the very gaze of the Truth. This is the unqualified and incomparable union that Mawlana emphasizes.

Mawlana extends this insight to the “human soul” (rūḥ-e ādamī). He states: “There is nothing more hidden than the human soul.” In the cosmos, nothing is more concealed or harder to comprehend than the human soul. Even Gabriel, during the Prophet’s Mi’raj, could not grasp certain truths. But this witness, this Prophet, this divine saint, by virtue of their luminous and impartial eyes, also perceives the human soul and is aware of its secrets. It is for this reason that the absolute witness can testify in any dispute, for everything is manifest to them. They are a just witness, for they carry a divine attribute. In this sense, the prayer for “two luminous eyes” is a request for liberation from all veils of bias and for attaining a vision that sees reality as it is, not as we wish or imagine it to be.

Key takeaways

• In Mawlana's view, a shāhid (witness) is not merely an observer, but one who comprehends the "stations of servants" (maqāmāt al-ʿibād), possessing insightful awareness of human beings' existential truths.
• "Two luminous eyes" is a metaphor for impartial vision, free from any attachment or greed; any "bias" (gharaḍ) acts as a veil over the heart's eye.
• In the divine judiciary, the impartial witness sits in the place of the Absolute Judge's eye, as their gaze is aligned with the Truth, possessing divine insight.
• Mawlana believes the most hidden secret of existence is the "human soul" (rūḥ-e ādamī), and the true witness is one who perceives and understands this secret with luminous eyes.
• This verse deeply emphasizes the importance of absolute impartiality and honesty in comprehending truths and making judgments based on them, both in the human and divine realms.