M6:1512 — کو ادب از بهر مظلومی کند / نه برای عرض و خشم و دخل خود

Translation: He who administers justice for the sake of an oppressed one, not for his own display, anger, or personal gain. Meaning: This verse describes the attributes of an ideal judge or ruler who dispenses justice and punishment solely to uphold the rights of the downtrodden, unmotivated by personal desires such as self-display, wrath, or financial benefit.

Mowlana, in this verse, illuminates the sublime yet arduous station of judgeship, delineating the line between a just judge and one corrupted by ego. He speaks of the ideal qazi (judge) who administers adab (justice, discipline, or even punishment) purely "for the sake of an oppressed one"; his sole aim is to uphold justice and aid the wronged. The judge must not pursue the gratification of personal desires, be it "arz" (self-display, reputation, personal standing), "khashm" (vengeance or personal anger), or "dakhl" (financial gain or any material benefit). As I have often asserted, a judge must function like a mirror or a scale: impartial, dispassionate, and empty of self. A mirror reflects an image as it is, and a scale weighs precisely, neither out of self-interest nor inclination. The judge, too, must be devoid of any personal bias, whether positive or negative, to deliver a righteous verdict. It is here that Mowlana implicitly alludes to the jurisprudential dictum, "La yaqdi al-qadi wa huwa ghadban" (The judge should not judge while angry). The true judge is a "deputy of God" (nāyib-e ḥaqq) and a "shadow of divine justice" (sāye-ye ʿadl-e ḥaqq); he holds no petty or insignificant office, but acts through divine delegation to implement God's justice-spreading will. Hence, any self-interest or ego defiles this divine station, turning him into a "petty judge." In the Masnavi, this emphasis on sincerity in action pervades not only the realm of jurisprudence but all facets of human spiritual journeying: that every act must be for God, not for one's ephemeral self-interests.

Key takeaways

• A true judge administers justice solely for the sake of the oppressed.
• Judgment must be free from any self-display, personal anger, or material gain.
• The judge must be impartial and devoid of self, like a mirror or a scale.
• Being a deputy of God requires complete sincerity and freedom from egoistic desires.
• Personal anger and inclinations are major impediments to divine justice.