M6:2855 — گفت و هو معکم این شاه بود / فعل ما می‌دید و سرمان می‌شنود

Translation: And 'He is with you'—that was this king; / He saw our deeds and heard our secrets. Meaning: This verse underscores the constant presence of God, who, like an all-knowing sovereign, observes our actions and perceives our hidden thoughts, even when we are unaware of His proximity.

This verse, drawn from the tale of the thieves and the king, serves as a profound bridge to one of the most fundamental principles of monotheistic gnosis: the direct and perpetual presence of God. When Mowlana declares: "And 'He is with you'—that was this king; / He saw our deeds and heard our secrets," he is elucidating a Quranic truth through narrative. The venerable verse, "And He is with you wherever you are" (Al-Hadid, 4), and similar verses in Surah Al-Mujadilah (7-8), clearly articulate this presence: "There is no secret counsel of three but He is the fourth of them, nor of five but He is the sixth of them." This presence is not metaphorical; it is an absolute and definitive presence. God not only observes our actions and movements but also perceives and hears the deepest secrets and hidden thoughts within our hearts. This is the very king who, unbeknownst to the thieves, accompanied them in their midst, witnessing their deeds and hearing their words; they were oblivious, but He was present.

In this story, the thief endowed with insight, who recognized the king in the darkness of the night, symbolizes the "gnostic king" (ʿārif-i shāh). The gnostic is one who, with the eye of spiritual knowledge, discerns the presence of Truth in all events and scenes. Even amidst the darkness and sins that humans commit, the gnostic does not forget that the King is present. This "king-recognition" elevates the gnostic to a station where they can intercede for others. However, this intercession is not in the common, human sense of a 'favor' that alters God's decree. No! Mowlana asserts that the gnostic's eye is the "sanctuary of both worlds." Why? Because their eye is "mā zāgha," unswerving, much like the Prophet's eye during the Miʿraj, of which it is said, "The eye did not swerve, nor did it transgress" (Al-Najm, 17). This means their gaze was not diverted from the Truth, seeing nothing but the Truth. In such an eye, which sees nothing but Truth, and an ear that hears nothing but the word of Truth, there is no duality or separation between the gnostic and the Truth.

Therefore, the intercession of a prophet or gnostic is, in reality, the manifestation of that very divine will and mercy flowing through their pure existence. It is the Truth Itself that intercedes through these chosen servants, rather than them pleading before God. This unity and incomparable oneness transform the concept of intercession from a human transaction into an existential flow. The gnostic's eye is the sanctuary of all creation because their vision is God's vision, and their will is God's will. This insight presents a highly sublime and profound understanding of God's presence and the role of divine saints, which contrasts sharply with superficial and anthropomorphic interpretations of God and intercession.

Key takeaways

• God's presence is real and perpetual, not merely metaphorical.
• Our actions and secrets are constantly observed and heard by the Divine.
• The 'gnostic' (ʿārif), through insight, perceives the King's (God's) presence even in the darkness of oblivion.
• The gnostic's eye does not swerve from Truth and sees nothing but Reality (mā zāgha).
• The intercession of saints is a direct manifestation of Divine will and mercy, not human-like mediation.