M6:2864 — در نظر بودش مقامات العباد / لاجرم نامش خدا شاهد نهاد

Translation: In his sight were the stations of the servants (of God); Thus, God named him 'Witness'.

Meaning: God bestowed the title 'Witness' upon His Prophet, for the Prophet possessed an all-encompassing insight into the spiritual states and stations of all human beings, with nothing remaining hidden from his discerning gaze.

This beyt is a pivotal point in understanding Mawlana's perspective on the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), focusing on the key attribute of being a 'Witness' (shāhed). Mawlana, drawing from Quranic verses that refer to the Prophet as a 'Witness,' 'Bearer of Glad Tidings,' and 'Warner,' delves into a profound understanding of what 'witness' truly entails.

I have often emphasized that in Mawlana's intellectual framework, the Prophet is not merely a messenger who gives glad tidings and warnings, but an eye that perceives all things. When he says, 'In his sight were the stations of the servants (of God)', it means the Prophet possessed complete awareness of the inner states, ranks, and conditions of all human beings – the virtuous and the wicked, believers and disbelievers alike. This includes even their future destinies. This comprehensive and all-encompassing vision places him in a position where he is not only an observer of deeds but a revealer of the souls' secrets.

Mawlana employs the analogy of a courtroom, with a judge and a witness, to elucidate this 'witness' status. He explains that in a court, many claimants (muddaʿī) speak, but the judge heeds the 'witness' because the witness has a sharp eye and a truthful tongue. However, in the Prophet's case, this witness is bi-gharaḍ (disinterested, impartial). Self-interest and greed draw a veil over the heart's eye, preventing one from seeing the truth. As the Arabic proverb states, 'ḥubb al-shayʾ yuʿmī wa yuṣammu' (love of a thing makes one blind and deaf). Above all, selfishness blinds one to one's own faults and those of others. God desires us to shed worldly attachments and become zāhed (ascetic) so that we may truly become a shāhed – an impartial witness who sees reality as it is.

Ultimately, Mawlana elevates this status to its zenith, stating that the Prophet's eye, that 'eye of the Friend,' is justice itself, possessing a divine attribute. At this stage, one can no longer speak of the judge and witness as separate entities; rather, they become one. The absolute divine witness is one who has access to the most hidden truths of the universe – the human soul. The soul, described in the Quran as 'min amri Rabbī' (from the command of my Lord) and largely unknowable to most humans, is unveiled to this 'precious eye': 'When that precious eye saw the soul, nothing remained hidden from it.'

It is here that Mawlana transcends the conventional meaning of 'witness' and subtly alludes to its literary sense of 'beloved' or 'heart-stealer.' The Prophet is not only a witness to deeds but God's Beloved; a Beloved who becomes the very eye and ear of God, observing all human conditions and stations with a divine gaze.

Key takeaways

• The Prophet's attribute of 'Witness' (shāhed) signifies his unparalleled and all-encompassing knowledge of the inner and outer states of all human beings.
• True 'witness-hood' necessitates impartiality and freedom from egoistic attachments, as self-interest veils the heart's true sight.
• At its highest echelon, the Witness and the Judge become one, and the Prophet's eye embodies divine justice and insight.
• The Prophet possesses knowledge of the most hidden reality in creation: the human soul, leaving nothing concealed from his perception.
• This profound insight transcends mere observation, implying the Prophet is God's Beloved, who gazes upon creation with a divine eye.