M6:2888 — چشم من از چشم‌ها بگزیده شد / تا که در شب آفتابم دیده شد

Translation: My eye was chosen from among all other eyes, So that in the night, I could behold my Sun. Meaning: This verse suggests that a specially chosen eye possesses the unique ability to perceive ultimate reality, symbolized as the "Sun," even amidst the darkness and obscurities of the material world, a vision denied to ordinary perception.

This verse speaks to a profound epistemological experience. Mawlana here describes a special eye, an eye that has been "chosen" (bagozīdeh shod) from among all others. This chosenness alludes to divine grace and favor; this capability is a divine gift, not merely an ascetic's endeavor.

The "night" (shab) here is a metaphor for the obscurities of the natural world, the veil of causes and means, and what I call "the glove of God." We often live in a world where we only perceive the glove, oblivious to the hand behind it. Nature, with its chain of causes and effects, acts as a curtain, blinding our eyes and making us "cause-seers" (sabab-bīn). Mawlana offers the example of an ant that only sees the pen tip and attributes the drawn lines to it, while a hand and a mind operate the pen. Most humans are confined to this "night" of the world of causes and cannot see beyond it.

However, the "Sun" (āftāb) in this verse symbolizes the absolute Truth, the Divine essence, or, in Mawlana's words, the "Cause of causes" (mosabbib-ul-asbāb). The one whose eye is chosen transcends this "night," tears through the veils, and perceives the hidden hand behind the glove. This "sharp eye" (tīz-cheshm) is what Plato describes in the allegory of the cave; eyes that emerge from the darkness of the cave and perceive the reality of light.

Mawlana elucidates this concept through the story of Sultan Mahmud and the thieves, where one thief claims to recognize anyone even in the dark. This alludes to the capacity of the ārif (gnostic) and the prophet to behold the Truth even amidst the darkness of heedlessness and enslavement to natural causes. Such a visionary among us is, in essence, "the eyes of God," who will also serve as our "witness" (shāhed) and "intercessor" (shafī’) on the Day of Judgment.

Therefore, this verse indicates that to perceive the Truth, a different kind of vision is required; eyes that not only transcend appearances but also possess the ability to see the "Sun" within the heart of the "night." This insight is the result of divine chosenness and grace, bestowed upon a few to find light in darkness and make others aware of its existence. This is not merely a personal experience but an account of the gnostic's and seeker's place in the cosmic order—one who tears the veil of heedlessness and reaches the ultimate source of all causes.

Key takeaways

• True insight is a divine gift, not solely a human endeavor; the gnostic's eye is "chosen."
• The "night" symbolizes the natural world and the veil of causes, which prevents ordinary eyes from seeing the Truth.
• The "Sun" represents absolute Reality, the Cause of all causes, visible to the chosen eye even in profound darkness.
• The eye that penetrates the "night" has the ability to see beyond appearances and perceive the hidden hand behind the veil of causes.
• This unique vision, akin to that of the Prophet (the Witness) and the gnostic (the Sharp-Eyed), serves to guide others.