Witnessing and Being Witnessed

Rabia spoke of longing to see God and be seen by God—a mutual recognition that defines spiritual relationship. In developmental psychology, this concept translates to attunement: the parent's capacity to perceive and reflect the infant's inner state, and the infant's growing recognition that their inner world is visible and valued by another. This mutual witnessing begins at birth with eye contact, continues through responsive mirroring of emotions, and becomes the template for all future relationships. When a caregiver witnesses an infant's distress and responds with understanding, the child learns: my experience matters, my feelings are real, I am known. Conversely, infants whose signals are ignored develop shame and disconnection. Rabia's emphasis on divine witnessing suggests that humans are made to be seen, recognized, and affirmed. The parent-infant dyad mirrors this cosmic need. Modern life's distractions—phones, screens, mental preoccupation—threaten this witnessing. Rabia's wisdom calls us back: genuine presence, real eye contact, authentic response. When an infant is truly witnessed in their vulnerability and aliveness, they internalize a fundamental message about their worth. This witnessed sense of self becomes the stable core from which secure identity emerges.