Iqbal Nama
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Transcript of Iqbal Nama
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
Dr. ALLAMA IQBALDr. ALLAMA IQBALDr. ALLAMA IQBALDr. ALLAMA IQBAL
POET OF EASTPOET OF EASTPOET OF EASTPOET OF EAST
A Project of
Rotaract Club of
Karachi Metropolitan
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Alama Iqbal was an heir to a very rich literary, mystic, philosophical and religious
tradition. He imbibed and assimilated all that was best in the past and present Islamic
and Oriental thought and culture. His range of interests covered Religion, Philosophy,
Art, Politics, and Economics, the revival of Muslim life and universal brotherhood of
man. His prose, not only in his national language but also in English, was powerful. His
two books in English demonstrate his mastery of English. But poetry was his medium
par excellence of expression. Everything he thought and felt, almost involuntarily
shaped it into verse.
His first book Ilm ul Iqtisad/The knowledge of Economics was written in Urdu in 1903.
His first poetic work Asrar-i Khudi (1915) was followed by Rumuz-I Bekhudi (1917).
Payam-i Mashriq appeared in 1923, Zabur-i Ajam in 1927, Javid Nama in 1932, Pas cheh
bayed kard ai Aqwam-i Sharq in 1936, and Armughan-i Hijaz in 1938. All these books
were in Persian. The last one, published posthumously is mainly in Persian: only a small
portion comprises Urdu poems and ghazals.
In short, the personality of Allama Iqbal has left indelible marks in history. He tried to
awaken the Muslims of India through his philosphy, poetry and politics. He gave the
idea of independence to the Muslims of India. Iqbal died on 21st April, 1938. He was
buried infront of the "Badshahi Mosque" in "Huzori Bagh."
The Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan will observe Iqbal day with zeal and fervour
to pay tribute to the great philosopher and poet, Allama Mohammad Iqbal, on his
127th birth anniversary; with a message of peace and prosperity.
I would like to Thank Rtr. Irfan Memon for his dedication and commitment in bring out
this issue with a hope that you will like the poetry presented in this special issue to pay
tribute to our great poet.
Regards
Rtr. Raza Tabish Farooqui
President
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan
Club Theme 2009-2010 “Changing Lives”
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
EDITOR’S MESSAGE
9th November, the birth date of a legend Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal was born whose philosophical and spiritual ideologies gave new patterns of thinking to the entire human race. At this occasion I want to spread his message across the globe. The idea behind this issue is to let the people living in different parts of the world realise that Pakistan is a country with rich culture and literature. Dr. Allama Iqbal is one of the numerous intellectual personalities which this part of the world has given birth to. I would like to thank Rtr. Raza Tabish Farooqui (President 09/10) for all the support and efforts in making this idea works for real. Special thanks to Rtr. Nishat Maryam Rasheed for her support in selecting the poetical works of Dr. Allama Iqbal and ideas to compose this issue.
Regards,
Rtr. Irfan Memon
Director Publications &
Jnt. Director Club Services
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
Introduction of Poet
Dr. Iqbal (1877-1938) is one of the preeminent writers of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. Indeed, the attention he has received from numerous writers, translators, and critics from Western as well as Islamic countries testifies to his stature as a world literary figure. While his primary reputation is that of a poet, Iqbal has not lacked admirers for his philosophical thought. He has in fact been called “the most serious Muslim philosophical thinker of modem times.” The frequently used appellation of “poet-
philosopher” is thus well deserved. Iqbal’s poetry and philosophy do not exist in isolation from each other; they are integrally related, his poetry serving as a vehicle for his thought.
Educational Background
Iqbal was born in Sialkot, in the present-day province of the Punjab in Pakistan, on 9th November 1877, where he received his early education. For higher education Iqbal went to Lahore in 1895, where he completed his MA in philosophy in 1899. He had already obtained a degree in law (1898). In 1905, Iqbal left for study at Cambridge. His choice of Cambridge was probably dictated by the fact that Cambridge was reputed for the study not only of European philosophy but also of Arabic and Persian. In his three years of stay abroad, Iqbal obtained a BA from Cambridge (1906), qualified as a barrister at London’s Middle Temple (1906), and earned a PhD from Munich University (1908).
His Work
Asrar-i Khudi 1915 Javid Namah (1932)
Rumuz-i Bikhudi (1918) Musafir (1936)
Bang-i Dara (1924) Zarb-i Kalim (1937)
Zabur-i ‘Ajam (1927) Armaghan-i Hijaz 1938
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
THE
MORNING SUN
INTRODUCTION
This apparently nature poem is of much higher import than its name
shows and is full of mystic meaning. The sun which is "the Great
Luminary" in the human view is not equal to even a speck of dust at
Man’s door. However, Man owes this greatness to two attributes, viz.,
belief in the Unity of Mankind Unity of God. Man is investigating and
trying to understand the nature of both since his inception on the
earth. The essence of the poem is contained in the last six verses.
Far from the ignoble strife of Man's tavern you are
The wine-cup adorning the sky's assemblage you are
The jewel which should be the pearl of the morning's bride's ear you are
The ornament which would be the pride of horizon's forehead you are
The blot of night's ink from time's page has been removed!
The star from sky like a spurious picture has been removed!
When from the roof of the sky your beauty appears
Effect of sleep's wine suddenly from eyes disappears
Perception's expanse gets filled with light
Though opens only the material eye your light
The spectacle which the eyes seek is desired
The effulgence which would open the insight is desired
The desires for freedom were not fulfilled in this life
We remained imprisoned in chains of dependence all life
The high and the low are alike for your eye
I too have longing for such a discerning eye
May my eye shedding tears in sympathy for others' woes be!
May my heart free from the prejudice of nation and customs be!
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
May my tongue be not bound with discrimination of color
May mankind be my nation, the whole world my country be
May secret of Nature's organization clear to my insight be
May smoke of my imagination's candle rising to the sky be
May search for secrets of opposites not make me restless!
May the Love-creating Beauty in everything appear to me!
If the rose petals get damaged by the breeze
May its pain dropping from my eye as a tear be
May the heart contain that little spark of Love's fire
The light of which may contain the secret of the Truth
May my heart not mine but the Beloved's mirror be!
May no thought in my mind except human sympathy be!
If you cannot endure the hardships of the tumultuous world
O the Great Luminary that is not the mark of greatness!
As you are not aware of your world-decorating beauty
You cannot be equal to a speck of dust at the Man's door!
The light of Man eager for the Spectacle ever remained
And you obligated to the tomorrow's morning ever remained
Longing for the Light of the Truth is only in our hearts
Abode of Lailah of desire for search is only in this litter
Opening of the difficult knot, Oh what a pleasure it is!
The pleasure of universal gain in our endless effort is!
Your bosom is unacquainted with the pain of investigation
You are not familiar with searching of the secrets of Nature
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
THE MESSAGE OF
DAWN (Adapted from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
INTRODUCTION
While the original poem by Longfellow is only a poetic description of the
coming to life of the world in the morning this adaptation goes much
deeper. This poem is the explanation of the role of the light of knowledge in
removing the darkness of ignorance by acquiring the knowledge of the
unseen spiritual world. The poem also explains the role of time in
controlling the activities of daily life.
When the sparkling of the night's forehead's decoration disappeared1
The zephyr of life with the news of the happy morning appeared
It awakened the nightingale of flowery song in its nest
It shook the shoulder of the farmer on the field's edge
It broke the spell of darkness of night’s talisman with Surah al-Nor 2
It robbed the golden crown of bed-chamber's candle in the dark
It chanted the magic of awakening on those sleeping in the temple
It gave the Brahman the tidings of the bright sun
Arriving at the mosque's roof it said to the Mu’adhdhin3
"Do you not fear appearance of the resplendent sun ?"
Climbing the garden's wall it cried this to the rose-bud
"Burst! You are the Mu'adhdhin of the morning O rose-bud"
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
It gave the command in the wilderness "Move O Caravan"!
"Every dust speck will shine like fire-fly in the wilderness"
When it reached the cemetery from the living's habitation
Witnessing the spectacle of the cemetery it spoke thus
"Remain lying in comfort still, come again shall I
Make the whole world sleep, wake you up shall I 4
Explanatory Notes
1. Allusion to the departing of the stars at the night's end.
2. Allusion to the Holy Qur'an 24:35. It means that the real darkness of the
night, which is a metaphor for the lack of knowledge of the unseen spiritual
universe, is broken only with the Divine Light referred to in the above verse of
the Holy Qur'an
3. Mu’adhdhin- The person who calls Muslims to prayers. Adhan is his call.
4. Allusion to the morning of the Day of Resurrection when all those sleeping in
their graves will be awakened (the Holy Qur’an 7:187; 18:99-101).
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
THE OCEAN WAVE INTRODUCTION
Dynamism is one of the important subjects in ‘Dr. Iqbal's teachings. “Ocean
waves" is one of the metaphors he uses for dynamism, as in this poem. The
poem shows how restless a dynamic person is when he is deprived of the
opportunities for action. This is shown in the climax of the poem in the last
verse.
My impatient heart keeps me relentlessly restless
Like mercury agitation is the essence of life to me
Wave is my name, the sea is fordable to me
The whirlpool's circle would never be a chain to me
My steed speeds in the water like wind
The fishing tackle has never caught my skirt
Sometimes I jump up due to attraction of the full moon1
Sometimes in excitement I strike my head on the shore
I am the traveller who loves destination
Someone should ask me why I always jump
Fleeing from the discomfort of the narrow river I am
Upset by separation from the ocean's vastness I am
Explanatory Note
1. Allusion to the rising of the ocean waves in the tide created by the full moon.
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
INTRODUCTION:
Though outwardly this poem is a piece of "natural poetry" it contains, as is
usual with ‘Allamah Iqbal, his basic philosophy of Khudâ or the pre-eminence
of Man in the God's creation. The poem says that though the beautiful rose, as
an object of beauty in the creation of God, is "a joy for ever", it is devoid of the
feelings of longing for comprehension of the Truth, which faculty is the gift of
God specially endowed upon Man. Man should appreciate, enjoy and respect
the beauty of the cosmos and should not create chaos therein by interfering
with, abusing or damaging the same for satisfaction of his material needs. This
longing, or the continuous search for the Truth created in the poet's heart,
which in fact should exist in every Muslim's heart would eventually illuminate
the world and would train the human intellect and guide it into spiritual
channels instead of leaving it as an unbridled steed as at present.
You are not familiar with the hardships of solving enigmas
O Beautiful Rose! Perhaps you do not have sublime feelings in your heart
Though you adorn the assembly yet do not participate in its struggles
In life's assembly I am not endowed with this comfort
In this garden I am the complete orchestra of Longing1
And your life is devoid of the warmth of that Longing
To pluck you from the branch is not my custom
This sight is not different from the sight of the eye which can only see the
appearances
Ah! O colorful rose this hand is not one of a tormentor
How can I explain to you that I am not a flower picker
I am not concerned with intricacies of the philosophic eye
Like a lover I see you through the nightingale's 2 eye
In spite of innumerable tongues 3 you have chosen silence
What is the secret which is concealed in your bosom?
THE COLORFUL ROSE
Rotaract Club of Karachi Metropolitan Iqbal Nama
THE COLORFUL ROSE INTRODUCTION:
Though outwardly this poem is a piece of "natural poetry" it contains, as is
usual with ‘Allamah Iqbal, his basic philosophy of Khudâ or the pre-eminence of
Man in the God's creation. The poem says that though the beautiful rose, as an
object of beauty in the creation of God, is "a joy for ever", it is devoid of the
feelings of longing for comprehension of the Truth, which faculty is the gift of
God specially endowed upon Man. Man should appreciate, enjoy and respect the
beauty of the cosmos and should not create chaos therein by interfering with,
abusing or damaging the same for satisfaction of his material needs. This
longing, or the continuous search for the Truth created in the poet's heart,
which in fact should exist in every Muslim's heart would eventually illuminate
the world and would train the human intellect and guide it into spiritual
channels instead of leaving it as an unbridled steed as at present.
You are not familiar with the hardships of solving enigmas
O Beautiful Rose! Perhaps you do not have sublime feelings in your heart
Though you adorn the assembly yet do not participate in its struggles
In life's assembly I am not endowed with this comfort
In this garden I am the complete orchestra of Longing1
And your life is devoid of the warmth of that Longing
To pluck you from the branch is not my custom
This sight is not different from the sight of the eye which can only see the
appearances
Ah! O colorful rose this hand is not one of a tormentor
How can I explain to you that I am not a flower picker
I am not concerned with intricacies of the philosophic eye
Like a lover I see you through the nightingale's 2 eye
In spite of innumerable tongues 3 you have chosen silence
What is the secret which is concealed in your bosom?
Explanatory Notes
1. "Longing" or ardent desire is one of the important planks of `Allamah Iqbal’s philosophy.
However, this longing is not for the material things of life or the satisfaction of physical desires,
which is found in all living things. What distinguishes Man from other creation and entitles him
to the honor of being God’s vicegerent on earth is the "longing" for more elegant goals and more
sublime desires than mere indulgence in material pleasures. His longing is a limitless ocean of
search for knowing the Truth and the Purpose of the creation of God, knowledge of His Essence,
and fixing of high ideals for life, such as struggle in the cause of God. These thoughts exist
throughout his works and many poems in this book also contain them. This "longing" is a part
of the efforts for the cognition and development of the self, This is beautifully explained in his
book Asrr-i-Khudâ and has been explained by me in Chapter 3 under "Khudâ".
2. Bulbul, or Nightingale- This is a special Persian bird found in gardens and proverbially
engaged in melodious music round flowers. It is imagined to be and is described as an ardent
lover of flowers in Persian and Urdu literature, specially poetry. Figuratively, it means the point
of view which, contrary to the discursive analysis, tries to look at the phenomena of beauty in
its integral status and with reference to a manifestation of the Divine Beauty.
3. This alludes to the anatomy of the rose flowers, whose petals are innumerable, look like
tongues and also add to its beauty, which proclaims the artistry of its Creator in spite of the
apparent silence of the flower.
4. Jam-i-Jam- This is the legendary cup of the Persian emperor J«m in which he could see
whatever he wanted to see wherever he wanted to see, as if in a mirror.
5. This last stanza expresses ‘Allamah Iqbal's strong hope that his present condition may be the
means of attaining his objective which is described in the stanza.
Explanatory Notes
1. "Longing" or ardent desire is one of the important planks of `Allamah Iqbal’s philosophy.
However, this longing is not for the material things of life or the satisfaction of physical desires,
which is found in all living things. What distinguishes Man from other creation and entitles him to
the honor of being God’s vicegerent on earth is the "longing" for more elegant goals and more
sublime desires than mere indulgence in material pleasures. His longing is a limitless ocean of
search for knowing the Truth and the Purpose of the creation of God, knowledge of His Essence,
and fixing of high ideals for life, such as struggle in the cause of God. These thoughts exist
throughout his works and many poems in this book also contain them. This "longing" is a part of
the efforts for the cognition and development of the self, This is beautifully explained in his book
Asr-i-Khudâ and has been explained by me in Chapter 3 under "Khudâ".
2. Bulbul, or Nightingale- This is a special Persian bird found in gardens and proverbially
engaged in melodious music round flowers. It is imagined to be and is described as an ardent
lover of flowers in Persian and Urdu literature, especially poetry. Figuratively, it means the point
of view which, contrary to the discursive analysis, tries to look at the phenomena of beauty in its
integral status and with reference to a manifestation of the Divine Beauty.
3. This alludes to the anatomy of the rose flower, whose petals are innumerable, look like tongues
and also add to its beauty, which proclaims the artistry of its Creator in spite of the apparent
silence of the flower.
4. Jam-i-Jam- This is the legendary cup of the Persian emperor J«m in which he could see
whatever he wanted to see wherever he wanted to see, as if in a mirror.
5. This last stanza expresses ‘Allamah Iqbal's strong hope that his present condition may be the
means of attaining his objective which is described in the stanza.
Like me you are also a leaf from the garden of ñër
Far from the garden I am, far from the garden you are
You are content but scattered like fragrance I am
Wounded by the sword of love for search I am
This perturbation of mine a means for fulfillment could be
This torment a source of my intellectual illumination could be
This very frailty of mine the means of strength could be
This mirror of mine envy of the cup of Jam 4 could be
This constant search is a world-illuminating candle
And teaches to the steed of human intellect its gait 5