POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Muhammad Iqbal حکیمی، نامسلمانی خودی کی Hakeemi, naamuslimani khudi ki ●sher 1 of 2

حکیمی، نامسلمانی خودی کی

Hakeemi, naamuslimani khudi ki

کلیمی، رمزِ پنہانی خودی کی

Kaleemi, ramz-e-pinhaani khudi ki

Wisdom, the non-submission of the Self;
Moses' spirit, the hidden secret of the Self;

تجھے گُر فقر و شاہی کا بتا دوں

Tujhe gurr faqr o shahi ka bata doon

غریبی میں نگہبانی خودی کی!

Ghareebi mein nigehbaani khudi ki!

Let me reveal to you the secret of spiritual poverty and kingship:
The preservation of the Self in indigence!

Context

This quatrain is deeply rooted in the philosophical poetry of Muhammad Iqbal, a towering figure in Urdu literature, whose central concept of 'Khudi' (Self or Ego) is paramount. It distinguishes 'hikmat' (worldly wisdom or philosophy, here termed 'namuslamani' to imply an analytical, perhaps detached, approach) from 'kalimi' (the prophetic, divinely empowered spiritual force, symbolized by Moses, representing an active and assertive 'Khudi'). The poem's core message, presented as the secret to navigating both 'faqr' (spiritual detachment/asceticism) and 'shahi' (worldly power), is the vigilant guardianship and nurturing of one's inner 'Khudi' even in the face of material 'gharibi' (poverty), asserting that true strength and sovereignty lie in the developed and protected Self.