اعجاز ہے کسی کا یا گردش زمانہ
ٹوٹا ہے ایشیا میں سحر فرنگیانہ
Is it someone's miracle, or the turn of the times?
In Asia, the European spell has broken.
Is it someone's miracle, or the turn of the times?
In Asia, the European spell has broken.
From building a nest, I discovered this secret:
For the people of song, the nest is lightning.
This devotion is divine, that devotion is beggary.
Become this servant of God, or a servant of the times.
Be not heedless of your Self, guard it well.
Perhaps you too are the threshold of some sanctuary.
O inheritor of "La Ilaha", is there nothing left in you:
Beloved speech, conquering character?
Hearts used to tremble in chests from your gaze.
Your Qalandar-like passion has been lost.
Perhaps Iqbal is aware of the secret of the sanctuary;
His words contain intimacy.
This poem by Allama Iqbal reflects on the spiritual and political decline of the Muslim world and Asia, lamenting the lost 'khudi' (selfhood) and the lingering influence of the West. It critiques the departure from divine servitude towards worldly subservience and urges for self-preservation, individual awakening, and the revitalization of Islamic values, echoing Iqbal's broader philosophical call for the re-establishment of moral and spiritual strength within the Muslim community.
faith & the divine · wit & rebuke · spring & renewal