POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Muhammad Iqbal کُہن ہنگامہ ہائے آرزو سرد Kuhhan hangaama-haaye aarzoo sard ●sher 1 of 2

کُہن ہنگامہ ہائے آرزو سرد

Kuhhan hangaama-haaye aarzoo sard

کہ ہے مردِ مسلماں کا لہُو سرد

Keh hai mard-e-musalmaan ka lahoo sard

The old stirrings of desire are cold,
For the blood of the Muslim man is cold.

بُتوں کو میری لادینی مبارک

Buto'n ko meri laadeeni mubarak

کہ ہے آج آتشِ ’اَللہ ھُو، سرد

Keh hai aaj aatish-e-'Allah Hu', sard

To the idols, my lack of faith is a boon,
For today the fire of 'Allah Hoo' is cold.

Context

This quatrain expresses a deep lament over the spiritual and ideological decline within the Muslim community, portraying a profound loss of passion, ambition, and divine connection. The 'cold blood' of the Muslim man and the extinguished 'fire of Allah Hoo' symbolize a collective spiritual lethargy and the erosion of faith. The poet's sarcastic 'congratulations to the idols on my irreligiosity' highlights a bitter critique of internal decay and the triumph of worldly distractions over spiritual devotion, reflecting a common theme in reformist Urdu poetry that calls for a reawakening of Islamic identity and fervor.