POEM · PERMANENT EDITION

Muhammad Iqbal رہ و رسمِ حرم نا محرمانہ rah o rasm-e-haram na mahramana ●sher 1 of 2

رہ و رسمِ حرم نا محرمانہ

rah o rasm-e-haram na mahramana

کلیسا کی ادا سوداگرانہ

kalisa ki ada saudagarana

The ways of the sacred shrine are unfamiliar,
The church's manner is mercantile.

تبرّک ہے مرا پیراہنِ چاک

tabarruk hai mera pairahan-e-chaak

نہیں اہلِ جُنوں کا یہ زمانہ

nahin ahl-e-junoon ka ye zamana

My torn garment is a sacred relic.
This era is not for the passionate.

Context

This Urdu ruba'i presents a poignant critique of religious formalism, a recurring theme in classical Islamic and Sufi poetry. The poet expresses disillusionment with both the 'Haram' (sacred precinct) and the 'Kaleesa' (church), depicting their practices as either superficial, unfamiliar, or commercially driven, lacking true spiritual essence. In contrast, the poet champions the authentic, intense devotion of 'ahl-e-junoon' (people of divine madness or passion), whose 'torn garment' symbolizes asceticism and detachment from worldly concerns. The final line laments that such unadulterated spiritual fervor is seemingly out of place in the contemporary era.