“Kis Qadar Tum Pe Garaan” is a piercing excerpt from Allama Iqbal’s masterpiece, Jawab-e-Shikwa (The Answer to the Complaint). In these verses, the Divine voice addresses the modern believer, highlighting the decline of spiritual discipline and the loss of communal identity. Through his signature blend of philosophy and passion, Allama Muhammad Iqbal reminds the Ummah that a nation’s strength is rooted deeply in its faith and mutual cohesion.
کس قدر تم پہ گراں صبح کی بیداری ہے
ہم سے کب پیار ہے ہاں نیند تمہیں پیاری ہے
Kis qadar tum pe garaan subha ki bedari hai
Hum se kab pyar hai haan neend tumhein pyari hai
How heavy the awakening of dawn feels to you!
It is not Us you love; it is your sleep you hold dear.
طبع آزاد پہ قید رمضاں بھاری ہے
تمہیں کہہ دو یہی آئین وفاداری ہے
Tab-e-azad pe qaid-e-Ramzan bhaari hai
Tumhi keh do yahi aaeen-e-wafadari hai
Your “free spirit” finds the discipline of Ramzan a burden;
tell Us, is this the law of loyalty?
قوم مذہب سے ہے مذہب جو نہیں تم بھی نہیں
جذب باہم جو نہیں محفل انجم بھی نہیں
Qoum mazhab se hai mazhab jo nahin tum bhi nahin
Jazb-e-baaham jo nahin mehfil-e-anjum bhi nahin
A nation lives by its faith; without faith, you cease to exist.
Without a mutual pull, even the stars cannot form a galaxy.
Spiritual Insight
In these verses, Iqbal presents a spiritual mirror to the soul. The “heaviness” of dawn and the “burden” of Ramzan are symbols of a heart that has prioritized the ego over Divine connection. He warns that once the gravitational pull of shared faith (Jazb-e-Baaham) is lost, the assembly of the community scatters like stars without an orbit.
Hikmat-e-Iqbal: Vocabulary of Jawab-e-Shikwa
- Garaan: Heavy / Burdensome
- Bedari: Awakening / Vigilance
- Tab-e-Azad: Free-spirited nature
- Aaeen-e-Wafadari: The code of loyalty
- Jazb-e-Baaham: Mutual attraction / Social cohesion
- Mehfil-e-Anjum: A gathering of stars / Galaxy
Spiritual Echoes: The Universal Vision
The themes of dawn-awakening and communal faith in Jawab-e-Shikwa resonate with these profound spiritual works:
On the Power of Passion:
The concept of Jazb-e-Baaham (mutual pull) is rooted in the internal fervor Iqbal calls for in:
On the Morning Sigh:
Iqbal elsewhere emphasizes that true spiritual height is never reached without the pre-dawn lament:
On the Humble Awakening:
Iqbal’s “Bedari” mirrors the ancient Punjabi call of Baba Farid to rise and purify for the morning prayer:
On the Vigilant Soul:
The Persian master Hafiz Shirazi describes the dawn as the arrival of a “vigilant fortune” at one’s bedside:
On the Identity of Faith:
While Iqbal discusses “Mazhab” as a national anchor, Bulleh Shah searches for its ultimate inner reality:
Voice: Zia Mohyeddin Jawab e Shikwa
The Poet of the East:
Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal (علامہ محمد اقبال)
Discover the profound Urdu and Persian wisdom of:
Bang-e-Dara |
Bal-e-Jibril |
Zarb-e-Kaleem |
Asrar-e-Khudi
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