This beautiful Rubai by Allama Muhammad Iqbal from his masterpiece Bal-e-Jibreel explores the yearning of the soul for its Divine source. It highlights the internal nature of the spiritual journey, where the “Ronaq-e-Mehfil” (Light of the Assembly) is found within the solitude of the heart.
رونقِ محفل
Woh Mera Ronaq e Mehfil Kahan Hai
وہ میرا رونق محفل کہاں ہے
مری بجلی ، مرا حاصل کہاں ہے
Woh Mera Ronaq e Mehfil Kahan Hai
Meri Bijli, Mera Hasil Kahan Hai
وہ میرا رونقِ محفل کہاں ہے؟
میری بجلی (تڑپ) اور میرا حاصل (مقصد) کہاں ہے؟
Where is the one who graced my gathering?
Where is my lightning-bolt, where is my total gain?
مقام اس کا ہے دل کی خلوتوں میں
خدا جانے مقام دل کہاں ہے
Maqam Us Ka Hai Dil Ki Khalwaton Mein
Khuda Jane Maqam-e-Dil Kahan Hai
اُس کا ٹھکانہ تو دل کی تنہائیوں میں ہے
خدا ہی بہتر جانتا ہے کہ دل خود کہاں واقع ہے
His abode is in the deep solitudes of the heart;
But God only knows where the true station of the heart is.
Philosophical Insight
In these verses, Iqbal points toward the Batini (Internal) nature of God. While the seeker looks for the “Light” in the world, Iqbal reveals that the Divine resides in the Khalwat (Solitude) of the heart. However, he leaves the seeker with a beautiful paradox: if the Beloved is in the heart, where is the heart itself? This suggests that the “Heart” in Sufi terms is not the physical organ, but a limitless spiritual dimension.