Whatever comes out of the heart is effective; it has no wings but has the power of flight. It has holy origins, it aims at elegance; it rises from dust, but has access to the celestial world. My love was seditious, rebellious and clever: My fearless wailing rent through the sky.

On hearing it the sun said, ‘Somewhere there is somebody’! The planets said, ‘At the Arsh-i-Barein there is somebody!’ The moon was saying, ‘No, it is some inhabitant of the earth’! The milkyway was saying, ‘Somebody is concealed just here’! If someone understood my Remonstrance Rizwan did; he understood me as the Man turned out of the Paradise! (Rizwan: The angel who is the gate keeper of Paradise)

Even angels exclaimed in surprise ‘What could this voice be’! Unknown even to the ‘Arsh’s keepers what the secret could be! Is the mankind’s reach really even to the ‘Arsh? Has this pinch of dust also learned flight? How ignorant of good manners the earth’s denizens are! How bold and insolent these denizens of the low are!

Is he so insolent that even angry with God he is? Is he the same Man who once worshipped by angels was? He is the knower of Kamm, and of the enigmas of Kaif; but, he is unacquainted with the secrets of modesty. Mankind is proud of the power of their rhetoric; these ignorant people are incapable of talking! (Kaif and Kamm: These are two terms of Greek philosophy which were adopted by the early Muslim philosophers. They concern properties of matter. Kaif refers to the qualitative properties or ‘attributes’, such as colour, taste, big, small etc. Kamm refers to quantitative properties and is derived from Aristotle’s ten categories. It includes volume, length, age, weight etc. These two terms were the precursors of the Muslim philosophy of Existence. This philosophy dealt with two aspects of the Existence of God, i.e. the ‘Sifaat (attributes) of God’ and the Dhat (Essence) of God’. Together these two terms give the complete knowledge about something. This verse means that though Man is conversant with all knowledge about God and His universe he is not aware of the secrets and qualities of modesty.)

A voice came: Very pathetic is your story; full of restless tears is your wine-measure. Your ecstatic clamour pervaded the celestial world! How bold in speech is your Loving heart! You sweetened the Remonstrance with elegant graces! You established intercourse between God and His people

We are inclined to Mercy, but there is no one to implore: whom can we show the way? There is no wayfarer to the destination. Jewel polishing is common, but there is no proper jewel; there is no clay capable of being molded into Adam. We confer the glory of Kai on the deserving; we confer even a whole new world on those who search! (Kai: This is the generic name of one of the ancient pre-Islamic dynasties of pre-Christian Iran (then Persia). As Persia was a world power for several pre-Christian centuries this dynasty is often used as a metaphor for grandeur and power. The ‘New World’ alludes to the discovery and occupation of the continents of America and Australia by Europeans.)

Arms are feeble, hearts are accustomed to apostasy; the ‘believers’ are a source of disgrace to the Prophet (S.A.W.) Idol-breakers have departed, the rest are idol-makers; though the father was Ibrahâm the sons are Azar. The wine-drinkers, the wine, even the decanters are new; the sanctuary of the Ka‘bah, the idols, even you are new.

There was a time when this alone was the source of beauty; the wild tulip was the pride of the season of spring. Whichever Muslim there was, the Lover of God he was; a while ago your beloved this very Unfaithful was. Make the covenant of fealty now with some local one; make the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) a local one!

How difficult for you is waking up at the dawn! You have no Love for Us, sleep is dear to you. Ramazan’s restriction is irksome to your free nature; you tell us! Is this the appropriate rule of fidelity? A nation exists on the din (deen); you cease to exist if the din does not exist; without mutual attraction the assembly of stars does not exist

You are the ones who do not know any art in the world; you are the nation which does not care for its nest. You are the harvest which harbours the lightning; you are those who sell their ancestors’ graves. As you have earned a good name by selling graves; will you not sell if idols of stone you get?

Who effaced false worship from the face of the world? Who rescued the human race from slavery? Who adorned my Ka‘bah with their foreheads in Love? Who put my Qura’an to their breasts in reverence? They were surely your ancestors, but what are you? Sitting in idleness, waiting for tomorrow are you!

What did you say? For the Muslim is only the promise of houri; even if the Remonstrance be unreasonable decorum is necessary. Justice is the Creator of Existence’ custom since eternity; when the infidel adopts Muslim ways he receives houris and palaces. Not a single one among you is longing for houris; the Effulgence of Toor exists but there is no Moses.

The gain of this nation is one, also the loss is one; only one is the Prophet (S.A.W.) of all, dân is one, Ayeman (faith, trust in Allah) is one The Holy Haram is one, God is one, Qura’an also is one; would it have been very difficult for Muslims to be one. Sects abound somewhere and somewhere are castes! Are these the ways to progress in the world?

Who is the renouncer of the laws of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)? The criterion for whose actions is expediency of time? Who is enamored with the customs of the enemies? Whose thinking is disgusted with ancestors’ ways? No warmth is in the heart, no feeling is in the soul! There is no respect for the message of Muhammad (S.A.W.) in you!

If some array themselves in mosques, it is the poor! If some endure the discomfort of fasting it is the poor. If some are reverent to Us it is the poor! If some hide your faults it is the poor. The rich in their arrogance of wealth are negligent of Us; the Millat-i-Baidha is alive on the strength of the poor.

That mature thinking of the nation’s preacher is gone; that natural lightning is gone, fiery speeches are gone. The ritual of adhan has persisted, the spirit of Bilal (R.A.) is gone; philosophy has persisted, the teaching of Ghazali is gone. Mosques are lamenting that the reciters of prayers are gone; that is those with attributes of Hijaz’ people are gone.

Clamour is that Muslims have disappeared from the world; we ask whether the Muslims were present anywhere? In fashion you are Christians, in culture you are Hindus; Are these Muslims! Who put the Jews to embarrassment! Sure, you are even Saiyyid, Mirza and Afghan also! You are all these, say whether you are Musalmans also?

During speech the candor of the Muslim was fearless; his justice was strong, undefiled by consideration of bias. The tree of Muslim’s nature was watered with modesty; in valour he was an incomprehensible existence Internal warmth was the essence of his wine’s quality; to empty itself was the custom of his decanter

Every Muslim was a lancet for the vein of infidelity; activism was the polish to the mirror of his life Whatever trust he had, on his own strength it was; you are afraid of death, he afraid of God alone was. If the art of the father not well-known to the son be! How can the son worthy of the heritage of the father be!

Everyone is intoxicated with the wine of indulgence: Are you Muslims? To you is this the way of Islam? You have neither the faqr of Haidar (R.A.) nor the wealth of Uthman (R.A.)! What spiritual relation between you and your ancestors exists? They were respected in the world by being Muslims; and you became disgraced by abandoning the Qura’an

You are indignant to each other, beneficent they were; you are guilty and prying into guilts, forgiving and merciful they were. Though everybody wants to reach the zenith of Thurayyah; every body must first cultivate that kind of affable heart. The throne of Faghfër was theirs, the crown of Kai also; Is this all mere empty talk or you have that ardor also? (Faghfër: This is the generic title of the Emperors of Ancient China.)

You are self-destructive, zealous and self-respecting they were; you flee from brotherhood, lovers and brotherhood they were. You are head to foot talk, action incarnate they were; you tantalize for flower-bud, with garden in their lap they were. Even now nations remember their story; impressed on existence’s sheet is their fidelity!

Like stars on the nation’s horizon you appeared also; in the Indian idol’s love you became a Brahman also. In the love for flying you became separated from the nest also; indolent were the youth already, became suspicious of Din also. They have been freed from every restraint by ‘civilization’; having been brought from Ka‘bah, they have been settled in the temple

Qais may not continue enduring hardships of seclusion in the wilderness; may stroll in the city, may not remain wandering in wilderness. He is insane; he may or may not in the city remain! It is necessary the Lailah’s veil may not remain! Let there be no wailing against ‘tyranny’ or complaint of ‘injustice’; Love is free, why should not the Beauty be free also?

The new age is a lightning, consuming every barn is; safe from this no wilderness and no rose-garden is. Of this new fire old nations are the fuel; the Ummah of the last Prophet (S.A.W.) is set afire. If the Ayeman of Ibrahim (A.S) is acquired even now; fire can create the garden’s norm even now.

The gardener should not be upset by seeing the garden’s state; branches are about to appear from the bunchs of buds. The garden will be cleared soon of the waste and trash; the red of the martyrs’ blood will be producing rose buds. Look a little the color of the sky somewhat red is; this is the glowing of the horizon by the rising sun!

Some nations in the existence’s garden benefited from their labors are; and some deprived of fruits and even destroyed by autumn are. Hundreds of trees deteriorated and hundreds flourishing are; hundreds still even concealed in the bosom of the garden are. The tree of Islam a model of flourishing is; this is the fruit of eons of gardening efforts.

Your skirt is undefiled by the dust of homeland! You are the Yusuf for whom every Egypt is Kana’an. It will never be possible to destroy your caravan; nothing except the ‘Clarion’s Call’ are your chattel. You are a candle-like tree, in its flame’s smoke your roots are; your thoughts free from the care of the end are.

You will not be destroyed by the destruction of Iran; wine’s ecstasy is not connected with its container. It is evident from the story of the invasion of Tatars; that Ka‘bah got protectors from the temple. You are the support of the boat of God in the world; the present age is night, you are a glimmering star.

This tumult of Bulgaria’s invasion which is afoot; is the message of awakening for the negligent. You think this is the plan for hurting your sentiments; this is a test of your sacrifice and your self respect Why are you afraid of the hooves of the enemies’ horses? The enemies’ blows will be unable to extinguish the light of the Truth

Your potential is still hidden from the world’s nations; the assembly of existence still has need for you. The whole world is kept alive by your warmth; your Khilafah is the star of the possibility’s destiny. There is no time for leisure, there is work to be done; completion of the light of Tawhid is still to be done.

Like fragrance you are contained in the flower-bud, become scattered; become the chattel traveling on the wings of the breeze of the rose-garden. Hai tunak maya tuo zarrey sey biyab’an ho ja; naghma-e-mouj sey hungamah-e-toof’an ho ja. With the Love’s power elevate every low to elegance; With Muhammad’s name (S.A.W.) illuminate the whole world.

If there is no flower nightingale’s music should also not be; in the world’s garden smile of flower-buds should also not be. If there is no cup-bearer, wine, and decanter should also not be; Tawhid’s assembly in the world and you should also not be. The system of the universe is stable by this very name; the existence’ pulse is warm with this very name.

In the wilderness, on the mountain-side, in the plains it is; in the ocean, in the lap of the wave, in the storm it is In China’s city, in Morocco’s desert it is; and concealed in the Ayeman of the Muslim it is. The world’s eyes should witness this sight till eternity; the Elegance of the grandeur of ‘Rafa‘na Laka Zikrak’ should see. (Rafa‘na Laka Zikrak: Allusion to the Holy Qura’an 94:4 which reads ‘And raised high the esteem in which you are held’, (addressed to the Holy Prophet S.A.W.). The pervious Surah and this one are complementary to each other and carry the same message to the Holy Prophet S.A.W. and through him, to the Muslim Ummah. In these surahs the ups and downs of human life are referred to and the message of hope and consolation is conveyed to Muslims, on the basis of God’s Mercies. The Holy Prophet S.A.W. is commanded to pursue the path of virtue and proclaim the bounties of God. Allamah Iqbal is reminding the Muslim Ummah of this message to muster courage and face their trials and tribulations with heart within and God overhead.)

The majority people; that is the non-white world; the world which would nurture your martyrs. The world reared by the sun, the crescent’s world; what the people of Love call the Bilal’s world. Is agitated like mercury by this name; is diving in Light like the Beloved.

Intellect is your shield, Love is your sword; my dervish! Your vice-regency is world-conquering Your Takbir like fire for godlessness is; if you are Muslim your prudence your destiny is. If you are loyal to Muhammad (S.A.W.) we are yours; this universe is nothing the Tablet and the Pen are yours. (Lauh-o-Qalam: Reference to the Lauh-i-Mahfooz or the ‘preserved tablet’ and the ‘qalam’ or pen accompanying it. This combination exists in the metaphysical world and they are the implements with which the decrees of God are recorded and in which they are preserved. The Holy Qura’an is also preserved in the same way).