Poet: One night at the river-bank I was absorbed in contemplation with a world of restlessness concealed in the heart’s recesses.

The night was tranquil, air calm, river gently flowing was; my eye was amazed whether the river or a picture of water it was!

As the suckling baby falls asleep in the cradle; the restless wave had fallen asleep somewhere else!

With the spell of night the birds were confined in nests. The twinkling stars were caught in the moon’s spell!

Suddenly I saw that the globe-trotting Khizar, whose old age contained youth’s colour like dawn.

Was saying to me: ‘O seeker of the eternal secrets, if the inner eye be open world’s destiny would be unveiled’!

On hearing this; an uproaring tumult rose in my heart, being devoted to seeking the Truth I started talking thus:

‘O you whose world-encompassing eye sees those storms, whose tumults are still sleeping quietly in the river.

The ‘indigent’s boat’* the chaste soul*, the ‘orphan’s wall’,* even the knowledge of Mosa (A.S.) before you is in amazement. * All allusions to the Holy Qur’an.)

Leaving habitations you remain wandering in wilderness; no day and night, no yesterday and tomorrow is in your life.

What is the secret of life? What is imperialism? And what is this struggle between labour and capital?

The ancient patched garment of Asia is being torn! The youth of parvenu nations are adorned with ornaments! (Allusion to the conditions after World War I in which the imperialist hold of Western countries over the rest of the world had become stronger and more secure than before the war. In India itself promises of gradual self rule were made during the war. However, on termination of the war and victory of the Allies Britain’s hold over India became tighter as is evidenced by the repressive legislation and suppressive actions of the British Government in the post-war period. In the Muslim countries the conditions were even worse.)

Though Alexander remained deprived of eternity’s water; the nature of Alexander is busy still in merry-making!

The Holy Prophet’s progeny is selling his din’s honour and the struggling Turk is smeared in dust and blood *!

There is fire, there is Ibrahim’s progeny; there is Namrud! Does someone desire someone’s test again.* (Reference to the world-wide calamities for the Asian and African countries resulting from the victories of the Western countries to which reference has been made in pervious notes; of special concern to Allamah Iqbal was the plight of the Muslim world to which special reference is made in this verse.)

The response of Khizar (wandering in deserts): Why are you amazed at my wandering in the deserts? This incessant toil is demonstration of life.

O the one confined to home, you have not seen that sight when the call for battle march resounds in the desert air!

That appearance of the fast-moving star at the dawn; or the forehead of Jibrail manifest from the sky! (This is a message of hope for the Muslim Ummah in the hour of their trial.)

That setting of the sun in the silence of the desert air by which increased the insight of Khalil’s universe-envisaging eye! (Reference to the Holy Qur’an 6:75-79: This whole stanza emphasizes the evils of inaction and need for activism by Muslims. It also shows the value of studying the physical world as a means of understanding the Existence and nature of God, as is repeatedly emphasized by the Holy Qur’an. This verse is the climax of this message and shows how the world of stars, moon and sun led Ibrahim A.S. towards recognizing the Unity, Uniqueness and Superiority of God.)

And that halting of the caravan at the stream bank; as the believers’ gathering round the Salsabil! (Salsabil: This is a spring in the Paradise and the stream ensuing from it.)

The ardent Love is in search of an ever new wild land and in city your effort is in farming and horticulture.

The cup of life becomes more mature by revolving; O negligent one, this alone is the secret of life’s permanence!

Life: Much above the fear of profit and loss is life! Now the soul now the surrender of soul is life!

Do not measure it on the scale of today and tomorrow! Eternal, incessantly struggling, ever young is life!

Create your own world if you claim to be among the living; the secret of Adam and the object of ‘Kun fikoon’* is life. (Reference to the Holy Qur’an 6:73 in which God describes the creation of the universe as His Will and Command. As the Holy Qur’an has repeatedly said the creation of the universe is purposeful. That purpose was the eventual creation of Man as the master-piece of His creation and Man’s subsequent perfection into ‘perfect man’ (Allamah Iqbal’s Mard-i-Kamil) in the personality of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.). This is supported by a Hadith to the effect that ‘God would not have created the universe if He had not created me’. God also created the Holy Qur’an for the guidance of Man with which every person can be perfected…)

Ask the mountain digger for the reality of life; the canal of milk, the axe, the heavy rock is life.* (Heavy rock: Reference to Farhad in the epic of love known as ‘Shirin O Farhad’. Farhad is known as ‘mountain digger’ because he successfully dug a canal through a mountain and filled it with milk in compliance with a requirement for getting the hand of Shirin, his beloved.)

In slavery it is choked to a mere trickling brook and in freedom like the boundless ocean is life.

It is manifested by its power of subduing; though concealed in a body of dust is life.

You have emerged from the existence’ ocean like a bubble; in this losing battle your examination is life.

While you are immature only a heap of dust you are; on attaining maturity a merciless sword you are!

The heart which is restless for death in defense of Truth should first life in his own body must create. (This stanza is a description of the pre-requisites to be acquired by a person who is prepared to struggle in the cause of God and Islam.

Should burn down this borrowed universe and from the ashes his own universe should create.

Should demonstrate the potential power of life; so that this spark may the eternal light create.

Should shine like the sun over the lands of the East; so that Badakhshan the same invaluable rubies may again create! (Badakhshan: This is a region in the present day Afghanistan which is famous for rubies and other precious stones.)

Should send heaven-ward the emissary of nightly wailing and in the night’s stars its confidantes should create.

This is the hour of Judgment you in the Judgment’s field are O negligent one, present actions if some in your treasure are!

Imperialism: Come, I shall tell you the secret of the verse ‘Inn al-mulook’;* imperialism is an enchantment of the victorious nations. (This alludes to The Holy Qur’an 27:34 in which the Queen of Saba (Shiba), on receiving the letter of Sulaiman A.S. inviting her to accept Islam, addressed her courtiers thus: ‘Kings, when they enter a country despoil it, and make the noblest of its people its meanest. Thus do they behave’. This verse is a clear condemnation of imperialism in Islam.)

If the ruled from his stupor slightly wakes up; the ruler’s spell lulls him back to sleep again.

From the effect of the spell of Mahmood the eye of Ayaz, sees the accouterments of loveliness round his neck.

At last the blood of Israel boils up with anger; the spell of Samiri is smashed up by some Musa. (The blood of Israel: This verse refers to the magic of the sorcerer Samiri. During the period between the prophethood of Musa A.S. and Isa A.S. the people of Israel were the inheritors of the vice-regency of God and they are treated like ‘Muslims’ in the Holy Qur’an. Samiri: This is an allusion to Holy Qur’an 20: 85, 95-97.)

Sovereignty befits only that Peerless Essence; only He is the sovereign, the rest are Azar’s idols. (Peerless Essence: Reference to God.)

Do not disgrace your independent disposition with slavery; so that you do not mold yourself into the master who would be a worse infidel than the Brahman.

The Western democratic system is the same old orchestra in whose frets is nothing different from the Qaisar’s tune. (Qaiser’s tune: Reference to the imperialism of the Roman Empire which is famous for its atrocities.)

The monster of despotism is treading in democracy’s robe; you consider it as the beautiful ferry of independence!

The legislative assembly, the reforms, the rights and concessions: In Western medicine the tastes are sweet, the effect is soporific!

May God protect us from the fervor of speeches of members of assemblies; this also is the capitalists’ sham quarreling to deceive the poor!

You have taken this apparent beauty’s mirage as a garden! Ah! O ignorant one! You have taken the cage to be the nest!

Sarmayah-O-Mehnat (Capital and Labour): Go and deliver my message to the labouring person: ‘Not only Khizar’s message, this is the universal message!

O whom the fraudulent capitalist has destroyed! Your destiny has remained a fugitive for centuries.

The wealth-creating hand had been paid wages as the rich pay charity to the poor!

The magician of Alamut gave you the hashish leaves and you, O negligent one, took it as a tuft of candy! (Magician of Alamut: Reference to the Hasan Bin Öabbat (d. 1138) who was a wizard of his age. He lived in Iran in the eleventh century C.E. He built a fort at Alamut, between Qazwain and Jilan. He furnished its interior with the state of the art furnishings and accouterment of comfort and luxury, including the most beautiful girls available. He designated this fort ‘Paradise’, and laid claims to prophet-hood. He had a body of followers who enticed unwary people in cities with administration of hemp and transported them to the Alamut Fort when they became intoxicated with hemp. On gaining consciousness they found themselves in strange surroundings which were the ultimate in luxury, including ‘houri’s’. When they thus became convinced of being in ‘paradise’ they accepted Hasan Bin Öabbat as their prophet. He had built formidable strength which the State could not subdue with mere force. He was a contemporary of Ghias al-Din Abu al-Faté Qamar Bin Ibrahim al-Khayyam, the famous ‘Umar Khayyam’: who was a mathematician, astronomer and poet (ca. 1050-1123). The latter ultimately subdued Hasan Bin Öabbat with better wisdom, based on righteousness instead of wizardry. Later this organization was destroyed by the Mongols about the middle of the 13th century.)

Race, nation, church, empire, civilization, colour: This assortment of intoxicants is made by ‘imperialism’.

The ignorant one gave up his life for mythical gods; you destroyed your life’s capital under intoxicants’ love.

The capitalist has won with deceitful stratagems due to extreme naivete the laborer is checkmated.

Rise, as the world’s assembly has adopted different ways; in the East and the West is the beginning of your age. (Allusion to the labour movements all over the world starting at that time: These movements are usually credited to communism and general awakening in the West. However, in reality they owe their origin to the awakening kindled by Islam and Muslim scholars in Spain and Iraq in the middle ages which brought about Reformation and Renaissance in Europe and which is an on-going movement of human liberation from the forces of undue domination.)

Those with elegant courage do not accept even the ocean O negligent one, how long would you hold dew in your skirt like the flower bud?

Music of masses’ renaissance is a means of pleasure; the soporific tale of Alexander and Jam how long?

A new sun has arisen from the bowels of the earth O Sky! Mourning of stars which have set how long?

Human nature has broken down all the chains! Man’s eye would weep for the lost Paradise how long?

The spring says this to the helping gardener: You would apply ointment to the rose’ wounded heart how long?

O simple fire-fly, be free of revolving round the candle and be living in the illuminated place of your own nature!

The World of Islam: Why are you relating to me the story of Turks and Arabs! Nothing of the grief and joys of Muslims is hidden from me.* (This means that the whole history of the Muslim Ummah was known to Khizar A.S. It also refers to the history of secession of the Arab world from the fold of the Uthmaniya Khilafah and its aftermath.)

The sons of the Cross have taken away the heritage of Khalil; the soil of Hijaz has become the brick of the church’s foundation! (Reference to the upper hand of Christians in Islamic countries, particularly those with Muslim majorities and Muslim governments.)

The red cap* has become disgraced in the world! Those who were formerly proud are in need of others! * This refers to the Turkish cap which was red in colour and had a black frill. It was used as a national cap by Muslims in greater part of the world. It lasted till the beginning of World War II.)

From the wine sellers of Europe Iran is purchasing that strong wine by whose heat the decanter is melted.* (Reference to the inordinate Western influence in the politics and, still worse, in social life of the people in the Muslim world.)

The politics of the West has reduced the nation such as gold is rendered to pieces by scissors.* (Reference to the division of the Muslim world into a large number of secular nation states after World War I. However, our misfortune is that, in spite of the efforts of `Allamah Iqbal and a large number of other reformers all over the Muslim world, the trend towards fragmentation of theUmmah is continuing un-abated.)

The blood of the Muslim has become cheap like water; you are restless as your heart is unaware of their fate.

Rumi said that every old building that is to be rebuilt! Do you not know that the building is first demolished?

‘The homeland has been lost; the nation has been jolted O negligent one, look deep as God has granted you insight!

Defeat is better than helplessly begging for momiyai O helpless ant! Do not take your requests to a Sulaiman.

The salvation of the East is in organization of the Muslim nations; the people of Asia are still unaware of this mystery.

Relinquishing ‘politics’ enter the fort of din again; country and wealth is only a reward for Haram’s defense. (This verse does not teach Muslims to withdraw from politics. It preaches only refraining from God-less Western politics, on the vices of which he is very emphatic.)

The Muslims should unite into one body for Haram’s defense from the banks of the Nile to the City of Kashghar!

Whoever would discriminate for colour and race would perish; whether he be the tent-dwelling Turk or the high ranking Arab!

If race would become more important than din to the Muslim; he would be blown away from the world like the dust of the road!

To establish the Khilafah’s foundations in the world again; the need is to bring from somewhere the ancestors’ mettle.

O You who do not distinguish between the tangible and the intangible, beware; O the captive of Abu Bakr and Ali, beware. (This is a stern warning to Muslims to refrain from Shi‘a-Sunni controversies and quarrels which are sapping the strength of the Muslim society and the Muslim world.)

Complaint was incumbent on Love and it has been lodged with a cool heart now watch the effect of the complaint!

You have witnessed the zenith of the majesty of the river’s flow; now watch how the restless wave becomes a chain in which it gets entangled.

The dream of universal freedom which was seen by Islam O Muslim, you should watch the interpretation of that dream today!

Its own ashes are a means of existence to salamander; you should watch the resurrection of this world after death! (Salamander: This is a legendary animal which lives and flourishes in fire. This verse is a repetition of Allamah Iqbal’s message on Islam’s renaissance.)

With open eyes in the mirror or my discourses; you should watch a faint image of the coming age.

The sky has one more tested trick preserved in its store; watch the disgrace of planning in face of destiny’s strength. (This is a message of hope to Muslims. It reminds us of the promise of God that Divine planning and Help will be with us if we are steadfast in our mission. There are many verses in the Holy Qur’an to this effect, e.g. 3:54 and 27:50.)

You are a Muslim keep your breast happy with Longing; every moment keep your eye on ‘La yukhlif-ul-Mi’ad’.* (Allusion to the Holy Qur’an 3:9 which ends in ‘God never fails in His promise’.)