Shikwa, Jawab e Shikwa

SHIKWA AND JAWAB-I SHIKWA
BY SIR MUHAMMAD IQBAL

Iqbal wrote the two poems, “Shikwa” and “Jawab-i Shikwa” (Complaint to God and its Response), in early twentieth century. It was the prime time of his poetic revelation, which is called his third period that began in 1908 and ended at his death in 1938. During that time Muslims in India had almost lost their entity as a nation. They had become the most oppressed community in British ruled India. A little before Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-1898) had realised that the major cause of Indian Muslims’ misfortune was their illiteracy and the lack of knowledge.....
http://www.allamaiqbal.com/ias/shikwaandjawab.html

Hereunder I quote three stanzas from this part of “Shakwa”:

Ham jo jeetey thay to jangon ki museebat ke liye
Aur marte thay tirey naam ke azmat ke liye
Thi na kuch tegh zani apnee hukumat key liye
Sar bakaf phirte thay kiya dhar men daulat ke liye?
Qaum apni jo zaro-maal-i jahan par marti
But faroshi ke iwaz but shikani kiyum karti?

(If we lived we lived for the calamities of wars
If we died we died for the grandeur of Thy name
We did not wield the sword for our kingdoms
Did we roam about the world fearlessly for wealth?
If our nation had been greedy of worldly wealth
Why would we have been idol breakers instead of idol sellers?)

Mahfil-i kaun-o Makan men sahar-o sham phiray
Ma-i tauheed ko ley kar sifat-i jam phiray
Koh men’ dasht mey ley kar tira paigham phiray
Aur maaloom hay tujh ko kabhi nakaam phiray
Dasht to dasht hain darya bhi na chorey hamnay
Bahr-i zulmaat men daura diy-e ghorey hamnay

(We continuously wandered all over the world
We wandered like the wine cup with Tawhid’s[1] wine
We wandered with Thy message in the mountains, in the deserts
And doth Thou know whether we ever returned unsuccessful?
What of the deserts! we did not spare even oceans!
We galloped our horses in the dark ocean.?)

Safah-i dhar se batil ko mitaya hamney
Nau-i insan ko ghulami se churaya hamney
Terey kaabe ko jabeenon sey bassaya hamney
Terey Qur’an ko seeno sey lagaya hamney
Phir Bhi hamsey ye gila hai ke wafadar naheen
Ham wafadar naheen too bhi to dildar naheen

(We effaced falsehood from the earth’s surface
We freed the human race from bonds of slavery
We filled Thy Kaa’ba with our foreheads
We put Thy Qur’an to our hearts
Still Thou complaineth that we are lacking fealty
If we are lacking fealty Thou also art not generous.)

The second part shows the state of decline of Muslim nation. But Iqbal has projected this aspect so beautifully that instead of creating a sense of despair and destitute in the mind it inspires a new vigour and courage to stand up and deal with rival forces. Quoted hereunder are three stanzas of this part:

Ummaten aur bhi hain un men gunahgaar bhi hain
Ijz waley bhi hain mast-i ma-e pindar bhi hain
Inmey kahil bhi hain ghafil bhi hain hushyar bhi hain
Saikron hain ke tirey naam se bezaar bhi hain
Rahmaten hain teri aghyar ke kashanon par
Barq girti hai to becharey musalmanon par

(There are other nations, among them are sinners also
There are modest people and arrogant ones also
Among them are slothful, indolent as well as clever people
There are also hundreds who are disgused with Thy name
Thy graces descend on the other people’s abodes
Lightning strikes only the poor Muslims’ abodes.)

But sanam khanon men kahte hain musalmaan gai
Hai khushi unko ke Kaabey key nigehbaan gai
Manzil-i dhar se unton ke hudi khuwan gai
Apni baghlon men dabba-e huey Qur-an ghai
Khanda zan kufr hai ehsaas tujhe hai ke naheen
ApniTauhid ka kuch paas tujhe hai ke naheen

(The idols in temples say ‘The Muslims are gone’
They are glad that the Ka’bah’s sentinels are gone
From the world’s stage the hudi[2] singers are gone
They, with the Qur’an in their arm pits, are gone.
Infidelity is mocking , hast Thou some feeling or not?
Dost Thou have any regard for Thy own Tawhid or not?)

Bani aghyar ki ab chahne wali dunya
Rahgai apne liye ek khayali dunya
Ham to rukhsat hue auron ney sanbhali dunya
Phir na kahna hui Tauheed se khali dunya
Ham to jeetey hain ke dunya men tera naam rahe
Kaheen mumkin hai ke saaqi na rahey jaam rahe?

(Now the world is the lover of others
For us it is only an imaginary world
We have departed, others have taken over the world
Do not complain now that the world has become devoid of Tawhid
We live with the object of spreading Thy fame in the world
Can the wine cup exist if the cup bearer does not live?)

The third part of Shakwa is a direct complaint to God. Three beautiful stanzas of this part are quoted as under:

Ye shikayat naheen hain unke khazane maamoor
Naheen mahfil men jinhen baat bhi karne ka shaoor
Qahr to ye hai ke kafir ko milen hoor-o qasoor
Aur becharey musalman ko faqat waida-i hoor
Ab wo altaaf naheen ham pe inaayaat naheen
Baat ye kiya hai ke pheli si madaraat naheen

(We do not complain that their treasures are full
Who are not in possession of even basic social graces
Outrageous that infidel are rewarded with Houries and palaces
And the poor Muslims are placated with only promise of Houries

We have been deprived of the former graces and favours
What is the matter, we are deprived of the former honours.)

Ishq ki khair wo pehli si ada bhi na sahi
Jada paimaiye tasleemo raza bhi na sahi
Muztarib dil sifat-i qiblanuma bhi na sahi
Aur paabandiye aaeen-i wafa bhi na sahi
Kabhi hamse kabhi ghairon se shanasai hai
Baat kahney ki naheen too bhi to harjai hai

(Granted that Love has not the former elegance also
We may have lost treading the path of Love also
We have lost the restless heart like the compass also
And we may have lost the observance of fidelity’s rules also
Thou art changing friendship between us and others
It is difficult to say but Thou art also unfaithful.)

Sarey faraan pey kiya deen ko kamil too ne
Ek isharey pe haszroon kay liye dil toone
Aathish andoz kiya ishq ka hasil toone
Phoonk di garmiye rukhsaar sey mahfil toone
Aaj kiyun seene hmare sharar aabaad naheen
Ham wohee sokhta saamaan hain tujhey yaad naheen?

(Thou perfected the Din on the peak of Faran[3]
Thou captivated the hearts of thousands in a moment
Thou consumed the produce of Love with the fire
Thou burned the congregation with Thy face’s fire
Why are not our breasts filled with love’s sparks now?
We are the same lovers, dost Thou not remember now?)

The fourth part of Shakwa is the ending of this poem. Here we find Iqbal singing as a nightingale in a garden praying and expressing his sentiments in the most beautiful and touching manner. Out of these we quote below four stanzas;

Wadiye najd men wo shor-i salasil na raha,
Qais deewana-i nazzarai mehmil na raha
Hausley wo na rahey ham na rahey dil na raha
Ghar ye ujra hai ke too raunaq-i mahfil na raha
Aye khush aan rooz ke aayee wa basad naaz aayee
Bay hijabana su-i mahfil-i maa baaz aayee

(The noise of lover’s chains in the Najd’s valley has disappeared
Qais has no more remained longing for the litter’s sight
Those old ambitions, we, as well as the heart have disappeared
The house is destroyed as Thou art not present in the house
O that happy day when Thou with elegance will come back
When Thou unveiled to our congregation will come back.)

Mushkilen ummat-i marhoom ki aasaan ka de
Moor-i bey maya ko hamdosh-i Sulaiman ka de
Jins-i nayab-i mohabbat ko phir arzaan karde
Hind key der nasheeno ko musalmaan karde
Joo-i khoon mi chakad az hasrat-i derina-i ma
Mee tapad nala ba nashtarkada-i seena-i ma

(Make easy the difficulties of the blessed Ummah
Place the poor ant shoulder to shoulder to Sulaiman[4]
Make the invaluable produce of Love accessible again
Change the idolatrous Muslims of India into Muslims again
A stream of blood drips from the frustrations mine
Wailing palpitates in the wounded breast of mine!)

Boo-i gul lay gai bairoon-i chaman raaz-i chaman
Kiya qayaamat hai ke khud phool hain ghammaz-i chaman
Ahd-i gul khatm hua toot gaya saz-i chaman
Ur gai daliyon se zamzama pardaz-i chaman
Ek bulbul hai ke hai mahv-i tarannum abtak
Uske seeney men hai naghmoon ka talatum abtak

(The rose’ fragrance took garden’s secret outside the garden
Outrageous that flowers themselves are informers against the garden
The spring is over, broken is the orchestra of the garden
Flown away from branches are the songsters of the garden
Only nightingale is left which is singing still
In its breast overflows the flood of songs still.[5])

Lutf marney men hai baqi na maza jeeney men
Kuch maza hai to yihee khoon-i jigar peeney men
Kitney betaab hain johar mirey aaeeney men
Kis Qadar jalway taraptey hain mirey seeney men
Is Gulistaan men magar dekhnay waley hi naheen
Daagh jo seene men rakhte hoon wo lalay hi naheen

(There is no pleasure in dying and no taste in living is
If there is any pleasure, it in bearing this affliction is
Many a virtue is restless in my mirror!
Many an effulgence is fluttering in my breast!
But there is none in this garden to see them
There is no poppies[6] with love’s stains in their breasts).

After one year of reciting Shakwa Iqbal presented Jawab-i Shakwa in a huge gathering in 1913 at a famous public place Outside Mochi Gate of Lahore City. Jawab-I Shakwa contains 36 stanzas of six lines or verses each.

http://www.allamaiqbal.com/ias/shikwaandjawab.html