Udaas Shamain: Manqabat e FATIMA r.a. by ALLAM IQBAL..

Allama Sir Mohammad Iqbal’s poem
in honour of
Hazrat Fatima Zahra (RA)
published in Asraar-o-Rumooz
(page 137-138)
with the topic

در معنی اینکہ سیدة النساء فاطمة الزہراء

اسوہ کاملہ ایست برای نساء اسلام

مریم از یک نسبت عیسی عزیز

از سہ نسبت حضرت زہرا عزیز

Maryam az yek nisbat-e-Eesa azeez,

As seh nisbat hazrat-e-Zahra azeez

Maryam is honourable for one reason that she is the mother of Jesus,

Look at Zahra, Her honour comes from three relationships

نور چشم رحمة للعالمین

آن امام اولین و آخرین

Noor-e-chashm-e Rahmat-il-lil ‘aalemin

un imam-e-awwalin-o-aahirin

She is the daughter of the Great personality known as Rahmat al-lil aalameen

Who is the Imam of all (the prophets) in the past and all (the leaders) in the future

آنکہ جان در پیکر گیتی دمید

روزگار تازہ آئین آفرید

Aa’n ke ja’n dar payka-e-geeti dameed

Rozgaar-e-taaza aa’in aafreed

He, who revived a dead society back to life,

And brought a new system of law

بانوی آن تاجدار ’’ہل اتے‘‘

مرتضی مشکل گشا شیر خدا

Baanu-e aa’n taajdaar-e-’hal ataa’

Murtaza mushkil kusha sher-e-khuda

She is the wife of the one who was crowned with Hal Ata[1]

He is the chosen one, solver of all problems, the lion of God

پادشاہ و کلبہ ئی ایوان او

یک حسام و یک زرہ سامان او

Paadshhah-o-kulba’ee aywaan-e-oo

Yek hussam-o-yek zir’h saamaan-e-oo

He was a king but lived in a hut,

All he owned was a sword and a coat of chain[2]

مادر آن مرکز پرگار عشق

مادر آن کاروان سالار عشق

Maadar-e-aa’n markaz-e-parkaar-e-ishq

Maadar-e-aa’n kaarwa’n saalaar-e-ishq

Her son was the center of Love and devotion[3]

He was the chief of the army of Love

آن یکی شمع شبستان حرم

حافظ جمعیت خیرالامم

Aa’n yeki sham’e shabistaan-e-haram

Hafiz-e-jamee’at-e khayrul-umam

He was a burning light in the gathering in the HARAM,

He was the protector of the best of the communities

تا نشیند آتش پیکار و کین

پشت پا زد بر سر تاج و نگین

Taa nasheenad aatish-e-paykaar-o-kee’n

Pusht-e-pa zad bar sar-e-taaj-o-nagee’n

He kicked the throne and the crown aside[4],

Only because he did not want to see the fire of killing and hatred

وان دگر مولای ابرار جہان

قوت بازوی احرار جہان

Wa’n digar maulaa-e abraar-e-jahaa’n

Quwwat-e baazu-e-ahraar-e-jahaa’n

And the other son (of hers) is the leader of the pious

He gave strength to all the revolutionaries of the world

در نوای زندگی سوز از حسین

اہل حق حریت آموز از حسین

Dar nawaa-e-zindagi soz az Hussain[5]

Ahl-e-haq hurriyat amoz az Hussain[6]

Hussain becomes passion to the ode of humanity

Hussain gives rise of freedom to the truthful people

سیرت فرزند ہا از امہات

جوہر صدق و صفا از امہات

Seerat-e-farzandaha az ummahaat[7]

Jawhar-e-sidq-o-safa az ummahaat

The character of sons are built by their mothers

The true spirit of truthfulness and honesty come from the mothers

مزرع تسلیم را حاصل بتول

مادران را اسوۂ کامل بتول

Muzra-e-tasleem ra haasil Butool

Maadaraa’n ra uswa-e-kaamil Butool

Crop/harvest for the farm of approbation/consent is Butool

For mothers she is a perfect guiding example

بہر محتاجی دلش آنگونہ سوخت

با یہودی چادر خود را فروخت

Bahr-e-muhtaaj-e dilish aa’n guna sokht[9]

Ba yahoodi chaadar-e-khud ra farokht

Her heart was so overwhelmed by the needs of the poor,

That she sold her own chadar to a Jew

نوری و ہم آتشی فرمانبرش

گم رضایش در رضای شوہرش

Noori-o ham aatishi farman barish[10]

Gum razaayish dar razaa-e shauharish

Both angels and Jinn are in her obedience,

(Because) she was obedient to the will of her husband

آن ادب پروردۂ صبر و رضا

آسیا گردان و لب قرآن سرا

Aa’n adab parwurda-e sabr-o-raza

Aasiya gardaan-o-lab Qur’an sara

She was raised with SABR and submission

Her lips would be reading Qur’an while her hands would be moving the hand mill

گریہ ہای او ز بالین بی نیاز

گوہر افشاندی بدامان نماز

Girya haaye ou ze baalin bai niyaaz

Gauhar afshandai badamaan-e-namaaz

She wept for the fear of Almighty Allah

She shed tears during her prayers to Him

اشک او بر چید جبریل از زمین

ہمچو شبنم ریخت بر عرش برین

Asahk-e-oo bar cheed Jibreel az zamin

Hamchu shabnam reekht bar arsh-e-barin

Jibreel would pick up her tears from the earth

So that he may spread dew-drops in Jannah

رشتۂ آئین حق زنجیر پاست

پاس فرمان جناب مصطفی است

Rishta-e aa’een-e haq zanjeer-e-pa ast

Paas-e-farmaan-e Janaab-e Mustafa ast

I am bound by the law of Islam,

I am beholden to the sayings of the Prophet

ورنہ گرد تربتش گردیدمی

سجدہ ہا بر خاک او پاشیدمی

Warna gird-e-turbat-ish gardeed mi

Sajda ha bar khaak-e-oo pasheed mi

Otherwise, I would have gone round and round her gravesite,

And I would have done sajdah on her grave

Reference :

[1] Refers to the Qur’anic verses 1-12 from Sura Dahr, Chapter 76. Imam Ali gave away his meal while ready to break his fast to a beggar. Allah sent those verses in his praise.

[2] Refers to the story when Imam Ali comes to the Prophet asking for Fatima Zahra’s hand in marriage. He asks Ali: What do you have? Imam Ali replies: A sword and a coat of chain. The Prophet then says that being valiant fighter in Allah’s way, he does not need a coat of chain, so he sells that to prepare for the wedding.
[3] These verse pertain to the eldest son of Fatima Zahra, Hasan bin Ali. Many of his virtues are recorded in books of hadeeth.
[4] Hassan abdicated in favour of Mu’awiyyah to avoid bloodshed and warfare
[5] An allusion to the passion of Karbala. Compare this with P.B. Shelly’s famous lines: “Our sweetest songs are those which are sung in the saddest tones.”
[6] Hussain stood up to a tyrant’s demand instead of compromising his principles
[7] It is amazing that Iqbal, a person raised in a typical male-chauvinistic society of Punjab, would write these lines

[8] These lines are highly metaphorical.
[9] Refers to another story from the life of Fatima Zahra
[10] This refers to the Qur’anic verse 51:56, “I have not created the Jinn and the men except that they would worship Me.” And it also connects to a hadeeth in which the Prophet had said: “If it was lawful to do sajdah to someone other than Allah, I would have commended women to worship their husbands.”