VIII-III

His help the world seeks like his slave own,
Since he guarded self with saintly tone.
This is faqr and kingship which guards the heart,
As sea guards pearls like a best work of art.¹

1.         Incidentlly Iqbal’s main philosophy is based on four principles of the mystics of Islam (out of 8 or 11). See Nafhat ul Uns, by Jami page 267 (still he has not ignored the remaining ones). Iqbal has probably taken the idea of self from the term Khilwat dar Anjuman; Privacy (with God) in social gatherings and other social contacts. Iqbal’s whole mission of life was ‘Hosh dar dam’, consciousness of each breath inhaled, Nazar barqadam’ (eye down cast), ‘Safar dar watan’ (journey for Home, lost by him on heavens and ‘Khilwat dar Anjuman’. I would like to quote a few verses of Iqbal from Masnavi (Hexastich).

1.         To get his own self in the life’s main goal,
            To see the God’s being, the purpose of soul.

2.         Which looks Him is Man, the rest is skin,
            To friend sees the eye, the flesh sees the kin.

3.         He asked mystics path, I said view alone,
            He asked ‘masses path’ I said ‘hearing lone’.

4.         Try to sit alone in the God’s retreat,
            Till you get the God’s tete-a-tete sweet.
 

5.         The height of man lies in His Being’s look close, Break the six nooks and get the aim of beaus.