IN  RESPONSE  TO  A  LETTER

Introduction
This poem was written in reply to a letter from some unspecified friend persuading ‘All«mah  Iqb«l to try for a career in politics (See Appendix III, 44). Beni«zâ, qan«‘at, tawakkul and self-respect were strong pillars in the edifice of ‘All«mah Iqb«l’s character and also constitute the basic ingredients of his message. The poem is an unambiguous reflection of the above qualities of his character. The last verse is the climax of the matter and is taken from £«fiï of Shâr«z.

Translation
Even if I have greed I do not have the strength for exertion
Acquiring position is connected with the taste for search

A thousand thanks to God that my nature is contentment
A thousand thanks to God that my mind is not mischievous

Cultivations of human hearts flourish with my writings
In the world I am creative like the ocean feeding cloud

Congratulations to you on these secrets of politics
As my finger nail by Love’s grace is breast-excoriating

Desire for audience with kings  is a sign of lifelessness
This secret has been exposed by £«fiï of elegant poetry

“If you desire that you elevated to Khiîar ¹ be
Hidden from Sikandar’s eye as immortality’s water be”

Explanatory Notes
1. This hemistich alludes to the tradition of Khiîar A.S. and Sikandar. For Khiîar see Appendix I, No. 52. Khiîar was endowed with two gifts from God, viz. mercy and knowledge from  His own Presence. The second hemistich is relevant to the parable alluded to here. This gift entitled him to interpret the inner meaning and mystery of events and creations of God. Though the Holy Qur’«n does not say so in Muslim literature Khiîar is credited with the knowledge of the stream, of the water of immortality, drinking which would confer immortality on any living object, including Man. This tradition could be based on Greek writings which have influenced Muslim thought to a very great extent. Sikandar was one of the persons who requested Khiîar to lead him to this stream. The identity of Sikandar is also shrouded in mystery. The Holy Qur’«n relates the parable of a powerful and righteous king Dhul Qarnain ( TheTwo- horned One) in Sërah 18:83-101. This king is identified with three kings, viz (I) Alexander the Great of Greece (356-323 B.C.); (ii) an ancient Persian king and (iii) a prehistoric Himyarite king. For a discussion of the comparative merits of these three hypotheses see the Holy Qur’«n 18:83-101 and the notes on them in the references in Appendix III, Nos. 8, and 42-A. However, the lesson of the parable which ‘All«mah Iqb«l wants to convey is not very dependent on the identity of Sikandar. When Khiîar was very much pressed by Sikandar for leading him to the stream of immortality he did so. When they reached there they found hundreds of thousands of living beings, including men, who had taken the water and had not died. They had grown old, decrepit and devoid of feelings. The moral of the story is that the normal cycle of the birth and death as designed by God is the best scheme of things for human beings as well as other living things. The moral of the story also is that the value of the water of immortality, which persists till today in folk lore, lies in its being unavailable even to a king like Sikandar. Similarly, the value of a self-respecting person lies in his being out of reach of kings and other materialistic elite of the world.