A  CONVERSATION  IN  PARADISE

Introduction
This is another poem in which ‘All«mah  Iqb«l’s views about Western education for Muslims have been expressed. See introduction to poem 128. Musalm«n Awr T«‘lâm-i-Jadâd  (Muslims and Modern Education).

Translation
H«tif ¹ said to me that in Paradise one day
Sa‘dâ of Shâr«z addressed Ł«lâ in this way

                “O with the pearl of whose poetry’s sky-illuminating light
                The falcon became companion of moon and stars’ light!²

Relate to me what the story of the Indian Muslim is
Is he lagging at the halt or busy in exertion is?

Is some warmth of dân left in his veins?
The heat of whose call ³ was once burning the sky”

Ł«lâ was moved by the talk of the Shaikh
He started weeping and saying, “O man of miracles!

When the sky turned over the leaf of time
The call came that respect was possible only with education!

But this has produced wavering in fundamental beliefs
Secular benefits were obtained, but dân had been undermined

Goals also become exalted if the dân is preserved
The youth’s nature is paralyzed and very low keyed

Concordance among individuals is kept only with dân
Dân is the plectrum if national congregation is the musical instrument

If the foundation of the garden’s wall is shaken
It is clearly the beginning of the garden’s end

As the water of Zamzam⁴ was not available to it
Some manner of atheism is appearing in the new progeny

Do not talk of this in the audience of the Lord of Yathrib⁵
Lest Muslims of India consider that this is my back-biting”

                Dates cannot be obtained from the weeds we have sown
                Brocade cannot be obtained from the wool we have spun”

(Sa‘dâ)

Explanatory Notes
1. H«tif- The hidden angel who puts ideas in mind or gives news of the unknown. It may also refer to the famous Ir«nâ poet of the period of literary renaissance of Ir«n for whom see Appendix I, No. 37.

2. Allusion to Madd-O-Jazr-i-Isl«m (Rise and Fall of Islam) also known as Musaddas-i-Ł«lâ  published in 1879. This book is one of the jewels of Urdu literature. It describes in detail the condition of Arabia before the advent of Islam, the virtues of Islam and the blessings it brought to the world in general and the Arabs in particular, the decline and fall of Muslims and their condition during the author’s times. It exhorts Muslims to move forward in the material as well as the ethical and spiritual world. It lays great stress on acquisition of Western knowledge, particularly of science and technology. For this reason Sa‘dâ is shown in this poem addressing H«lâ to inquire about the effects of Western education on the Muslim Youth of the Indian sub-continent to whom it was primarily addressed. As is well known Western education did much material good to these Muslims, but also distanced them from their cultural and religious heritage, which was an irreparable loss. Ł«lâ, in his reply, expresses his concern for the above unexpected turn of events as is shown in the fifth and subsequent verses.

3. Allusion to the Muslims’ adh«n.

4. Zamzam- This is the sacred spring inside the Holy Łaram in Makkah Mu‘aďďamah. It dates back to the time of S. Ibr«hâm A.S. which was created miraculously for his wife and infant son S. Ism«‘il A.S.

5. Reference to the Holy Prophet S.A.W.