Dayar e Ishq Mein by Dr. Iqbal

Dr. Iqbal is one of the greatest and finest Urdu Poets. To me, he is one of the best source and inspiration to learn about Islamic Philosophy. Such a beautiful medium is poetry to portray thoughts of indelible persistence. (Just began reading his work!)

Here is a very inspirational poetry by him, Which questions us to find our identity in this Universe.

Dayar-E-Ishq Mein, Apna Maqaam Paida Kar

Nayaa Zamaana, Naye Subah-o-Shaam Paida Kar.

Na Tu Zameen Ke Liye Hai, Na Aasman Ke Liye

Jahan Hai Tere Liye, Tu Nahi Jahan Ke Liye

Khudhi Ko Ker Buland Itna Ke Her Taqdeer Se Pehle

Khuda Bande Se Khud Pochey Bata Teri Raza Kya Hai

Khuda Agar Dil-E-Fitrat Shinaas De Tujhko

Sukoot-E-Laalaa-O-Gul Se Kalaam Paida Kar

Uthana Sheesha Garan-E-Farang Ke Saath

Safal-E-Paak Se Meena-O-Jaam Paida Kar

Mera Tareek Ameeri Nahi Faqeeri Hai

Khudi Na Baich Gareebi Mein Naam Paida Kar

Tundiye baade mukhalif se na ghabra aye ukaam

Ye to chalti hai tujhe uncha udha lene ke liye

Mauje sarsar se darata hai use tu bekaar

Phukh chuka hai jo naseemai se sehmi sau baar

Nahi tera nashaiman kasre sultani ke dilman par

Tu shahi hai basera kar paharon ki chattanon mein

Khuda tujhe kisi toonfaan se aashnaa karde

Ke tere behar ki maujon mein istaraab nahi

Tujhe kitaab se lekin nahi faraar ketu

kitaab akhwa hai sahibe kitaab mein

Khudhi Ko Ker Buland Itna Ke Her Taqdeer Se Pehle

Khuda Bande Se Khud Pochey Bata Teri Raza Kya Hai

Dyar E Ishq Mein Apna Maqaam Paida Kar...

English Translation :

The angels began to speak behind Iqbal

'This creation of clay is of heavenly nature

He taught the angels the restlessness of Man

And taught Man the mastery of angels...'

Set your own standard on the soil of love!

Neither are you for the earth or the skies

This world is for you,

not that you are made for it

There are worlds beyond the stars that are seen,

The trials of Love are still to be seen

Create a new world,

Create a new morn and evening!

Set your own standard on the soil of love!)

Create a place for thyself in the world of love;

Create a new age, new days, and new nights.

If God grant thee an eye for nature's beauty,

Converse with the silence of flowers; respond to their love.

Do not be beholden to the West's artisans,

Seek thy sustenance in what thy land affords.

My ghazal is the essence of my life-blood,

Create thy elixir of life out 'of this essence.

My way of life is poverty, not the pursuit of wealth;

Barter not thy Selfhood; win a name in adversity.

Timeless Infatuation with Time

She has surely synchronized with me on both joyful and gloomy occasions. Yet our relationship is a complicated one! Don't you believe me ? I guess I have a point to prove to you then.

She walked into my life when I came into existence to this wondrous planet called earth. Earth, the only planet known for inhibiting intelligible creatures like us. No, I'm not talking about my mother. Oh wait! it is TIME. Okay coming back to what I was saying. From the get go I discerned her aura around me as my heartbeat synced with her repetitive ticks. I knew then only, that we would make great friends and even more. Though she was older than me but she acted at my age or perhaps imitated me, not so perfectly as a mirror though! It was the sound of tick that drew me closer to her. Moreover I wanted to explore her, know her. Whereas for her it was my child like curiosity and simplicity that gave her the tickles.

The fondness grew by each moment. We interacted on lots of issues. In particular, my issues. She never had anything to tell. Her life was that perfect. God had bestowed her with immaculate listening skills which I lacked completely. But at times I wondered why she kept silent. Did someone play foul to her ? Did she actually listen to me ? Did she find me boring now ? I was in my teens so the questions arising were naturally but apparent and they certainly weren't all hunky dory. I soon got lost and sunk in a deep state of sorrow since I got no responses from her side. And then started the rebellious period.

Forgetting her was never on my agenda but when I learnt of her, having very close interactions with others, I had to culminate it for my betterment. She never bothered answering me and that's what hurt the most. Though it never felt right, even the intensity of my heart slowed and I was drowned in a cosmetically designed happiness of alcohol. This remedy only worked when i was under its influence. Waking up with bad hangovers became a usual sight. Remedy which I considered it at first, soon became poison ivy alluring me with her precarious looks. That was the moment when she came to my rescue by battling out the deadly poison ivy. She subtly hissed some powerful words which acted as a potion in eradicating all the negativity. Those magical words were "I'll be constant as I am, it is you who has to change, not for anyone else but for yourself". And she was right. I am indebted to her even more now.

I learnt from her a great deal and would cherish her indirect teachings forever. She taught me how to move on in life. How  not to hold onto things for long as they are meant to be appreciated and not possessed. How to admire beauty and not envy it. How to be true to yourself because it is you who would call the shots and no one else.

Thank you Miss
Much Love

Plight of women through the eyes of a man

So I went for a pompadour cut the previous day. In this hairdo,  the hair on your sides and back are trimmed off to bare minimum leaving only the bouncy hair on top of your head ready to be styled. Apparently I was inspired by those south African pacers flaunting the same look. Little googling up culminated my search and I got this hairdo the next morning itself. It came out nicely as you may see.

Let me first tell you a bit about my self. I come from india, a nation which is not only famous for unity and diversity but also conservatism and orthodoxy. I'm an enginneer by profession, musician by passion and an observer of humans by heart. Being a male I was never sidelined on any front but what happened last night was an eye opener for me. Never had I imagined such an event transpiring in my life. I was eve teased. Yes! You heard it right. While walking back home, a group of barbaric guys approached me and started yelling out foul words. They even went on to generalize my persona to a big boss candidate VJ Andy who is gay and presumably deemed as an emotional and physically weak person. No! i'm not gay nor weak nor do I believe that gays or anyone falling short of 10/10 masculine attributes are in anyway weak. Everyone is nature's own unique creation. Well, that's a totally different discussion altogether but then, coming back here to me.
All my life I have been a masculine and sporty personality. Most of the times I got what I wanted and most certainly gave it back explicitly if someone behaved rudely. But I don't know what came upon me that evening that I lost myself as if the powerful me had never existed. Was it due to my tangible appearance or was it the manner in which I was teased. I think the former triggered the event from the outset whereas the latter jolted my soul. For the first time I felt unsafe and hopeless. I could have raised my voice and hands upon them but I didn't or rather I couldn't. Instead I kept walking hastily trying to figure what just broke out. I felt different from inside as if all my manly characteristics were taken away by god. For the almighty wanted me to face the tyranny that the girls face every single day.
It has been rightly said that you can only empathize things if you have faced them yourself or else you only have the capacity to sympathize. Always it is felt as someone else's misery unless it happens to you. I now empathize with those girls who are scared to go out at night, frightened to take an auto or even a cab and clobbered with nightmarish thoughts till they reach their destination safely.
Though this trend of styling one's hair may be common in the west but here in India, society assumes and constantly gives a stare at whatever odd you do.
I learnt an important lesson here and wanted to share it with everyone so that you too can understand the plight of women through the eyes of a man.

Ciao