Chapter Guide
In brief
Chapter XV defines Muslim action by its aim: peace and war are judged by whether they manifest Allah's glory, not by conquest, comfort, or imperial hunger.
The chapter begins by moving from doctrine to state of being. The Muslim heart is to be coloured by Allah, governed by love, and awake even when clothed in worldly power. Action is not measured first by success or scale, but by nearness to God and by whether divine light enters the darkness of works.
Iqbal then refuses a simple peace-versus-war formula. Peace can be corrupt if it serves anything other than God, and war can be righteous only when its object is God. The moral centre is intention: a sword that does not exalt Allah dishonours the people who wield it.
The story of Miyan Mir and Aurangzeb turns that principle into judgement. The saint unmasks imperial ambition as poverty, calling the emperor a beggar in royal clothing. Land-hunger consumes the world, empties kingship, and finally turns the sword inward: violence done for anything except Allah wounds the self, the state, and religion together.
Figures in this chapter
- Miyan Mir
- Nicholson identifies Miyan Mir Wali as a celebrated Muslim saint who died at Lahore in 1635. Iqbal makes him the spiritual judge who can see through imperial ambition. Mughal Gardens
- Aurangzeb
- Nicholson identifies the emperor as Aurangzeb, the Mughal ruler of India from 1658 to 1707. Iqbal presents him here as a ruler whose Deccan ambition turns kingship into begging. Britannica
Original chapter heading
Showing that the purpose of the Muslim’s life is to exalt the Word of Allah, and that the Jihád (war against unbelievers), if it be prompted by land-hunger, is unlawful in the religion of Islam.
قلب را از صبغة الله رنگ دهعشق را ناموس و نام و ننگ ده
طبع مسلم از محبت قاهر استمسلم ار عاشق نباشد کافر است
تابع حق دیدنش نا دیدنشخوردنش ، نوشیدنش ، خوابیدنش
در رضایش مرضی حق گم شود«این سخن کی باور مردم شود»
خیمه در میدان الا الله زدستدر جهان شاهد علی الناس آمدست
شاهد حالش نبی انس و جانشاهدی صادق ترین شاهدان
قال را بگذار و باب حال زننور حق بر ظلمت اعمال زن
در قبای خسروی درویش زیدیده بیدار و خدا اندیش زی
قرب حق از هر عمل مقصود دارتا ز تو گردد جلالش آشکار
صلح ، شر گردد چو مقصود است غیرگر خدا باشد غرض جنگ است خیر
گر نگردد حق ز تیغ ما بلندجنگ باشد قوم را ناارجمند
حضرت شیخ میانمیر ولیهر خفی از نور جان او جلی
بر طریق مصطفی محکم پئینغمه ی عشق و محبت را نئی
تربتش ایمان خاک شهر مامشعل نور هدایت بهر ما
بر در او جبه فرسا آسماناز مریدانش شه هندوستان
شاه تخم حرص در دل کاشتیقصد تسخیر ممالک داشتی
از هوس آتش بجان افروختیتیغ را «هل من مزید» آموختی
در دکن هنگامه ها بسیار بودلشکرش در عرصه ی پیکار بود
رفت پیش شیخ گردون پایه ئیتا بگیرد از دعا سرمایه ئی
مسلم از دنیا سوی حق رم کنداز دعا تدبیر را محکم کند
شیخ از گفتار شه خاموش ماندبزم درویشان سراپا گوش ماند
تا مریدی سکه سیمین بدستلب گشود و مهر خاموشی شکست
گفت این نذر حقیر از من پذیرای ز حق آوارگان را دستگیر
غوطه ها زد در خوی محنت تنمتا گره زد درهمی را دامنم
گفت شیخ این زر حق سلطان ماستآنکه در پیراهن شاهی گداست
حکمران مهر و ماه و انجم استشاه ما مفلس ترین مردم است
دیده بر خوان اجانب دوخت استآتش جوعش جهانی سوخت است
قحط و طاعون تابع شمشیر اوعالمی ویرانه از تعمیر او
خلق در فریاد از ناداریشاز تهیدستی ضعیف آزاریش
سطوتش اهل جهان را دشمن استنوع انسان کاروان ، او رهزن است
از خیال خود فریب و فکر خاممی کند تاراج را تسخیر نام
عسکر شاهی و افواج غنیمهر دو از شمشیر جوع او دو نیم
آتش جان گدا جوع گداستجوع سلطان ملک و ملت را فناست
هر که خنجر بهر غیر الله کشیدتیغ او در سینه ی او آرمید
Persian text from Ganjoor · 34 bayts
Imbue thine heart with the tincture of Allah,
Give honour and glory to Love!
The Muslim’s nature prevails by means of love:
The Muslim, if he be not loving, is an infidel.
Upon God depends his seeing and not-seeing,
His eating, drinking, and sleeping.
“How shall a man believe this saying?”[92]
He encamps in the field of “There is no god but Allah”;
In the world he is a witness against mankind.
His high estate is attested by the Prophet PBUH that was sent to men and Jinn—
By the most truthful of witnesses.
Leave words and seek that spiritual state,
Shed the light of God o’er the darkness of works!
Albeit clad in kingly robe, live as a dervish,
Live wakeful and meditating on God!
Whatever thou doest, let it be thine aim therein to draw nigh to God,
That His glory may be made manifest by thee.
Peace becomes an evil, if its object be aught else;
War is good if its object is God.
If God be not exalted by our swords,
War dishonours the people.
The holy Sheikh Miyán Mír Walí,[93]
By the light of whose soul every hidden thing was revealed—
His feet were firmly planted on the path of Muhammad PBUH,
He was a flute for the impassioned music of love.
His tomb keeps our city safe from harm
And causes the beams of true religion to shine on us.
Heaven stooped its brow to his threshold,
The Emperor of India was one of his disciples.[94]
Now, this monarch had sown the seed of ambition in his heart
And was resolved on conquest.
The flames of vain desire were alight in him,
He was teaching his sword to ask, “Is there any more?”[95]
In the Deccan was a great noise of war,
His army stood on the battlefield.
He went to the Sheikh of heaven-high dignity
That he might receive his blessing:
The Muslim turns from this world to God
And strengthens policy with prayer.
The Sheikh made no answer to the Emperor’s speech,
The assembly of dervishes was all ears,
Until a disciple, in his hand a silver coin,
Opened his lips and broke the silence,
Saying, “Accept this poor offering from me,
O guide of them that have lost the way to God!
My limbs were bathed in sweat of labour
Before I put away a dirhem in my skirt.”
The Sheikh said: “This money ought to be given to our Sultan,
Who is a beggar wearing the raiment of a king.
Though he holds sway over sun, moon, and stars,
Our Emperor is the most penniless of mankind.
His eye is fixed on the table of strangers,
The fire of his hunger hath consumed a whole world.
His sword is followed by famine and plague,
His culture lays a wide land waste.
The folk are crying out because of his indigence,
His empty-headedness, and his oppression of the weak.
His power is an enemy to all:
Humankind are the caravan and he the brigand.
In his self-delusion and ignorance
He calls pillage by the name of empire.
Both the royal troops and those of the enemy
Are cloven in twain by the sword of his hunger.
The beggar’s hunger consumes his own soul,
But the sultan’s hunger destroys state and religion.
Whoso shall draw the sword for anything except Allah,
His sword is sheathed in his own breast.”
قلب را از صبغة الله رنگ دهعشق را ناموس و نام و ننگ ده
Imbue thine heart with the tincture of Allah,
Give honour and glory to Love!
طبع مسلم از محبت قاهر استمسلم ار عاشق نباشد کافر است
The Muslim’s nature prevails by means of love:
The Muslim, if he be not loving, is an infidel.
تابع حق دیدنش نا دیدنشخوردنش ، نوشیدنش ، خوابیدنش
Upon God depends his seeing and not-seeing,
His eating, drinking, and sleeping.
در رضایش مرضی حق گم شود«این سخن کی باور مردم شود»
“How shall a man believe this saying?”[92]
خیمه در میدان الا الله زدستدر جهان شاهد علی الناس آمدست
He encamps in the field of “There is no god but Allah”;
In the world he is a witness against mankind.
شاهد حالش نبی انس و جانشاهدی صادق ترین شاهدان
His high estate is attested by the Prophet PBUH that was sent to men and Jinn—
By the most truthful of witnesses.
قال را بگذار و باب حال زننور حق بر ظلمت اعمال زن
Leave words and seek that spiritual state,
Shed the light of God o’er the darkness of works!
در قبای خسروی درویش زیدیده بیدار و خدا اندیش زی
Albeit clad in kingly robe, live as a dervish,
Live wakeful and meditating on God!
قرب حق از هر عمل مقصود دارتا ز تو گردد جلالش آشکار
Whatever thou doest, let it be thine aim therein to draw nigh to God,
That His glory may be made manifest by thee.
صلح ، شر گردد چو مقصود است غیرگر خدا باشد غرض جنگ است خیر
Peace becomes an evil, if its object be aught else;
War is good if its object is God.
گر نگردد حق ز تیغ ما بلندجنگ باشد قوم را ناارجمند
If God be not exalted by our swords,
War dishonours the people.
حضرت شیخ میانمیر ولیهر خفی از نور جان او جلی
The holy Sheikh Miyán Mír Walí,[93]
By the light of whose soul every hidden thing was revealed—
بر طریق مصطفی محکم پئینغمه ی عشق و محبت را نئی
His feet were firmly planted on the path of Muhammad PBUH,
He was a flute for the impassioned music of love.
تربتش ایمان خاک شهر مامشعل نور هدایت بهر ما
His tomb keeps our city safe from harm
And causes the beams of true religion to shine on us.
بر در او جبه فرسا آسماناز مریدانش شه هندوستان
Heaven stooped its brow to his threshold,
The Emperor of India was one of his disciples.[94]
شاه تخم حرص در دل کاشتیقصد تسخیر ممالک داشتی
Now, this monarch had sown the seed of ambition in his heart
And was resolved on conquest.
از هوس آتش بجان افروختیتیغ را «هل من مزید» آموختی
The flames of vain desire were alight in him,
He was teaching his sword to ask, “Is there any more?”[95]
در دکن هنگامه ها بسیار بودلشکرش در عرصه ی پیکار بود
In the Deccan was a great noise of war,
His army stood on the battlefield.
رفت پیش شیخ گردون پایه ئیتا بگیرد از دعا سرمایه ئی
He went to the Sheikh of heaven-high dignity
That he might receive his blessing:
مسلم از دنیا سوی حق رم کنداز دعا تدبیر را محکم کند
The Muslim turns from this world to God
And strengthens policy with prayer.
شیخ از گفتار شه خاموش ماندبزم درویشان سراپا گوش ماند
The Sheikh made no answer to the Emperor’s speech,
The assembly of dervishes was all ears,
تا مریدی سکه سیمین بدستلب گشود و مهر خاموشی شکست
Until a disciple, in his hand a silver coin,
Opened his lips and broke the silence,
گفت این نذر حقیر از من پذیرای ز حق آوارگان را دستگیر
Saying, “Accept this poor offering from me,
O guide of them that have lost the way to God!
غوطه ها زد در خوی محنت تنمتا گره زد درهمی را دامنم
My limbs were bathed in sweat of labour
Before I put away a dirhem in my skirt.”
گفت شیخ این زر حق سلطان ماستآنکه در پیراهن شاهی گداست
The Sheikh said: “This money ought to be given to our Sultan,
Who is a beggar wearing the raiment of a king.
حکمران مهر و ماه و انجم استشاه ما مفلس ترین مردم است
Though he holds sway over sun, moon, and stars,
Our Emperor is the most penniless of mankind.
دیده بر خوان اجانب دوخت استآتش جوعش جهانی سوخت است
His eye is fixed on the table of strangers,
The fire of his hunger hath consumed a whole world.
قحط و طاعون تابع شمشیر اوعالمی ویرانه از تعمیر او
His sword is followed by famine and plague,
His culture lays a wide land waste.
خلق در فریاد از ناداریشاز تهیدستی ضعیف آزاریش
The folk are crying out because of his indigence,
His empty-headedness, and his oppression of the weak.
سطوتش اهل جهان را دشمن استنوع انسان کاروان ، او رهزن است
His power is an enemy to all:
Humankind are the caravan and he the brigand.
از خیال خود فریب و فکر خاممی کند تاراج را تسخیر نام
In his self-delusion and ignorance
He calls pillage by the name of empire.
عسکر شاهی و افواج غنیمهر دو از شمشیر جوع او دو نیم
Both the royal troops and those of the enemy
Are cloven in twain by the sword of his hunger.
آتش جان گدا جوع گداستجوع سلطان ملک و ملت را فناست
The beggar’s hunger consumes his own soul,
But the sultan’s hunger destroys state and religion.
هر که خنجر بهر غیر الله کشیدتیغ او در سینه ی او آرمید
Whoso shall draw the sword for anything except Allah,
His sword is sheathed in his own breast.”
Persian text from Ganjoor · 34 bayts