God Answers
(Iqbal’s Jawab-e-Shikwa penned in 1913)
Part - 2

The voice came,”Thy story is grief provoking,
Thy person is faced with trying situation,
Thy audacious cry has captured the skies,
How frenzied is thy person, how daring is thy presentation,
Thy elegant presentation has made thy plaint a petition,
This is the way to address the Lord of creation.

We are inclined to do favour, but there is no seeker,
Whom should we show the way, there is no wayfarer,
Divine instructions are widely known, but you lack in talent,
Raising an ideal character from you is an impossible affair,
A talented person is blessed with royal dignity,
Seeker of the new world is led to the prized destiny.

Your hands are weak, your hearts filled with heresy,
Your are the cause of the prophet’s dishonour,
Momins are no more, the surviving are image-worshippers,
Ibrahim was your father and his children are Aazer,
Devotees changed, sense of devotion changed, even faith changed,
Ka’bah changed, gods replaced God, you too are changed.

Those too were the days, following Islam was an honour,
Upholding Islam was the pride of a Muslim,
Every Muslim was passionately in love with God,
There was a time when I was the beloved of every Muslim,
Reach a new testament of submission with a powerful ruler,
Make the Ummah of  Muhammed the prophet a local affair.