Iqbal's Jibreel o Iblees
ahm...@noka.ub.bw
(Satan) was once an angel, as Jibreel (archangel Gabriel) still is. Iblees
defied God's orders by refusing to bow before Adam soon after the latter was
created, and as a punishment, he was promptly expelled from the heavens. We
have a contrast between the two. Jibreel is all goodness, Iblees is the very
personification of evil. One symbolizes obedience to God and rightful
conduct; the other personifies rebellion and insubordination. One's role has
been that of an instrument of promoting virtue in the world, by bringing
revelations from God to the prophets; the other tries to lead everyone
astray.
Only one of the two is a hero. But which one? Wait a minute; don't be hasty
with your answer. Read this poem before you decide. The poem describes a
dialog between the two old friends. Incidentally, if this poem is read
aloud, one can almost hear drums beating. Some rhythm!
------------------------------------------- JIBREEL: Hamdam-e-deereena! Kaisa
hai jahaan-e-rang-o-boo? [Hamdam-e-deereena: Old friend]
IBLEES Soz-o-saaz-o-dard-o-daagh-o-justujoo-o-aarzoo. [Soz-o-saaz: Passion
and music. Justujoo= search, quest. Aarzoo: longing, desire]
JIBREEL:
Har ghaRi aflaak par rehti hai teri guftugoo
Kia naheen mumkin keh tera chaak daaman ho rafoo?
[Aflaak: heavens. Guftugoo: talk. Rafoo: patch up]
IBLEES:
Aah, ai Jibreel too waaqif naheen is raaz se
Kar gaya sarmast mujh ko toot kar mera suboo.
[Sarmast : intoxicate. Suboo: container (of wine)]
Ab yahaan mairi guzar mumkin naheen, mumkin naheen
Kis qadar khaamosh hai yeh 'aalim-e-be kaakh-o-koo!
['aalim-e-be kaakh-o-koo: World without houses and
streets]
Jis ki no-meedi se ho soz-e-daroon-e-kaayenaat Us ke haq men taqnatoo achha
hai ya la-taqnatoo? [no-meedi: hopelessness; Soz-e-daroon-e-kaayenaat:
passion in the world. La-taqnatoo: Quranic injunction "Don't despair."
Taqnatoo is its opposite.]
JIBREEL:
Kho diye inkaar se too ne muqamaat-e-buland
Chashm-e-yazdaan men farishton ki rahi kia aabroo
[chashm-e-Yazdaan; God's eyes. Farishta: angel]
IBLEES:
Hai meri jur'at se musht-e-khaak men zoq-e-numoo
Maire fitne jaama-e-'aql-o-khirad ke taar-o-poo
[jur'at: courage. Zoq-e-numoo: taste (desire) for
development. Maire fitne� My evil doing is the very
fabric of reason and wisdom; Taar-o-poo: taana baana]
Dekhta hai too faqat saahil se razm-e-khair-o-shar
Kaun toofan ke tamaanche kha raha hai? Main keh too?
[Saahil: shore. Razm-e-khair-o-shar: struggle between
good and evil. Tamaancha: slap, hit]
Khizr bhi be dast-o-paa, Ilyaas bhi be-dast-o-paa Maire toofaan yam-ba-yam,
daryaa-ba-daryaa, joo-ba-joo [Khizr , Ilyaas: two prophets; Khizr guides
travellers. Be-dast-o-paa: helpless. Yam-ba-yam: from sea to sea. Joo:
stream, canal]
Gar kabhi khalwat muyassar ho to poochh Allah se
Qissa-e-aadam ko rangeen kar gaya kis ka lahoo
[Gar kabhi... = If you are ever alone with God, ask Him]
Main khatakta hoon dil-e-yazdaan men kaante ki tarah
Too faqat! Allah hoo, Allah hoo, Allah hoo.
[I am an irritant, like a thorn, in God's heart.
And you? You merely chant "Allah hoo, Allah hoo, Allah
hoo!"]
----------------------------------------
Jamil
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SF786
What Iqbal attributes to Ibless seems to me to be Iqbal's own perception of
what Ibless might think. There seems to be a misconception that it was the
eating of the fruit of the forbidden tree that led to the Prophet Adam (AS)
being asked to leave the paradise. This act has two reasons. The apparent one
is that Ibless instigated Prophet Adam (AS) and Hazrat Hawwa (AS) to eat the
fruit in disobeyance of the Divine Order. The fact is that the very purpose of
creation of Adam (AS) was to populate the earth. Allah (SWT) himself mentions
in the Holy Quran that He informed the angels that He was going to make a
vicegerent for Himself on earth, i.e., Adam (AS). The Divine Knowledge and
Wisdom knew the limitations of His creation. Despite the obedience Adam and
Hawwa (AS) were forgiven by Allah (SWT) and sent down to the earth with an open
instruction "You (man and devil) are enemies unto each other."
What Iblees considers his pride and achievement ( by saying:
"Hai meri jur'at se musht-e-khaak men zoq-e-numoo
acceptance of the fact that his disobedience in prostrating himself before Adam
(AS) left him a loser, right and left.
Only the Divine Mercy allowed Iblees time to go on in his attempt at misleading
the weak among the human beings; the pious ones will continue to defeat him,
Insha-Allah.
-----------------------------------------
Saleem A Khanani