امامت
English title: GUIDANCE
تو نے پوچھي ہے امامت کي حقيقت مجھ سےحق تجھے ميري طرح صاحب اسرار کرے
What Guidance signifies you wish to know, insight, like me, may God on you bestow.
ہے وہي تيرے زمانے کا امام برحقجو تجھے حاضر و موجود سے بيزار کرے
He is true guide and teacher of your age, who can with present fill your mind with rage.
موت کے آئنے ميں تجھ کو دکھا کر رخ دوستزندگي تيرے ليے اور بھي دشوار کرے
By showing the face of Friend in looking glass, may make your life more onerous and crass.
دے کے احساس زياں تيرا لہو گرما دےفقر کي سان چڑھا کر تجھے تلوار کرے
He may make your blood seethe with sense of harm and on Faqr’s whetstone may to sword transform.
فتنہ ملت بيضا ہے امامت اس کيجو مسلماں کو سلاطيں کا پرستار کرے
Such guidance means revolt 'against Lustrous Creed that makes the Muslims bow to kingly breed.
Sources and translator credits
- Original text transcription: Zarb-e-Kalim — امامت — Digital transcription file at commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; the source dataset does not identify the underlying print edition.Verified against this pinned digital transcription file; not checked against a print edition.Source
- Iqbal Demystified source list: Zarb-e-Kalim — Pinned digital dataset commit 39d44fc0c2b8ca25769c4b36e6eac4d90cb42b35; the underlying print edition is not identified by the dataset.Community dataset list; not reconciled against a print edition.Source
- Zarb-e-Kalim English translation at allama-iqbal.com — Guidance — Public digital poem page, retrieved 2026-10-06; pinned to allama-iqbal.com commit 82547635bb6b758c45082084b2f152fc453a8056.Translation by Syed Akbar Ali Shah; English Translation by: Syed Akbar Ali ShahSource