گلزارِ ہست و بود

This ghazal by Allama Muhammad Iqbal is a profound meditation on spiritual perception, divine love, and the transient nature of human existence. It serves as both a philosophical treatise and a mystical call to deeper awareness.

The Garden of Existence: Iqbal opens with an invitation to engage deeply with the world—not as passive observers or alienated strangers, but as active participants who recognize the wonder and meaning in existence. The "garden of existence" (gulzār-e-hast-e-būd) represents the entire cosmos, which deserves contemplation and reverence.

Mortality and Urgency: The second couplet introduces the theme of mortality. Human life is compared to a spark—brilliant but fleeting. This memento mori serves as a wake-up call: we must live with awareness of our transience and make every moment count.

Divine Love and Unworthiness: The third couplet shifts to the language of mystical love. The poet addresses the Divine Beloved, acknowledging his own unworthiness while simultaneously asserting the depth of his longing (shauq) and patience (intizār). This paradox—feeling unworthy yet passionately devoted—is central to Sufi thought.

Spiritual Vision: The final couplet presents the ultimate goal: true spiritual perception (zauq-e-dīd). When one's inner eyes are opened, the divine becomes visible everywhere—in every pathway, in every moment. The "footprints of the beloved" represent God's presence and traces throughout creation. This is the culmination of Iqbal's philosophy: to see the divine immanence in all things.