# Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa

"Shikwa" (Urdu: شکوہ, "Complaint") and "Jawab-e-Shikwa" (Urdu: جواب شکوہ, "Response to the Complaint") are poems written by Muhammad Iqbal, in the Urdu language, which were later published in his book Bang e Dara The poems are often noted for their musicality, poetical beauty and depth of thought.

## Overview

Though much of his poetry is written in Persian, Muhammad Iqbal was also a poet of stature in Urdu. Shikwa, published in 1909, and Jawab-e-Shikwa, published in 1913, extol the legacy of Islam and its civilizing role in history, bemoan the fate of Muslims everywhere, and squarely confront the dilemmas of Islam in modern times. Shikwa is in the form of a complaint to Allah for having let down Muslims and Jawab-e-Shikwa is in the form of God's reply.
The central idea of the poem Shikwa is that God is not fulfilling his promise to protect followers of the Prophet from loss and a decline in fortune. In Jawab-e Shikwa God answers directly that he has not broken his promise; instead it is the Muslims, his followers, who have turned away from the Path.

## Controversies On Shikwa

The reason why Shikwa raised controversies is that the main theme of the poem was the 'Complaint to God' for Muslim's downfall, ill-treatment and troubles they were facing. When the first of these poems, Shikwa, was published it created confusion among Muslim Scholars who thought that Iqbal was being ungrateful for the blessings of God. "When Iqbal wrote Shikwa, orthodox religious clerics called him an infidel, and in all honesty, Shikwa does emanate a very strong sense of entitlement". The second poem, Jawab-e-Shikwa, was not announced with the publication of the first, but when it was published four years later Iqbal was praised for his contribution to Urdu poetry and Islamic literature.

## Publication

Iqbal recited Shikwa for the first time in April 1909, at a poetry gathering organized by Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam in Lahore. In 1913 Iqbal recited its sequel Javab-e-Shikwa at a political rally held outside Mochi Gate, Lahore to raise money for the Turkish struggle against a Bulgarian uprising, a prefiguring of the Khilafat Movement.

## Composition

   dil se jo baat nikaltī hai asar rakhtī hai par nahīñ tāqat-e-parvāz magar rakhtī hai qudsi-ul-asl hai rif.at pe nazar rakhtī hai ḳhaak se uThtī hai gardūñ pe guzar rakhtī hai ishq thā fitnagar o sarkash o chālāk mirā āsmāñ chiir gayā nāla-e-bebāk mirā
   pīr-e-gardūñ ne kahā sun ke kahīñ hai koī bole sayyāre sar-e-arsh-e-barīñ hai koī chāñd kahtā thā nahīñ ahl-e-zamīñ hai koī kahkashāñ kahtī thī poshīda yahīñ hai koī kuchh jo samjhā mire shikve ko to rizvāñ samjhā mujh ko jannat se nikālā huā insāñ samjhā
   thī farishtoñ ko bhī hairat ki ye āvāz hai kyā arsh vāloñ pe bhī khultā nahīñ ye raaz hai kyā tā-sar-e-arsh bhī insāñ kī tag-o-tāz hai kyā aa ga.ī ḳhaak kī chuTkī ko bhī parvāz hai kyā ġhāfil ādāb se sukkān-e-zamīñ kaise haiñ shoḳh o gustāḳh ye pastī ke makīñ kaise haiñ
   is qadar shoḳh ki allāh se bhī barham hai thā jo masjūd-e-malā.ik ye vahī aadam hai ālim-e-kaif hai dānā-e-rumūz-e-kam hai haañ magar ijz ke asrār se nā-mahram hai naaz hai tāqat-e-guftār pe insānoñ ko baat karne kā salīqa nahīñ nā-dānoñ ko
   aa.ī āvāz ġham-añgez hai afsāna tirā ashk-e-betāb se labrez hai paimāna tirā āsmāñ-gīr huā nāra-e-mastāna tirā kis qadar shoḳh-zabāñ hai dil-e-dīvāna tirā shukr shikve ko kiyā husn-e-adā se tū ne ham-suḳhan kar diyā bandoñ ko ḳhudā se tū ne
   ham to mā.il-ba-karam haiñ koī saa.il hī nahīñ raah dikhlā.eñ kise rah-rav-e-manzil hī nahīñ tarbiyat aam to hai jauhar-e-qābil hī nahīñ jis se ta.amīr ho aadam kī ye vo gil hī nahīñ koī qābil ho to ham shān-e-ka.ī dete haiñ DhūñDne vāloñ ko duniyā bhī na.ī dete haiñ
   haath be-zor haiñ ilhād se dil ḳhūgar haiñ ummatī bā.is-e-rusvā.i-e-paiġhambar haiñ but-shikan uTh ga.e baaqī jo rahe but-gar haiñ thā brāhīm pidar aur pisar aazar haiñ bāda-āshām na.e baada nayā ḳhum bhī na.e haram-e-kāba nayā but bhī na.e tum bhī na.e
   vo bhī din the ki yahī māya-e-rānā.ī thā nāzish-e-mausam-e-gul lāla-e-sahrā.ī thā jo musalmān thā allāh kā saudā.ī thā kabhī mahbūb tumhārā yahī harjā.ī thā kisī yakjā.ī se ab ahd-e-ġhulāmī kar lo millat-e-ahmad-e-mursil ko maqāmī kar lo
   kis qadar tum pe girāñ sub.h kī bedārī hai ham se kab pyaar hai haañ niiñd tumheñ pyārī hai tab-e-āzād pe qaid-e-ramazāñ bhārī hai tumhīñ kah do yahī ā.īn-e-vafādārī hai qaum maz.hab se hai maz.hab jo nahīñ tum bhī nahīñ jazb-e-bāham jo nahīñ mahfil-e-anjum bhī nahīñ
   jin ko aatā nahīñ duniyā meñ koī fan tum ho nahīñ jis qaum ko parvā-e-nasheman tum ho bijliyāñ jis meñ hoñ āsūda vo ḳhirman tum ho bech khāte haiñ jo aslāf ke madfan tum ho ho niko naam jo qabroñ kī tijārat kar ke kyā na bechoge jo mil jaa.eñ sanam patthar ke
   safha-e-dahr se bātil ko miTāyā kis ne nau-e-insāñ ko ġhulāmī se chhuḌāyā kis ne mere ka.abe ko jabīnoñ se basāyā kis ne mere qur.ān ko sīnoñ se lagāyā kis ne the to aabā vo tumhāre hī magar tum kyā ho haath par haath dhare muntazir-e-fardā ho
   kyā kahā bahr-e-musalmāñ hai faqat vāda-e-hūr shikva bejā bhī kare koī to lāzim hai shu.ūr adl hai fātir-e-hastī kā azal se dastūr muslim aa.iiñ huā kāfir to mile huur o qusūr tum meñ hūroñ kā koī chāhne vaalā hī nahīñ jalva-e-tūr to maujūd hai muusā hī nahīñ
   manfa.at ek hai is qaum kā nuqsān bhī ek ek hī sab kā nabī diin bhī īmān bhī ek haram-e-pāk bhī allāh bhī qur.ān bhī ek kuchh baḌī baat thī hote jo musalmān bhī ek firqa-bandī hai kahīñ aur kahīñ zāteñ haiñ kyā zamāne meñ panapne kī yahī bāteñ haiñ
   kaun hai tārik-e-ā.īn-e-rasūl-e-muḳhtār maslahat vaqt kī hai kis ke amal kā me.aar kis kī āñkhoñ meñ samāyā hai shi.ār-e-aġhyār ho ga.ī kis kī nigah tarz-e-salaf se be-zār qalb meñ soz nahīñ ruuh meñ ehsās nahīñ kuchh bhī paiġhām-e-mohammad kā tumheñ paas nahīñ
   jā ke hote haiñ masājid meñ saf-ārā to ġharīb zahmat-e-roza jo karte haiñ gavārā to ġharīb naam letā hai agar koī hamārā to ġharīb parda rakhtā hai agar koī tumhārā to ġharīb umarā nashsha-e-daulat meñ haiñ ġhāfil ham se zinda hai millat-e-baizā ġhorabā ke dam se
   vā.iz-e-qaum kī vo puḳhta-ḳhayālī na rahī barq-e-tab.ī na rahī shola-maqālī na rahī rah ga.ī rasm-e-azāñ rūh-e-bilālī na rahī falsafa rah gayā talqīn-e-ġhazālī na rahī masjideñ marsiyāñ-ḳhvāñ haiñ ki namāzī na rahe yaanī vo sahib-e-ausāf-e-hijāzī na rahe
   shor hai ho ga.e duniyā se musalmāñ nābūd ham ye kahte haiñ ki the bhī kahīñ muslim maujūd vaz.a meñ tum ho nasārā to tamaddun meñ hunūd ye musalmāñ haiñ jinheñ dekh ke sharmā.eñ yahūd yuuñ to sayyad bhī ho mirzā bhī ho afġhān bhī ho tum sabhī kuchh ho batāo to musalmān bhī ho
   dam-e-taqrīr thī muslim kī sadāqat bebāk adl us kā thā qavī laus-e-marā.āt se paak shajar-e-fitrat-e-muslim thā hayā se namnāk thā shujā.at meñ vo ik hasti-e-fauq-ul-idrāk ḳhud-gudāzī nam-e-kaifiyat-e-sahbā-yash buud ḳhālī-az-ḳhesh shudan sūrat-e-mīnā-yash buud
   har musalmāñ rag-e-bātil ke liye nashtar thā us ke ā.īna-e-hastī meñ amal jauhar thā jo bharosā thā use quvvat-e-bāzū par thā hai tumheñ maut kā Dar us ko ḳhudā kā Dar thā baap kā ilm na beTe ko agar azbar ho phir pisar qābil-e-mīrās-e-pidar kyūñkar ho
   har koī mast-e-mai-e-zauq-e-tan-āsānī hai tum musalmāñ ho ye andāz-e-musalmānī hai haidarī faqr hai ne daulat-e-usmānī hai tum ko aslāf se kyā nisbat-e-rūhānī hai vo zamāne meñ muazziz the musalmāñ ho kar aur tum ḳhvār hue tārik-e-qur.āñ ho kar
   tum ho aapas meñ ġhazabnāk vo aapas meñ rahīm tum ḳhatā-kār o ḳhatā-bīñ vo ḳhatā-posh o karīm chāhte sab haiñ ki hoñ auj-e-surayyā pe muqīm pahle vaisā koī paidā to kare qalb-e-salīm taḳht-e-faġhfūr bhī un kā thā sarīr-e-ka.e bhī yuuñ hī bāteñ haiñ ki tum meñ vo hamiyat hai bhī
   ḳhud-kushī sheva tumhārā vo ġhayūr o ḳhuddār tum uḳhuvvat se gurezāñ vo uḳhuvvat pe nisār tum ho guftār sarāpā vo sarāpā kirdār tum taraste ho kalī ko vo gulistāñ ba-kanār ab talak yaad hai qaumoñ ko hikāyat un kī naqsh hai safha-e-hastī pe sadāqat un kī
   misl-e-anjum ufuq-e-qaum pe raushan bhī hue but-e-hindī kī mohabbat meñ birhman bhī hue shauq-e-parvāz meñ mahjūr-e-nasheman bhī hue be-amal the hī javāñ diin se bad-zan bhī hue in ko tahzīb ne har band se āzād kiyā lā ke ka.abe se sanam-ḳhāne meñ ābād kiyā
   qais zahmat-kash-e-tanhā.i-e-sahrā na rahe shahr kī khaa.e havā bādiya-paimā na rahe vo to dīvāna hai bastī meñ rahe yā na rahe ye zarūrī hai hijāb-e-ruḳh-e-lailā na rahe gila-e-zaur na ho shikva-e-bedād na ho ishq āzād hai kyuuñ husn bhī āzād na ho
   ahd-e-nau barq hai ātish-zan-e-har-ḳhirman hai aiman is se koī sahrā na koī gulshan hai is na.ī aag kā aqvām-e-kuhan īñdhan hai millat-e-ḳhatm-e-rusul shola-ba-pairāhan hai aaj bhī ho jo brāhīm kā īmāñ paidā aag kar saktī hai andāz-e-gulistāñ paidā
   dekh kar rañg-e-chaman ho na pareshāñ maalī Kaukab-e-ġhuncha se shāḳheñ haiñ chamakne vaalī ḳhas o ḳhāshāk se hotā hai gulistāñ ḳhālī ġhul-bar-andāz hai ḳhūn-e-shohdā kī laalī rañg gardūñ kā zarā dekh to unnābī hai ye nikalte hue sūraj kī ufuq-tābī hai
   ummateñ gulshan-e-hastī meñ samar-chīda bhī haiñ aur mahrūm-e-samar bhī haiñ ḳhizāñ-dīda bhī haiñ saikḌoñ naḳhl haiñ kāhīda bhī bālīda bhī haiñ saikḌoñ batn-e-chaman meñ abhī poshīda bhī haiñ naḳhl-e-islām namūna hai birau-mandī kā phal hai ye saikḌoñ sadiyoñ kī chaman-bandī kā
   paak hai gard-e-vatan se sar-e-dāmāñ terā tū vo yūsuf hai ki har misr hai kan.āñ terā qāfila ho na sakegā kabhī vīrāñ terā ġhair yak-bāñg-e-darā kuchh nahīñ sāmāñ terā naḳhl-e-shama astī o dar shola do-resha-e-tū āqibat-soz bavad sāya-e-andesha-e-tū
   tū na miT jā.egā īrān ke miT jaane se nashsha-e-mai ko ta.alluq nahīñ paimāne se hai ayaañ yurish-e-tātār ke afsāne se pāsbāñ mil ga.e ka.abe ko sanam-ḳhāne se kashti-e-haq kā zamāne meñ sahārā tū hai asr-e-nau-rāt hai dhundlā sā sitārā tū hai
   hai jo hañgāma bapā yurish-e-bulġhārī kā ġhāfiloñ ke liye paiġhām hai bedārī kā tū samajhtā hai ye sāmāñ hai dil-āzārī kā imtihāñ hai tire īsār kā ḳhuddārī kā kyuuñ hirāsāñ hai sahīl-e-faras-e-ādā se nūr-e-haq bujh na sakegā nafas-e-ādā se
   chashm-e-aqvām se maḳhfī hai haqīqat terī hai abhī mahfil-e-hastī ko zarūrat terī zinda rakhtī hai zamāne ko harārat terī kaukab-e-qismat-e-imkāñ hai ḳhilāfat terī vaqt-e-fursat hai kahāñ kaam abhī baaqī hai nūr-e-tauhīd kā itmām abhī baaqī hai
   misl-e-bū qaid hai ġhunche meñ pareshāñ ho jā raḳht-bar-dosh havā-e-chamanistāñ ho jā hai tunak-māya tū zarre se bayābāñ ho jā naġhma-e-mauj hai hañgāma-e-tūfāñ ho jā quvvat-e-ishq se har past ko baalā kar de dahr meñ ism-e-mohammad se ujālā kar de
   ho na ye phuul to bulbul kā tarannum bhī na ho chaman-e-dahr meñ kaliyoñ kā tabassum bhī na ho ye na saaqī ho to phir mai bhī na ho ḳhum bhī na ho bazm-e-tauhīd bhī duniyā meñ na ho tum bhī na ho ḳhema-e-aflāk kā istāda isī naam se hai nabz-e-hastī tapish-āmāda isī naam se hai
   dasht meñ dāman-e-kohsār meñ maidān meñ hai bahr meñ mauj kī āġhosh meñ tūfān meñ hai chiin ke shahr marāqash ke bayābān meñ hai aur poshīda musalmān ke īmān meñ hai chashm-e-aqvām ye nazzāra abad tak dekhe rif.at-e-shān-e-rafānā-lakā-zikrak dekhe
   mardum-e-chashm-e-zamīñ yaanī vo kaalī duniyā vo tumhāre shohdā pālne vaalī duniyā garmi-e-mehr kī parvarda hilālī duniyā ishq vaale jise kahte haiñ bilālī duniyā tapish-andoz hai is naam se paare kī tarah ġhota-zan nuur meñ hai aañkh ke taare kī tarah
   aql hai terī sipar ishq hai shamshīr tirī mire darvesh ḳhilāfat hai jahāñgīr tirī mā-sivā-allāh ke liye aag hai takbīr tirī tū musalmāñ ho to taqdīr hai tadbīr tirī kī mohammad se vafā tū ne to ham tere haiñ ye jahāñ chiiz hai kyā lauh-o-qalam tere haiñ
Iqbal composed both the poems in the Arabic metre ramal. Shikwa is made of 31 stanzas of six lines each, while Javab-e-Shikwa is made of 36 stanzas of the same length. The first four hemistichs (misra) have the same rhyme and the last two a different one; i.e. the rhyme scheme is AAAABB. In the whole work four verses are in Persian.
Syllabic structure of a verse :
| Stress | – | u | – | – | u | u | – | – | u | u | – | – | – | – |
| Syllable | dil | se | jo | baa | t | ni | kal | ti | hai | a | sar | rakh | ti | hai |
In this metre, the next-to-last long syllable can be replaced at will by two short syllables; i.e., in the first verse of Shikwa, Iqbal replaced next-to-last long syllables by two short syllables:
| Stress | – | u | – | – | u | u | – | – | u | u | – | – | u | u | – |
| Syllable | kyun | zi | yaan | kaa | r | ba | nu | soo | d | fa | raa | mo | sh | ra | hu |

## Translations

The available translations of both poems are:
* The Complaint And The Answer (1943) by Altaf Husain
* Complaint And Answer (1955) by A. J. Arberry
* Shikwa And Jawab-e-Shikwa by Nawab Mahmood Ali Khan Tyro
* Complaint And Answer (1981) by Khushwant Singh
* Allama Muhammad Iqbal's Expostulation With The Almighty And Almighty's Censure (1977) by Suleman Zubair
* Representation And Reply (1998) by Raja Sultan Zahur Akhtar
* Shikwa & Jawab Shikwa: The Complaint and the Answer: The Human Grievance and the Divine Response (2015) by Abdussalam Puthige

## Legacy

Both poems were sung by the Sabri Brothers, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the late Aziz Mian.
Both poems were recited together in Coke Studio Season 11. Shikwa was sung by Natasha Baig, while Fareed Ayaz, Abu Muhammad Qawwal & Brothers sang Jawab-e-Shikwa .