Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia

**National anthem of the Islamic State of Afghanistan**

"**Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia**" is an Afghan *mujahideen* battle song written by Davud Farani and set to music by Ustad Qasim in 1919. It became the Afghan national anthem in 1992, replacing the previous one. In the late 90s, however, the Taliban took control over most of the country, outlawing music. This meant that Afghanistan did not have an official national anthem until late 2001, when the Taliban was overthrown. After the 2002 *jirga*, the country temporarily became the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan, restoring the national anthem. It was used until 2006, when it was replaced by "Milli Suroud".

## Lyrics

### Dari original

قلعه اسلام قلب آسیا
جاویدان آزاد خاک آریا
زادگاه قهرمانان بزرگ
سنگر رزمنده مردان خدا
الله اکبر الله اکبر الله اکبر

تیغ ایمانش به میدان جهاد
بند استبداد را از هم گسست
ملت ازاده افغانستان
در جهان زنجیر محکومان شکست
الله اکبر الله اکبر الله اکبر

هر خط قران نظام ما بود
پرچم ایمان به بام ما بود
هم صدا و هم نوا با هم روان
وحدت ملی مرام مابود
الله اکبر الله اکبر الله اکبر

شاد زی ازاد زی اباد زی
ای وطن در نور قانون خدا
مشعل آزادگی را بر فراز
مردم سر گشته راشو رهنما
الله اکبر الله اکبر الله اکبر

Qalayi Islām, qalbi Āsiyā,
Jāwidān āzād, khāki Āriyā,
Zādgāhi qahramānāni buzurg,
Sangari razminda mardāni Khudā
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar!

Teghi imānash ba maydāni jihād,
Bandi istibdādrā az ham gusast
Millati āzādiyi Afghānistān
Dar jahān zanjiri mahkuman shikast.
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar!

Har khatti Qurān nizāmi mā buwad,
Parcami imān ba bāmi mā buwad,
Hamsadā u hamnawā bā ham rawān,
Wahdati milli marāmi mā bud.
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar!

Shād zi, āzād zi, ābād zi,
Ey watan dar nuri qānuni Khudā.
Mashali āzādigirā bar farāz,
Mardāmi sargāshtarā shaw rahnamā.
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar!

[qʰɐl.ˈʔa.(j)ɪ ɪs.ˈlɑːm ˈqʰal.bɪ ʌː.sɪ.ˈjɑː]
[d͡ʒʌː.wiː.ˈd̪ɑːn ʌː.ˈzɑːd̪ ˈxɑː.kʰɪ ʌː.ɾɪ.ˈjɑː]
[zʌːd̪.ˈɡɑː.hɪ qʰɐh.ɾɐ.mʌː.ˈnɑː.nɪ bʊ.ˈzʊɾg]
[sɐŋ.ˈga.ɾɪ rɐz.mɪn̪.ˈd̪a mɐɹ.ˈd̪ɑː.nɪ xʊ.ˈd̪ɑː]
[ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǀ ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǀ ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǁ]

[ˈt̪ʰeː.ɣɪ iː.mʌː.ˈnaʃ bɐ mɐj.ˈd̪ɑː.nɪ d͡ʒɪ.ˈhɑːd̪]
[ˈbɐn̪.d̪ɪ ɪs̪.t̪ʰɪb.ˈd̪ɑːd̪ rʌː ɐz hɐm gʊ.ˈsas̪t̪ʰ]
[mɪl.ˈla.t̪ʰɪ ʌː.zʌː.ˈd̪ɪː.(j)ɪ ɐf.ɣʌː.nɪs̪.ˈt̪ʰɑːn]
[d̪ɐɾ d͡ʒɐ.ˈhɑːn zɐn.ˈd͡ʒiː.ɾɪ mɐh.kʰuː.ˈmɑːn]
[ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǀ ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǀ ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǁ]

[hɐɾ ˈxa.t̪ʰɪ qʰʊɾ.ˈʔɑːn nɪ.ˈzɑː.mɪ mʌː bʊ.ˈwad̪]
[pʰɐɹ.ˈtʃʰa.mɪ iː.ˈmɑːn bɐ ˈbɑː.mɪ mʌː bʊ.ˈwad̪]
[hɐm sɐ.ˈd̪ɑː‿wʊ hɐm nɐ.ˈwɑː bʌː hɐm rɐ.ˈwɑːn]
[wɐh.ˈd̪a.t̪ʰɪ mɪl.ˈliː mɐ.ˈɾɑː.mɪ mʌː ˈbuːd̪]
[ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǀ ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǀ ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǁ]

[ʃʌːd̪ zi ʌː.ˈzɑːd̪ zi ʌː.ˈbɑːd̪ zi]
[ej wɐ.ˈt̪ʰan d̪ɐɾ ˈnuː.ɾɪ qʰʌː.ˈnuː.nɪ xʊ.ˈd̪ɑː]
[mɐʃ.ˈʔɐ.lɪ ʌː.zɑː.d̪ɪ.ˈɡiː rʌː bɐɾ fɐ.ˈɾɑːz]
[mɐɹ.ˈd̪ɑː.mɪ sɐɾ.ɡʌːʃ.ˈt̪ʰa rʌː ʃɐw rɐh.nɐ.ˈmɑː]
[ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǀ ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǀ ɐl.ˈlɑː.hʊ ˈak.bɐɾ ǁ]

### Tajik translation

Қалъаи Ислом, қалби Осиё,

Ҷовидон озод, хоки Ориё,

Зодгоҳи қаҳрамонони бузург,

Сангари разминда мардони Худо

Аллоҳу акбар, Аллоҳу акбар, Аллоҳу акбар!

Теғи имонаш ба майдони ҷиҳод,

Банди истибдодро аз ҳам гусаст

Миллати озодии Афғонистон

Дар ҷаҳон занҷири маҳкуман шикаст.

Аллоҳу акбар, Аллоҳу акбар, Аллоҳу акбар!

Ҳар хатти Қуръон низоми мо бувад,

Парчами имон ба боми мо бувад,

Ҳамсадову ҳамнаво бо ҳам равон,

Ваҳдати миллӣ мароми мо буд

Аллоҳу акбар, Аллоҳу акбар, Аллоҳу акбар!

Шод зи, озод зи, обод зи,

Эй ватан дар нури қонуни Худо

Машъали озодигӣро бар фароз,

Мардоми саргуштаро шав раҳнамо.

Аллоҳу акбар, Аллоҳу акбар, Аллоҳу акбар!

### English translation

Fortress of Islam, heart of Asia,

Forever free, soil of the Aryans,

Birthplace of great heroes

Fellow traveler of the warriors of the men of God,

God is great! God is great! God is great!

Arrow of her faith to the arena of Jihad,

Removing the chains of suppression,

The nation of freedom, Afghanistan,

Breaks the chains of the oppressed in the world.

God is great! God is great! God is great!

Let the lines of the Qoran be our order,

Let the banner of faith be on our roof,

With the echoes and the voices going together,

Let national unity be what we strive for,

God is great! God is great! God is great!

Live happy, live free, live and prosper,

Oh homeland in the light of God’s law,

Lift the torch of freedom high,

Become a leader for the people who are oppressed,

God is great! God is great! God is great!

## References

1. ↑ Sououd-e-Melli
2. ↑ New Afghanistan anthem possible
3. ↑ Afghanistan (1992-1999, 2002-2006). Bristow, Michael; Lim, Josh; Popp, Reinhard; Kendall, David (11 May 2012). *NationalAnthems.info*.
4. ↑ Fortress of Islam, heart of Asia… (Afghanistan) (arr. P. Breiner): Afghanistan ["Fortress of Islam, heart of Asia…" (1992–2006) (2013-07-30). Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. – via Amazon.
5. ↑ Canada in Afghanistan: The War So Far (2007-02-28). Pigott, Peter. Dundurn. p. 17. ISBN 9781550026740.
6. ↑ National Anthem Downloads, Lyrics, & Information: NationalAnthems.us - Afghanistan 1992-1999 and 2002-2006. *nationalanthems.us*.