SHAHEEN AS CHARACTER : Why did Allama Iqbal Choose Shaheen to Address the Youth...
By - Zeeshan Ahmad Sheikh ...
Allama Muhammad Iqbal is one of the most outstanding
poet-philosophers of the sub-continent belonging to the
modern period. His intellectual genius has reigned supreme
in the arena of Islamic philosophy during the twentieth
century and is likely to direct and influence the Islamic
Intellectual tradition in the twenty first century as well. His
sublime poetry and philosophy inspired millions of Muslims
to wake up to the reality of the times and forge a destiny for
themselves.
Iqbal dedicates much of his poetry in awakening and
enlightening the Muslim youth. While his deeply inspiring
poetry is filled with profoundly meaningful and Symbolic
Terms like Mardi-e- Momin (man of unwavering faith) ,
Mujahid (Fighter For Right Causes), Saacha Musalman ( true
Muslim), Man of khudi( Self discovery), optimistic Being etc
but among all these attributes Iqbal places special emphasis
on Shaheen (the correct meaning of Shaheen in English is
Hawk, and in Urdu we write it شااا (when addressing the
youth wanting for them to inculcate in themselves the
attributes of a Shaheen (which according to Iqbal is the
Mascot of khudi and Iqbal chose it in an exceptionally elegant
way to promulgate his message to young generations.
But let us examine the wisdom and reasons behind using this
unique analogy of Shaheen by Iqbal while representing the
Youth, what are the attributes unique to Shaheen which
separates it from other birds and why these qualities attracted
the imagination of Iqbal.
1) Shaheen is far-sighted.
Shaheen is born with far sight, hence the verbatim eagle-
eyed is known. He has the vision to see beyond superficial
and read between events as they happen. As Iqbal says in
Baal-e-Jibreel.
Kho Naa Jaa Iss Seher-o-Sham Main Ae Sahib-e-Hosh
Aik Jahan Aur Bhi Hai, Jis Main Na Farda Hai Naa Dosh
Oh! Self Aware Man! Don’t get lost in this series of morning
and evening
There is another world, where there is no future, nor past.
The bird can see things miles away and through the dust,
even when the weather is not clear. It has a fixed goal and a
dynamic vision. During the rain, when the other birds are in
their nests, it is out there, high in sky. When the other birds
are just planning to fly, the Shaheen has already covered
thousands of miles. Allama Iqbal wants us Muslims to have
long-term goals and have our eyes on the prize, which is
Jannah (hereafter) We should not give up on small things andwe should grow so strong that failure cannot scare us or make
us give up. The Shaheen is a bird that has many challenges
during flying but it overcomes them easily. One main quality
that I found so interesting was that whatever this amazing
bird does, is not done randomly but with proper planning.
The Shaheen remains focused. Hence, to rise and fly, we the
youth, should stay determined and not be distracted easily.
2) Shaheen is fearless.
Shaheen in addition to being far-sighted, is also fearless.It is
not afraid of taking risks or facing challenges. Iqbal wanted
us to think, plan high, and also put in the required hardwork.
Another point which I thought was inspiring was that Shaheen
does not gather provisions like other birds, rather he is
independent. It has a different standard than the rest and
adopts its own course instead of following someone else’s
path. Similarly, we must know where we are going and not let
the wind blow us away in a random direction. The Shaheen is
confident and Iqbal draws a comparison between the two of
us. He advises us not to blindly follow the dunya but be self-
confident on our identity. Instead of taking advantage of other
someone else’s work, we should learn to master our own
because the Muslim is born to be “a leader not a follower.”
پرواز ے دونوں کي اسي ا ک فض م ں
کرگس ک جہ ں اور ے، ش ں ک جہ ں اور
The vulture and the eagle soar
In the same air, but in worlds apart.
3) Shaheen is always moving forward.
Shaheen never stayed or made its home in a permanent
place. Instead it is always flying and moving ahead towards
its real goal. Likewise, our ultimate goal is Jannah and we
should not waste our lives by being absorbed in the present
or forgetting the future. We, as believers, should be
working hard for the journey of akhirah. The Shaheen does
not cut himself completely from the world but uses the
necessary things to live and prioritize its goals. In the same
way, we should prioritize our goals in life and the ultimate
goal should be to achieve Jannah. Through this, Allama Iqbal
advises us to not focus on our negative thoughts but to look
towards the positive aspects of life. We must not dwell in
the past, rather we should stay in the present and focus on
the future.
Looking at all the qualities of the Shaheen and the reason that
Allama Iqbal chose this bird, it is important for a believer to
spend some time in solitude, go through the journey of self-
discovery and identify their potential. We should not be afraid
of hard work. We need to aim high and work towards greatness
to fulfill the dream of Iqbal.
نہ ں ت را نش م قصر سلط نی کے گنبد پر
تو ش ں ے ، بس را کر پہ ڑوں کی چٹ نوں م ں
Thy abode is not on the dome of a royal palace;
You are an eagle and should live on the rocks of mountains.
Zeeshan Ahmad Sheikh ist a student in Central University of Kashmir, for Feedback he can be reached at: zeeshanahmadsheikh3@gmail.com
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