Shikwa – Allama Muhammad Iqbal Pt 2

Of all the brave warriors, there were none but only we
Who fought Your battles on land and often on sea.
Our calls to prayers rang out from the churches of the European lands
And floated across Africa’s scorching desert sands
We ruled the world, but regal glories our eyes disdained.
Under the shades of glittering sabres Your creed we proclaimed.

All we lived for was battle; we bore the troubles that came,
And laid down our lives for the glory of Your Name
We never used our strength to conquer or extend domain,
Would we have played with our lives for nothing but wordly gain?
If our people had run after earth’s goods and gold,
Need they have smashed idols, and not idols sold?

Once in the fray, firm we stood our ground, never did we yield,
The most lion-hearted of our foes reeled back and fled the field
Those who rose against You, against them we turned our ire,
What care we for their sabres? We fought against cannon fire.
On every human heart the image of Your oneness we drew,
Beneath the dagger’s point, we proclaimed Your message true.

You tell us who were they who pulled down the gates of Khyber?
Who were they that reduced the city that was the pride of Caeser?
Fake gods that men had made, who did break and shatter?
who routed infidel armies and destroyed them with bloody slaughter?
Who put out and made cold the ’sacred’ flame in iran?
Who retold the story of the one God, Yazdan?

Who were the people who asked only for You and no other?
And for You did fight battles and travails suffer?
Whose world-conquering swords spread the might over one and all?
Who stirred mankind with Allaho Akbar’s clarion call?
Whose dread bent stone idols into fearful submission?
They fell on their faces confessing, ‘God is One, the Only One!’