Angels bid farewell to Adam and Earth welcomes him: Allama Iqbal

Angels bid farewell to Adam and Earth welcomes him: Allama Iqbal poem from Baal-i-Jibreel

 

In Baal-i-Jibreel, there Is a poem of Iqbal entitled “Angels bid farewell to Adam, on the eve of his departure from the Paradise”. In this poem Iqbal has dramatised the departure of Adam from the paradise. Adam feels concerned on leaving paradise and seeking his home on earth. The angels while bidding him farewell speak some words of cheer. They say;

 

“You have been given the restlessness of day and night;
We know not whether you are of clay or quicksilver;
We hear you are made of clay;
But In your nature, you have the glitter of stars and moon.
You cannot realise even In dream what is your potential;
And what heights you can reach.
Your efforts will stand you in good stead;
Through them you will prosper and reach perfection.
Your melody will unravel the secrets of life.
God himself has attuned your organ to divine music.”

 

 

The underlying idea is that as Man is the vicegerent of God on earth he is endowed with great potential. It is for Man to develop such poten¬tial and fulfil his mission of viceregency of God. Though Man is made of clay he carries with him divine light. Because of such light, he can rise to great heights of perfection, which cannot be visualised even in dreams.

God has attuned the organ known as Man to divine music. If man follows divine Injunctions, there is nothing which he cannot accomplish.

In Baal-i-Jibreel there is another poem of Iqbal entitled “The Earth Greets Adam”. When Adam left the paradise, the earth welcomed him in the following terms:

 

“Open your eyes, see the earth, see the sky and see the atmosphere,
Behold the sun arising from the east,
Behold this unveiled vision hid in the veils of light
Feel the anguish and torment of the days of separation.
Be not overwrought, behold the contest of hope and fear.
These fleecy clouds are under your control
This high vault of heaven, this silence of space
These mountains, these deserts, these oceans and these winds
Are all there to serve you.
Till yesterday you were impressed with the activities of angels,
Today in the mirror of Time behold your own activities.
The Time will follow the gestures of your eyes.
The stars will watch you from distance.
The ocean of your imagination is shoreless.
The sparks of your sighs will mount to the Heaven”