haqiqaton kaa na parda abhi uThaanaa thaa — Iqbal Jahan Qadeer

"nazar nazar mein taqaazaa zarur hotaa hai chhupaa huaa koi jazba zarur hotaa hai kabhi vo saamne hote kabhi nahin hote tasavvuraat mein dhokaa zarur hotaa hai nahin kuchh is kaa kisi ahl-e-gham ko andaaza ki bojh baDhne se halkaa zarur hotaa hai kahin zaraa bhi banaavaT nazar nahin aati tire sitam mein saliqa zarur hotaa hai ajiib shai hai zamaane mein khuun kaa rishta ki ghair ho ke bhi apnaa zarur hotaa hai ye aur baat khalish us ki dil mein rah jaae koi bhi zakhm ho achchhaa zarur hotaa hai Dhaleingi nuur mein 'iqbaal' zulmatein ik din tavil shab kaa saveraa zarur hotaa hai"

"har makaan laa-makaan ki gunjaaish dil mein hai do-jahaan ki gunjaaish par-e-parvaaz mein utar aai vusat-e-aasmaan ki gunjaaish sajda-e-shauq mein samaa jaae aap ke aastaan ki gunjaaish naam us ko vafaa kaa mat diije jis mein ho imtihaan ki gunjaaish husn-e-aamaal kaa taayyun kar dekh umr-e-ravaan ki gunjaaish phail jaae to aasmaan chhu le us ke zikr-o-bayaan ki gunjaaish ye giraani ke pech-o-kham 'iqbaal' kyaa bachat aur kahaan ki gunjaaish"

"do haathon ke do hain usuul ek mein patthar ek mein phuul tark-e-tamannaa ki ye baat kaun karegaa dil se qubul raah-numaa ko fikr hi kyaa koi musaafir kyon hai malul shab raheinge umr tamaam aap ke vaade aap ki bhuul ek na sar se bojh Talaa aur balaaon kaa hai nuzul chaal na itni tez chalo sar se unchi paanv key dhuul baat banegi tujh se bhalaa uzr nahin koi maaqul der hui 'iqbaal' to kyaa koi duaa to hogi qubul"

"husn-e-parvaaz be-karaan bole sar uThaaun to aasmaan bole is nazar key zabaan ko samjho jo khamoshi ke darmiyaan bole be-khudi mein nazar nahin aataa ham kahaan samjhe tum kahaan bole khatm ho jab fasaad key shorish ghar key divaar saaebaan bole boliyon ke hujum mein rah kar koi boli na be-zabaan bole tum na bolo to ik jahaan khaamosh tum jo bolo to ik jahaan bole jis se gir jaae baat key rifat baat aisi na raaz-daan bole sab hain 'iqbaal' mast apne mein haal-e-dil kab koi kahaan bole"

"ik yaad jo maazi ki mire dil mein basi hai saae ki tarah mere taaaqub mein lagi hai ye silsila-e-bahr kahin TuuT na jaae aage to faqat pyaas hai aur tishna-labi hai afsaane kaa unvaan abhi tak hai adhuraa mahfil hai saji saahab-e-mahfil ki kami hai taarif yahi hai mire andaaz-e-sukhan ki mahke hue alfaaz ki ik shakl-gari hai ye saaf na hogi kabhi ashkon ki laDi hai jo gard zamaane ki kitaabon pe jami hai vo dekhiye tham tham ke barasne pe hai maail sharminda mire ashk se saavan ki jhaDi hai kyaa ho gayaa tujh ko mire ehsaas ki duniyaa bujhte hue shoalon se tapish maang rahi hai har ruuh mein 'iqbaal' hai ik rang-e-lataafat insaan ki taamir to miTTi se hui hai"

"raasta hi raasta thaa naqsh-e-paa thaa hi nahin dasht-e-vahshat mein koi apne sivaa thaa hi nahin ibtidaa se paDh chuke dil ki kitaab aakhir talak lekin is mein to kahin zikr-e-vafaa thaa hi nahin vo koi gor-e-gharibaan thaa ki thaa shahr-e-ghazal aas-paas us ke koi aatish-navaa thaa hi nahin husn-e-sirat se munavvar thi fazaa-e-anjuman itne chehron ke muqaabil aaina thaa hi nahin saahib-e-ehsaas hi sunte rahe ghairon kaa dukh apnaa gham az-ibtidaa taa-intihaa thaa hi nahin vo to the 'iqbaal' bas har haal mein sarshaar-e-ishq bandagaan-e-ishq ko roz-e-jazaa thaa hi nahin"

"dil shaad nahin karte aabaad nahin karte mahsus ye hotaa hai vo yaad nahin karte naashaad zamaane ke dil shaad nahin karte kam-aql parindon ko aazaad nahin karte mohtaaj-e-karam aksar rahte hain gharibon ke jo log gharibon ki imdaad nahin karte kuchh log shikaayat ko haq apnaa samajhte hain kuchh log kabhi tum se fariyaad nahin karte ham apne iraadon mein rakhte hain tavaanaai ham daad ke taalib ko bedaad nahin karte jo aap ki niyyat kaa kuchh ilm hamein hotaa ham apni mohabbat ko barbaad nahin karte is daur-e-siyaasat mein 'mahmud' qayaamat hai ahbaab jo karte hain jallaad nahin karte"

"bahr-e-rang-e-daastaan rahne diyaa ik tajassus darmiyaan rahne diyaa ab zamin ban kar bichhaa jaataa hai vo main ne jis ko aasmaan rahne diyaa raushni aur khvaab saare hech the apni aankhon mein dhuaan rahne diyaa vo jagah raushan nahin hogi kabhi is mohabbat ko jahaan rahne diyaa maan ne maathaa chuum kar rukhsat kiyaa maamtaa kaa saaebaan rahne diyaa kul milaa ke ye hai raaz-e-tishnagi ham ne dil ko sargiraan rahne diyaa khud hami paamaal Thahre shauq se khush-gumaan ko khush-gumaan rahne diyaa"

"tere tasavvuraat se aage nahin gayaa ye dil tavahhumaat se aage nahin gayaa jo biich raah chhoD gayaa shukr hai vo shakhs meri tavaqqu'aat se aage nahin gayaa shaayad use pasand thiin jhuTi numaaishein lekin main dil ki baat se aage nahin gayaa jazbaat-e-dil ko vo bhi na kuchh Dhang de sakaa main bhi takallufaat se aage nahin gayaa tohfa bhi us ke vaaste kangan liyaa 'zarim' vallah main us ke haath se aage nahin gayaa"

"ajab mushkil ki dil kaa haal aisaa ho gayaa hai sabhi ab puchhte hain mujh se ye kyaa ho gayaa hai main ye samjhaa ki gham kaa ab mudaavaa ho gayaa hai kuredaa zakhm to ye aur taaza ho gayaa hai kabhi fursat mile to khud se main baatein karungaa mujhe khud se mile bhi to zamaana ho gayaa hai magar ab sochtaa huun toD duun saare maraasim magar dil bhi tire gham se shanaasaa ho gayaa hai miri barbaad hasti kaa nazaara dekhne ko vo aae aur gham mein phir izaafa ho gayaa hai isi dariyaa mein ab khud ko Dubonaa chaahtaa huun ki is dil kaa talaatum mein kinaare ho gayaa hai chalo bhi 'qalb' ab tum dusraa dekho Thikaanaa ki is basti mein apnaa sab paraayaa ho gayaa hai"

"na koi dost ho meraa na ho adu meraa tum apne munh se agar kah do mujh ko tu meraa fasurdagi mein junun-e-havaa-e-gul yaani khizaan ke daur mein saudaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa jo tum nahin to bahaar-e-jinaan mein khaak nahin bahut vasia hai daamaan-e-aarzu meraa nibhegi ai dil-e-aavaara ab na tujh se miri bas aaj se na main teraa huun aur na tu meraa banaa rahe hain vo jalve ki apne tasvirein dikhaa dikhaa ke tamaashaa-e-rang-o-bu meraa kisi ki zulf-e-siyah kah rahi hai khul khul kar ghaTaa ne rang uDaayaa hai hu-ba-hu meraa mah-e-siyaam kaa aur intizaam kyaa karte janaab-e-shaikh uDaa le gae subu meraa jafaa kaa rang judaa hai vafaa kaa rang judaa malo na dast-e-hinaai mein tum lahu meraa taDap rahi hai jo abr-e-siyaah mein bijli firaaq mein yahi naqsha thaa hu-ba-hu meraa suhaani raat hai chhiTki hai chaandni 'muztar' miri nigaah mein phirtaa hai maah-ru meraa"

"khurshid jhaanktaa hai ridaa-e-sahaab se yaa nuur chhan rahaa hai kisi ke naqaab se baahar jo aaj dekh liyaa hai hijaab se suraj laraz rahaa hai tumhaare shabaab se naaseh Daraa rahe the khudaa ke 'azaab se khud hi janaab baaz na aae sharaab se lamhe guzar chuke hain jo phulon ki sej par is daur-e-pur-khatar mein vo lagte hain khvaab se khud ko to pahle dekhiye phir kahiye bevafaa bas itni iltijaa hai hamaari janaab se har roz ik na ik nai zid hai zabaan par tang aa gayaa huun main dil-e-khaana-kharaab se ahl-e-vafaa mein meraa vahi naam paD gayaa tum ne mujhe navaaz diyaa jis khitaab se kin manzilon pe meraa nishaan-e-qadam nahin puchho miraa maqaam mah-o-aaftaab se jo husn kaa kahin bhi tahaffuz na kar sake phir kaun saa hai faaeda aisi naqaab se saaya bhi jis hasin kaa DhunDe na mil sakaa be-misl vo khudaa ke hue intikhaab se sun kar hamaare she'r vo kuchh muskuraa diye 'faaruq' aaj ham bhi rahe kaamyaab se"