maail-e-lutf hai aamaada-e-be-daad bhi hai — Akhtar Muslimi

"naale mire jab tak mire kaam aate raheinge ai zauq-e-nazar vo lab-e-baam aate raheinge ai zauq-e-talab tu jo salaamat hai to kyaa gham lab tak mire khud jaam pe jaam aate raheinge dil zinda agar ho to phir ai ziist ke taalib har gaam pe jiine ke payaam aate raheinge manzil ki tamannaa hai to Thukraa ke nikal jaa sayyaad liye daana-o-daam aate raheinge khaa jaao na dhokaa kahin manzil ke gumaan par raste mein kuchh aise bhi maqaam aate raheinge 'akhtar' agar aabaad rahe gul-kada-e-dil! phir is mein to kuchh mast khiraam aate raheinge"

"aansuon ke tufaan mein bijliyaan dabi rakhnaa sard sard aahon mein garmiyaan dabi rakhnaa kaifiyat gham-e-dil ki ho ayaan na chehre se parda-e-tabassum mein talkhiyaan dabi rakhnaa kaun sunne vaalaa hai be-hison ki duniyaa mein apne gham ki siine mein daastaan dabi rakhnaa kis qadar anokhaa hai sheva ahl-e-duniyaa kaa miThi miThi baaton mein talkhiyaan dabi rakhnaa khuub hai tumhaaraa bhi ye kalaam-e-fan 'akhtar' saada saada sheron mein shokhiyaan dabi rakhnaa"

"tum apni zabaan khaali kar ke ai nukta-varo pachhtaaoge main khuub samajhtaa huun us ko jo baat mujhe samjhaaoge ik main hi nahin huun tum jis ko jhuTaa kah kar bach jaaoge duniyaa tumhein qaatil kahti hai kis ko kis ko jhuTlaaoge yaa raahat-e-dil ban kar aao yaa aafat-e-dil ban kar aao! pahchaan hi lungaa main tum ko jis bhes mein bhi tum aaoge har baat bisaat-e-aalam mein maanind-e-sadaa-e-gumbad hai auron ko buraa kahne vaalo tum khud bhi bure kahlaaoge phir chain na paaoge 'akhtar' is dard ki maari duniyaa mein is dar se agar uTh jaaoge dar, dar ki Thokar khaaoge"

"shikva is kaa to nahin hai jo karam chhoD diyaa hai sitam ye ki sitamgar ne sitam chhoD diyaa le gayaa chhin koi sab sar-o-saamaan-e-hayaat haan magar ek sulagtaa huaa gham chhoD diyaa lag gai in ko bhi shaayad tire kuche ki havaa mai-kada rind ne zaahid ne haram chhoD diyaa haae us rah-rav-e-barbaad ki manzil ai dost jis ne ghabraa ke tiraa naqsh-e-qadam chhoD diyaa"

"kahaan jaaein chhoD ke ham use koi aur us ke sivaa bhi hai vahi dard-e-dil bhi hai dosto vahi dard-e-dil ki davaa bhi hai miri kashti laakh bhanvar mein hai na karungaa main tiri minnatein ye pataa nahin tujhe naakhudaa mire saath meraa khudaa bhi hai ye adaa bhi us ki ajiib hai ki baDhaa ke hausla-e-nazar mujhe izn-e-did diyaa bhi hai mire dekhne pe khafaa bhi hai miri samt mahfil-e-ghair mein vo adaa-e-naaz se dekhnaa jo khataa-e-ishq ki hai sazaa to miri vafaa kaa sila bhi hai jo hujum-e-gham se hai aankh nam to labon pe naale hain dam-ba-dam use kis tarah se chhupaaein ham kahin raaz-e-ishq chhupaa bhi hai ye bajaa ki 'akhtar'-e-muslimi hai zamaane bhar se buraa magar use dekhiye jo khulus se to bhalon mein ek bhalaa bhi hai"

"dil hi rah-e-talab mein na khonaa paDaa mujhe haath apni zindagi se bhi dhonaa paDaa mujhe ik din mein hans paDaa thaa kisi ke khayaal mein taa-umr itni baat pe ronaa paDaa mujhe ik baar un ko paane ki dil mein thi aarzu sau baar apne aap ko khonaa paDaa mujhe barbaad ho gayaa huun magar mutmain hai dil sharminda-e-karam to na honaa paDaa mujhe dekhi gai na mujh se jo tufaan ki bebasi kashti ko apni aap Dubonaa paDaa mujhe jalve kahaan kisi ke bisaat-e-nazar kahaan zarre mein aaftaab samonaa paDaa mujhe 'akhtar' junun-e-ishq ke maaron ko dekh kar ahl-e-khirad hanse hain to ronaa paDaa mujhe"

"vo mujhe zindagi bataataa hai phir bhalaa kyon nazar churaataa hai main usi ko uThaa rahaa thaa par vo mujhe hi faqat giraataa hai yaad us ko kiyaa yahaan main ne par mujhe vo vahaan bhulaataa hai raaz saare bataa diye main ne kyon magar raaz vo chhupaataa hai log masruf hain mohabbat mein aur vo dil miraa dukhaataa hai"

"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"

"Tuut kar ab sanvar gayaa huun main is tarah se bikhar gayaa huun main jo tire naam ki gali hai vo us gali se guzar gayaa huun main yaadein teri sameT laayaa huun aaj jab se udhar gayaa huun main khud mukarnaa sikhaa diyaa us ne phir kahaa ki mukar gayaa huun main kal talak jo na kar sakaa thaa main aaj vo kaam kar gayaa huun main yuun kahin main nahin Thahartaa par tere dar par Thahar gayaa huun main"

"bistar-e-karb pe jab niind jalaai main ne tab kisi khvaab ki buniyaad uThaai main ne zakhm aise the ki har shakhs ke aage rakkhe baat aisi thi ki khud se bhi chhupaai main ne hurmat-e-gham ke liye khud ko aziyyat bakhshi phir usi dard se taskin bhi paai main ne main ne zakhmon ko kuredaa unhein taaza rakkhaa tab kahin dasht mein ki naghma-saraai main ne apni khiDki se yunhi khud ko pukaaraa kal shab aur phir khud ko vo aavaaz sunaai main ne jaane vaale se rag-e-jaan kaa bhi rishta thaa 'samir' ye samajhne mein bahut der lagaai main ne"

"murattab aur bhi ik goshvaara ho rahaa hai to kyaa hai gar abhi ham ko khasaara ho rahaa hai hamaare paas to ham se ziyaada tu nahin thaa so tu kyaa ab to khud se bhi kinaara ho rahaa hai hamaare khvaab mein ahmiyat-e-shab thi ziyaada so ab vo khvaab aankhon mein sitaara ho rahaa hai tumhaari aarzu hone se pahle bhi to ham the guzaara ho rahaa thaa so guzaara ho rahaa hai hayaa-aalud aankhein hain na aanchal hai na chilman ye kis viraan duniyaa kaa nazaara ho rahaa hai abhi ham faisla karne ki ujlat mein nahin hain magar lagtaa hai jiine se khasaara ho rahaa hai khalaa se is zamin par sang-rezo ki ye baarish kisi jaanib se kyaa koi ishaara ho rahaa hai"

"choT par choT khaa rahaa huun main 'aadatan muskuraa rahaa huun main us ke uupar to kuchh asar hi nahin apnaa dil kyon jalaa rahaa huun main aaj tanhaai mein jo baiThe ho kyaa tumhein yaad aa rahaa huun main kaun aaegaa mujh se milne ko apnaa ghar kyon sajaa rahaa huun main aaj ji bhar ke dekh lo mujh ko ab bahut duur jaa rahaa huun main kyaa tumhein ab bhi kuchh shikaayat hai ab to sab kuchh kamaa rahaa huun main haath mein Digriyaan sajaae hue Thokarein kitni khaa rahaa huun main ab mujhe peT in se bharnaa hai ye jo khanjar banaa rahaa huun main kal koi is ko bhi na chhoDegaa ye jo paudaa lagaa rahaa huun main"