Posted by: moeen on: October 1, 2008
Allama Iqbal says:
Azadi -e- Afkar say hai un ki Tabhae
Rakhtay nahi jo fikr o tadabbur ka saleeka
hu fikr agar khaam tu azadi-e-fikr
Insaan ko haywaan bananay ka tareeka.
Meaning: Open to discuss can lead you astray and can lead you in wrong path in life. the discussion has a relation with profound thought about the topic. So before discussing openly, we need to process it and self criticise the topic.
TO have your say, or to have your own opinion, is freedom of speech but that has to be in filtered with the proper manner to self thought process. This means that you should not forget that you are in a community and should not become some individual out of this community.
Freedom of speech could also lead you in some one’s hand who can handle you by manupulating topics around you, and leting you busy in finding your freedom in it.
This tool could be easily used by an enemy, to keep you busy in ordinary things and let him carry to distory you at some other end.
Alas!! we are at this point.
January 14, 2009 at 1:07 am
Your translation is correct yet may I add that Iqbal here points out more towards Tareeqa-e Fikr-o-Tadabbur or saleequa-e Fikr-o-Yadabbur. The approach of the celebrated poet here is normative not necessarily poltical. He says the discipline and rigour of freedom or free thought is more important. Without proper discipline and normative rigour, freedom will degenerate into a destructive tool. Freedom as such is a good servant but a bad master.