Shikwa

Shikwa is an Urdu-language poem by the Indian-Pakistani poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal, written in 1909. The title translates to “Complaint.” The poem is framed as a passionate monologue in the voice of a devout Muslim addressing God, lamenting what the speaker perceives as divine silence and the perceived decline of the Muslim community. It questions the predicament of believers who feel their prayers go unanswered and urges reconsideration of faith, action, and fate.

Shikwa is part of Iqbal’s early Urdu verse and has been widely published in his collected works, notably within the Kulliyat (collected poetry). It is commonly read as the first part of a paired sequence, followed by Jawab-e-Shikwa (The Answer to the Complaint), written as God’s reply to the speaker and published in 1913. The two poems are often treated as a continuous dialogue that engages questions of religion, modernity, and reform.

Themes in Shikwa include religious revival, self-scrutiny, and the call for intellectual and spiritual renewal among Muslims. The poem blends traditional religious imagery with a modern, assertive voice, challenging complacency while invoking Qur’anic and classical literary references to mobilize a sense of responsibility and vigor.

Reception and legacy: Shikwa, together with Jawab-e-Shikwa, is among Iqbal’s best-known works and is credited with helping to catalyze modern Urdu poetry and discourse on Muslim identity and reform during the early 20th century. It has been translated into several languages and remains a focal point in studies of Iqbal’s philosophy and poetics.