Baal-e-Jibreel, put simply, is Iqbal’s monologue with God except that the persona they both take on is not the traditional, master’s and slave’s; but somewhat mystic, lover’s and beloved’s (though Iqbal is not to be confused with Sufi poets). The verses ooze with fierce, unintimidated love instead of respectful, humble worship. The first few odes that basically set the tone for the entire collection come out as quite aggressive. You feel the raging passion of a daring, cocky lover addressing his Beloved, telling Him that the obstacles in the way of love suit his adventure-thirsty nature just fine. If you wish to see how perfection borns out of the imperfect, you need to read the following couplets wherein a weak man can be seen to be begetting strong love. The stark contrast drawn between the guilty self of a man and yet the unapologetic love he is capable to experience is simply awe-inspiring. Understandably, the references to the biblical narrative of Adam and Eve, and good and evil, are numerous throughout the thread.

قصور وار ، غریب الدیار ہوں لیکن
ترا خرابہ فرشتے نہ کر سکے آباد

خطر پسند طبیعت کو ساز گار نہیں
وہ گلستاں کہ جہاں گھات میں نہ ہو صیاد

مقام شوق ترے قدسیوں کے بس کا نہیں
انھی کا کام ہے یہ جن کے حوصلے ہیں زیاد

As you read on, you know Iqbal is not an ordinary lover who is too wasted by passion to acknowledge reality. His extensive use of hyperbole and visual imagery, which is comparable to the ancient epics, does in no way make him depart from the subject which is exploration of self and God. Instead they empower him far beyond this by enabling him to take quick, pithy jabs at philosophical conundrums of his time. For instance, the wonderfully poetic way he addresses the contemporary problem of Zaat (Essence) Vs Siffaat (Attributes) is mind blowing. No wonder his daring takes (بت کدئہ صفات) have oft landed him in hot water with the religious establishment of his time.

میری نوائے شوق سے شور حریم ذات میں
غلغلہ ہائے الاماں بت کدئہ صفات میں

When it comes to ‘yearning’, Iqbal has a lot to say. Man’s yearning, as he sees it, has led to the creation of churches and synagogues and the same yearning has destroyed the idols of Kaaba and Somnaat. In a way, Iqbal is not-so-tacitly coining a similitude between God and Man – each engaged in a passionate cycle of creation and destruction to find the other.

گرچہ ہے میری جستجو دیر و حرم کی نقش بند
میری فغاں سے رستخیز کعبہ و سومنات میں

And here goes one of my most favorite couplets.

متاع بے بہا ہے درد و سوز آرزو مندی
مقام بندگی دے کر نہ لوں شان خداوندی

The universal tragedy of the inhabitants of the gray world that they don’t belong anywhere, could not be better put.

اپنے بھی خفا مجھ سے ہیں ، بیگانے بھی ناخوش
میں زہر ہلاہل کو کبھی کہہ نہ سکا قند

When yearning suffices the yearner, there’s hardly anything of substance that can be snatched of him, least of all, his happiness.

ہر حال میں میرا دل بے قید ہے خرم
کیا چھینے گا غنچے سے کوئی ذوق شکر خند!

And a sweet end to the daring opening part of the book.

چپ رہ نہ سکا حضرت یزداں میں بھی اقبال
کرتا کوئی اس بندہ گستاخ کا منہ بند!