Meaning
The world of water and clay; the material, earthly realm of bodily existence.
How Iqbal uses it
Iqbal contrasts the aalam-e-aab-o-gil with the self's higher, deathless reality.
See it in the verse
Aalam-e-Aab-o-Gil in Iqbal’s couplets
Yunan o Misr o Roma sab mit gaye jahan se
Ab tak magar hai baqi naam-o-nishan hamara
Ab tak magar hai baqi naam-o-nishan hamara
Greece, Egypt and Rome have all vanished from the world — yet to this day our name and trace remain.
Adversity · Hope
Giraanbaha hai to hifz-e-khudi se hai warna
Gauhar mein aab-e-gauhar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Gauhar mein aab-e-gauhar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
If you are precious, it is from guarding your selfhood; otherwise a pearl is nothing but the lustre that is its own.
Selfhood · Self-Knowledge
Bagh-e-bahisht se mujhe hukm-e-safar diya tha kyun
Kaar-e-jahan daraz hai ab mera intzar kar
Kaar-e-jahan daraz hai ab mera intzar kar
Why did You order me out of the garden of paradise? The work of the world is long now — so wait for me.
Selfhood · Aspiration · Courage
Keh raha hai mujh se ae joya-e-asrar-e-azal
Chashm-e-dil wa ho to hai taqdeer-e-aalam be-hijab
Chashm-e-dil wa ho to hai taqdeer-e-aalam be-hijab
He says to me: O seeker of the secrets of eternity, if the eye of the heart opens, the destiny of the world stands unveiled.
Self-Knowledge · Awakening · Aspiration
Yaqeen muhkam, amal paiham, mohabbat fateh-e-aalam
Jihad-e-zindagani mein hain ye mardon ki shamsheeren
Jihad-e-zindagani mein hain ye mardon ki shamsheeren
Firm conviction, ceaseless action, and a love that conquers the world — these are the swords of the brave in the struggle of life.
Action · Love · Courage
Qanaat na kar aalam-e-rang-o-bu par
Chaman aur bhi, aashiyan aur bhi hain
Chaman aur bhi, aashiyan aur bhi hain
Do not be content with this world of colour and scent — there are other gardens, and other nests, too.
Aspiration · Restlessness