Meaning
Something utterly worthless.
Literally: ashes of the hearth
See it in the verse
Chulhe ki raakh in Iqbal’s couplets
Tu bacha bacha ke na rakh ise tera aaina hai wo aaina
Ki shikasta ho to azeez-tar hai nigah-e-aaina-saaz mein
Ki shikasta ho to azeez-tar hai nigah-e-aaina-saaz mein
Do not hoard and shield your heart — it is the kind of mirror that, once broken, grows dearer in the eyes of the Mirror-maker.
Love · Courage · Adversity
Aql ko tanqeed se fursat nahin
Ishq par aamaal ki buniyaad rakh
Ishq par aamaal ki buniyaad rakh
Reason never finds a free moment away from criticism — so build your deeds on the foundation of love.
Action · Love
Tu bacha bacha ke na rakh ise tera aaina hai wo aaina
ke shikasta ho to aziz-tar hai nigah-e-aaina-saaz mein
ke shikasta ho to aziz-tar hai nigah-e-aaina-saaz mein
Do not keep your mirror anxiously protected — yours is the kind of mirror that, even when shattered, is dearer in the eyes of its maker.
Courage · Selfhood · Adversity