Arabic · noun · Mind & Knowledge
Ilm-e-Huzuri
इल्म-ए-हुज़ूरी
said ILM-e-hu-ZOO-ree
also written: ilm-e-huzoori
Meaning
'Knowledge by presence' — immediate, intuitive knowing in which the knower and the known are directly present, as opposed to mediated conceptual knowledge.
Literally: presential knowledge
How Iqbal uses it
Iqbal grounds mystic intuition in knowledge-by-presence, the heart's direct grasp of reality that complements the indirect knowledge of reason.
See it in the verse
Ilm-e-Huzuri in Iqbal’s couplets
Na ho naumeed, naumeedi zawal-e-ilm-o-irfan hai
Umeed-e-mard-e-momin hai Khuda ke razdanon mein
Umeed-e-mard-e-momin hai Khuda ke razdanon mein
Do not despair — despair is the downfall of knowledge and insight. The hope of a person of conviction stands among those who know the deepest secrets.
Hope · Youth · Courage
Khudi ho ilm se mohkam to ghairat-e-Jibril
Agar ho ishq se mohkam to soor-e-Israfil
Agar ho ishq se mohkam to soor-e-Israfil
A selfhood made firm by knowledge can rival the angel of revelation; a selfhood made firm by love can rival the trumpet that wakes the world.
Selfhood · Love · Action
Ilm mein bhi suroor hai lekin
Ye wo jannat hai jis mein hoor nahin
Ye wo jannat hai jis mein hoor nahin
There is a certain delight in knowledge too — but it is a paradise without companions.
Self-Knowledge · Love · Humility
Be-huzuri hai teri maut ka raaz
Zinda ho tu to be-huzur nahin
Zinda ho tu to be-huzur nahin
Absence from the present is the secret of your death; if you are truly alive, you are never absent.
Awakening · Self-Knowledge
Ishq ki tegh-e-jigar-dar uda li kis ne
Ilm ke haath mein khali hai niyam ai saqi
Ilm ke haath mein khali hai niyam ai saqi
Who has carried off love's brave, heart-piercing sword? Knowledge holds only an empty scabbard now.
Love · Action · Courage