Meaning
A human being; man as a moral and spiritual creature.
How Iqbal uses it
The making of the complete insaan, the true vicegerent of God on earth, is the central aim of Iqbal's thought. He calls humanity to rise to its full creative and ethical stature rather than remain half-formed.
See it in the verse
Insaan in Iqbal’s couplets
Abhi tak aadmi sayd-e-zaboon-e-shahryari hai
Qayamat hai ki insaan nau-e-insaan ka shikari hai
Qayamat hai ki insaan nau-e-insaan ka shikari hai
Even now, the human being is the wretched prey of the rule of kings — it is a catastrophe that one human still hunts another.
Justice · Awakening
Zindagi insaan ki ik dam ke siva kuch bhi nahin
Dam hawa ki mauj hai ram ke siva kuch bhi nahin
Dam hawa ki mauj hai ram ke siva kuch bhi nahin
A human life is nothing more than a single breath — and that breath is a wave of air, nothing but a fleeting movement.
Humility · Awakening · Action