Arabic · noun · Nation, Faith & Society
Khalq
ख़ल्क़
said KHALQ
also written: khalq, khalaq, alam-e-khalq
Meaning
Created beings; the people, the masses, mankind.
Literally: That which is created (from khalaqa, to create).
How Iqbal uses it
Creation — both the act of creating and the created world, especially the "world of creation" (alam-e-khalq) of gradual, material, measured things, contrasted with the "world of command" (alam-e-amr). Iqbal works with this pair to distinguish the conditioned, evolving cosmos from the free, spirit-bearing command — and to argue that the human self straddles both, rooted in amr yet acting upon khalq.
See it in the verse
Khalq in Iqbal’s couplets
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