Persian · phrase · People & Roles
Mard-e-Hur
मर्द-ए-हुर
said mard-e-hur
also written: mard e hur, marde hur, mard-e-hurr, Hur
Meaning
The free man; the truly liberated soul, master of himself and slave to none.
Literally: mard (man) + hur (free)
How Iqbal uses it
Mard-e-hur is the free man, the one who has thrown off every bondage of fear, greed, and servility. Iqbal makes inner freedom the precondition of outer liberty: only the self that is free within can free a people. The free man bows to God alone and so is master of himself before every tyrant.
See it in the verse
Mard-e-Hur in Iqbal’s couplets
Is raaz ko ik mard-e-firangi ne kiya faash
Harchand ki dana ise khola nahin karte
Harchand ki dana ise khola nahin karte
A man of the West let this secret out — though the wise usually do not disclose it.
Justice · Awakening
Hai magar is naqsh mein rang-e-sabaat-e-dawam
Jis ko kiya ho kisi mard-e-Khuda ne tamam
Jis ko kiya ho kisi mard-e-Khuda ne tamam
Only that work bears the colour of lasting permanence which a man of God has brought to completion.
Aspiration · Selfhood · Action
Mard-e-Khuda ka amal ishq se sahib-e-firogh
Ishq hai asl-e-hayat maut hai is par haraam
Ishq hai asl-e-hayat maut hai is par haraam
The deeds of the man of God shine with love; love is the essence of life, and death is forbidden to touch it.
Love · Aspiration · Action
Phool ki patti se kat sakta hai heere ka jigar
Mard-e-nadaan par kalaam-e-narm-o-nazuk be-asar
Mard-e-nadaan par kalaam-e-narm-o-nazuk be-asar
A diamond's heart can be cut by the petal of a flower — yet on a foolish man, soft and gentle words have no effect.
Self-Knowledge · Action
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
Fitrat ke maqasid ki karta hai nigehbani
Ya banda-e-sehrai ya mard-e-kohistani
Ya banda-e-sehrai ya mard-e-kohistani
It is the one who keeps watch over nature's purposes — either the dweller of the desert, or the man of the mountains.
Adversity · Freedom · Self-Knowledge