Meaning
To do the seemingly impossible, or to stir trouble where none should exist.
Literally: to set fire to water
See it in the verse
Paani Mein Aag Lagana in Iqbal’s couplets
Aaj bhi ho jo Baraheem ka iman paida
Aag kar sakti hai andaz-e-gulistan paida
Aag kar sakti hai andaz-e-gulistan paida
Even today, if the faith of Abraham were born again, the fire itself could be made to bloom like a garden.
Courage · Adversity · Hope
Aag bujhi hui idhar TuuTi hui tanab udhar
Kya khabar is maqam se guzre hain kitne kaarvaan
Kya khabar is maqam se guzre hain kitne kaarvaan
A dead fire on one side, a snapped tent-rope on the other; who knows how many caravans have passed through this place.
Restlessness · Humility · Self-Knowledge
Pani pani kar gai mujh ko qalandar ki ye baat
Tu jhuka jab ghair ke aage na man tera na tan
Tu jhuka jab ghair ke aage na man tera na tan
The wandering sage's words washed over me with shame: the moment you bow before another, neither your mind nor your body is your own.
Selfhood · Courage · Freedom