Meaning
The pearl-bearing oyster-shell.
How Iqbal uses it
The shell that nurtures a hidden pearl is an Iqbalian figure for the self that ripens a treasure in solitude.
See it in the verse
Sadaf-e-Gauhar in Iqbal’s couplets
Tamanna dard-e-dil ki ho to kar khidmat faqeeron ki
Nahin milta ye gauhar baadshahon ke khazeenon mein
Nahin milta ye gauhar baadshahon ke khazeenon mein
If you long for a heart that truly feels, then serve the poor and the humble; this jewel is not found in the treasuries of kings.
Humility · Love · Self-Knowledge
Har guhar ne sadaf ko toD diya
Tu hi aamada-e-zuhur nahin
Tu hi aamada-e-zuhur nahin
Every pearl has broken open its shell; only you are unwilling to come forth.
Selfhood · Courage · Awakening