Meaning
The journey's end; the final destination or goal of one's striving.
Literally: head-stage
How Iqbal uses it
The longed-for terminus of the seeker's road; the traveller presses on through every stage in hope of reaching the sar-manzil at last.
See it in the verse
Sar-manzil in Iqbal’s couplets
Main jo sar-ba-sajda hua kabhi to zameen se aane lagi sada
Tera dil to hai sanam-aashna tujhe kya milega namaz mein
Tera dil to hai sanam-aashna tujhe kya milega namaz mein
Whenever I bowed my head in prostration, a voice rose from the earth: your heart is in love with idols — what will you gain from prayer?
Self-Knowledge · Humility
Dhundta phirta hun ae Iqbal apne aap ko
Aap hi goya musafir aap hi manzil hun main
Aap hi goya musafir aap hi manzil hun main
I wander about searching for myself, O Iqbal — I am, it seems, at once the traveller and the destination.
Self-Knowledge · Selfhood
Aaeen-e-naw se darna, tarz-e-kuhan pe arna
Manzil yahi kathin hai qaumon ki zindagi mein
Manzil yahi kathin hai qaumon ki zindagi mein
To fear the new order, and to dig in stubbornly on the old way — this is the hardest pass in the life of a people.
Awakening · Courage
Uqabi rooh jab bedar hoti hai jawanon mein
Nazar aati hai un ko apni manzil aasmanon mein
Nazar aati hai un ko apni manzil aasmanon mein
When the eagle's spirit awakens in the young, they begin to see their destination up among the skies.
Youth · The Falcon · Awakening
Guzar ja aql se aage ki ye noor
Charagh-e-raah hai, manzil nahin hai
Charagh-e-raah hai, manzil nahin hai
Move on past the intellect — for this light is a lamp for the road, not the destination itself.
Self-Knowledge · Aspiration · Love
Manzil-e-rahrawan door bhi hai dushwar bhi hai
Koi is qaafle mein qaafla-saalaar bhi hai
Koi is qaafle mein qaafla-saalaar bhi hai
The travellers' destination is both far away and hard to reach — yet somewhere in this caravan there is also a leader of the caravan.
Leadership · Hope · Aspiration