Meaning
A martyr; one who dies for faith or a sacred cause.
Literally: A witness (one who bears witness with his life).
How Iqbal uses it
The shaheed is among Iqbal's loftiest figures, the martyr whose death for a cause is a triumphant act of self-affirmation rather than defeat. He treats the willingness to die for conviction as the summit of a meaningful life.
See it in the verse
Shaheed in Iqbal’s couplets
Zameer-e-laala mein roshan charagh-e-aarzu kar de
Chaman ke zarre zarre ko shaheed-e-justuju kar de
Chaman ke zarre zarre ko shaheed-e-justuju kar de
Light the lamp of longing in the heart of the tulip — and make every grain of the garden a martyr to the search.
Aspiration · Hope · Restlessness
Mire khaak o khun se tu ne ye jahan kiya hai paida
Sila-e-shahid kya hai tab-o-tab-e-javedana
Sila-e-shahid kya hai tab-o-tab-e-javedana
From my dust and my blood you have brought this world into being; and the reward of the one who gives himself is an everlasting glow.
Selfhood · Action · Aspiration