Meaning
Certitude; unshakeable conviction or faith.
How Iqbal uses it
The inner force that builds nations and snaps chains. It is the believer's capital — “yaqeen the firm, action ceaseless, love that conquers the world.” In bondage, neither swords nor schemes avail; only the taste of certitude (zauq-e-yaqeen) cuts the iron.
See it in the verse
Yaqeen in Iqbal’s couplets
Yaqeen muhkam, amal paiham, mohabbat fateh-e-aalam
Jihad-e-zindagani mein hain ye mardon ki shamsheeren
Jihad-e-zindagani mein hain ye mardon ki shamsheeren
Firm conviction, ceaseless action, and a love that conquers the world — these are the swords of the brave in the struggle of life.
Action · Love · Courage
Yaqeen afrad ka sarmaya-e-tameer-e-millat hai
Yahi quvvat hai jo surat-gar-e-taqdeer-e-millat hai
Yahi quvvat hai jo surat-gar-e-taqdeer-e-millat hai
The conviction of individuals is the capital that builds a community — this is the very force that sculpts a people's destiny.
Unity · Selfhood · Leadership
Yaqeen paida kar ai nadan yaqeen se haath aati hai
Wo darveshi ki jis ke samne jhukti hai faghfoori
Wo darveshi ki jis ke samne jhukti hai faghfoori
Cultivate conviction, O foolish one — for it is conviction that wins you the dervish's freedom, the kind before which even imperial majesty bows.
Courage · Selfhood · Freedom
Ghulami mein na kaam aati hain shamsheeren na tadbeeren
Jo ho zauq-e-yaqeen paida to kat jaati hain zanjeeren
Jo ho zauq-e-yaqeen paida to kat jaati hain zanjeeren
In bondage neither swords nor clever schemes are of any use; but once a taste for conviction is born, the chains fall away on their own.
Freedom · Self-Knowledge · Courage