Meaning
The relish of certitude; the living taste of faith's conviction.
How Iqbal uses it
Iqbal prizes zauq-e-yaqin, the felt savour of certainty, over the mere reasoning of the philosopher.
See it in the verse
Zauq-e-yaqin in Iqbal’s couplets
Har ik muqam se aage muqam hai tera
Hayat zauq-e-safar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Hayat zauq-e-safar ke siwa kuchh aur nahin
Beyond every destination lies another that is yours; life is nothing but the love of the journey.
Restlessness · Aspiration · The Falcon
Bohat dekhe hain main ne mashriq-o-maghrib ke maikhane
Yahan saqi nahin paida wahan be-zauq hai sahba
Yahan saqi nahin paida wahan be-zauq hai sahba
I have seen many a wine-house in both East and West: here no cup-bearer worth the name, there a wine with no savour at all.
Awakening · Self-Knowledge
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 shamsheerein na tadbeerein
Jo ho zauq-e-yaqeen paida to kat jaati hain zanjeerein
Jo ho zauq-e-yaqeen paida to kat jaati hain zanjeerein
In bondage, neither swords nor clever schemes are of any use — but once a relish for conviction is born, the chains themselves fall away.
Freedom · Courage · Awakening