Meaning
The tongue; by extension, language or speech.
How Iqbal uses it
Iqbal plays on the double sense of tongue and language, prizing the speech that carries conviction; the tongue that names truth and the language that binds a millat are recurring concerns of his verse.
See it in the verse
Zubaan in Iqbal’s couplets
Hazar khauf ho lekin zaban ho dil ki rafiq
Yahi raha hai azal se qalandaron ka tariq
Yahi raha hai azal se qalandaron ka tariq
Let there be a thousand fears, yet let the tongue stay true to the heart; this has been the way of free spirits since the beginning of time.
Courage · Selfhood · Self-Knowledge
Aazad mujh ko kar de o qaid karne wale
Main be-zaban hun qaidi tu chhod kar dua le
Main be-zaban hun qaidi tu chhod kar dua le
Set me free, you who keep me caged; I am a voiceless captive, release me and earn a blessing.
Freedom · Justice
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