By Abbas Qamar
ne hi kiya hai
ne ko hai
ne ko hai
“It is the fear of hell that invented prostration — fear has made a madman of the human being.”
Romanहिन्दीAbbas Qamar
ने ही किया है
ने को रक्खा है
ने को रक्खा है
The verse in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation
With cool irony the poet traces the act of prostration back not to love or awe but to fear of hell, making worship a symptom of terror rather than devotion. The second line widens the indictment: fear has driven the human being mad, and what we call piety may be that madness wearing a calm face.
For You, Today
Ask whether your obedience comes from love or only from dread — faith built on fear is not faith but a flinch.
A provocative line in the rationalist-skeptic vein, questioning whether reverence and fright can be told apart.
Themes:Faith & DoubtDefiance
More from Abbas Qamar
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →