Shikwa Jawab-e Shikwa

“Why should I play the part of the loser and refrain from seeking what I can gain?
Why shouldn’t I think of the future, instead of mourning the losses of the past?”

Muhammad Iqbal’s seminal poems, “Shikwa” and “Jawab-e-Shikwa” pose a fascinating conversation of man complaining to God for purportedly failing to protect the followers of the Prophet at a time of great upheaval in the Muslim world, along with God’s striking response.

This session will be introduced by Saeed Khan who will elucidate the philosophy of Iqbal’s work, particular Shikwa (Complaint) and Jawab-e-Shikwa (The Answer to the Complaint) and why it continues to strike a powerful and resonant tone for so many Muslims today.

This will be followed by a musical performance of the two poems by Ustaad Rafaqat Ali Khan, a classically trained singer hailing from the legendary Sham Churasia Gharana of Pakistan.