Come Back

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Abusa'id Abolkhayr or Abū-Sa'īd Abul-Khayr (ابوسعید ابوالخیر) has one of his quatrains (Ruba'i) which I saw hanging to the left after the entrance to the tomb of Maulana Rumi, and it offers tremendous hope for sinners like us:

 
باز آ باز آ هر آنچه هستی باز آ

Come back, Come back
Whoever you are

گر کافر و گبر و بت‌پرستی باز آ

An infidel, a fire-worshipper or an idolator
Come back.

این درگه ما درگه نومیدی نیست

This dargah (portal/shrine) is not the place of losing hope

صد بار اگر توبه شکستی باز آ

Even if you have broken your penitence hundreds of times

Come back.

Those who are interested in hearing the original Farsi can look at this beautiful recitation by one of my friends:

 

 

 Or another one by Masood Khalili on Youtube:

Iqbal on Religion and Unity

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اپنی ملت پر قیاس اقوام مغرب سے نہ کر
خاص ہے ترکیب میں قوم رسول ہاشمی

Do not compare your millah (community) with the Western nations
The nation of the hashmi Prophetﷺ‎  is truly unique in its composition

ان کی جمعیت کا ہے ملک و نسب پر انحصار
قوت مذہب سے مستحکم ہے جمعیت تری

Their unity bases itself on national or racial lines

Your unity is established on the strength of your religion

دامن دیں ہاتھ سے چھوٹا تو جمعیت کہاں
اور جمعیت ہوئی رخصت تو ملت بھی گئی

Were you to abandon this religion, then it would be futile to find unity
And once the unity flees you, that will be your end (the end of your millah)

Alternative translation can be accessed at http://iqbalurdu.blogspot.com/2011/04/bang-e-dra-152-mazhab.html