If you desire to see the divine, then close your eyes, for only by not seeing can one truly see.
This couplet speaks profoundly about the nature of desire and perception. Allama Iqbal suggests that if your passion is purely for the act of seeing—for gazing at beauty—then you should close your eyes. Why? Because the ultimate truth is that it is better to see something that no one else witnesses. It’s a beautiful call to introspection, suggesting that true appreciation requires a private, internal experience, free from the gaze of the world.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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