Shikwa O Jawab-e-Shikwa

A Bengali rendering of Iqbal’s Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa.

We often say, "O Allah! Why is this happening to us?" Many people regretfully ask—if Allah truly exists, then why do tyrants oppress the innocent? Why do people die in starvation, famines, and floods? Various questions arise in our minds. Seeing our condition, we become filled with despair. We wait, thinking that flocks of Ababil birds will perhaps come once again to rescue us; but they do not come. These very sentiments of despair were expressed precisely a hundred years ago by Allama Iqbal through his epic poem Shikwa (Complaint to Allah), which created a massive sensation at the time. Just four years later, Iqbal wrote the response to this poem. In Jawab-e-Shikwa (The Answer to the Complaint), he portrayed how Allah would have responded to the grievances he had lodged before Him. These two poems have been translated into various languages around the world. They are not merely poetry, but spiritual dialogues—a sacred and heartfelt conversation between the servant and Allah, which weaves together history, philosophy, society, and psychology. Although multiple translations of the book have been published in the Bengali language, this particular translated edition holds special significance, as its introduction was written by our national poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam. We are thrilled to bring this long-lost book back to Bengali-speaking readers after a long time.

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