Sabr ke Baad ka Sitara:

“Jab Rab deta hai, to be-hisaab deta hai — aur jab aazmata hai, to intekhaab bhi wohi karta hai.”
“Tere sabr ka waqt lamba tha… isliye tera ajar bhi bada hoga.”

– Zulfikar Inamdar

“Sabr Ke Baad Ka Sitara:”

Arz kiya hai…

Raat ka parda gir gaya, chand bhi aadha sa udaas tha,
Hawa me thandak thi, magar meri rooh me aag sa baaqi tha.
Sajde me jhuka hua tha, par lagta tha Rab se nahi…
Apne toot chuke dil se hi guftagu baaqi tha.

Poochhta raha — “Yaa Rab, mere naseeb me kab khatam honge yeh dard?”
Har subah ek naya toofan, har shaam ek naya zakham ban kar aata tha.
Pareshaniyaan itni ke do haath kam pad jaayein,
Aansu itne ke raat ka daaman bhi bheeg jaata tha.

Zindagi ke raste par chalte chalte maine dekha,
Khud se bhi kitni doori ka fasla hota gaya.
Sab par bharosa tha, par apne saaye ne bhi aaj,
Meri thakawat dekh kar mujhe chhod diya.

Dil ne ek din kah diya — “Bas ab aur nahi hota…”
Rooh ne dheere se jawab diya — “Toot ja, par faisla mat chhodna.”
Us raat sajde ki mitti me gire aansuon ne bata diya,
Tootna bhi ibadat hai, agar khamoshi me Rab tak pahunche.

Har saans ek bojh thi, har khwab ek fanah hota pal,
Magar phir ek lamha be-awaaz, be-rang, be-hawa aaya,
Jisme na kuch badla… na raat, na chand, na mehfil,
Sirf dil ke andar ek halka sa noor utar aaya.

Jaise koi keh raha ho — “Ae bande… ab ruk ja,
Rula rula ke tu mere paas aaya hai,
Dard tere imtihaan the, magar unka anjaam rehmat hogi.
Tere kandhon se bojh ab main khud utar raha hoon,
Tera naseeb ka sitara ab ubhar raha hai.”

Us pal meri saansein tham si gayi…
Pehli baar laga ke dard halka ho raha hai,
Jaise Rab ne rooh par haath rakhkar keh diya ho —
“Ab tareeke badlenge, ab manzilein badlenge.”

Aur main samajh gaya…
Ke dard ka waqt likha tha,
Magar uska badalna bhi likh diya gaya tha.