Maybe it can be interpreted as: In this world there are many people who claim to be free, "We are not bound by anything". One often here this, even from muslims. But a muslim is one who says, "My Lord's command is my will. when He says pray, I stop everything and start praying, etc.". Therefore he may be telling such people, that if you are really free then try to avoid death, and try to avoid the eternal Hell in the next. You can never do this.
I dont know which period of his life this was written in --though i could probably check it--but it seems he was referring to what, in today's parlance, would be called 'freethinkers'. in that case it is very daring...but Iqbal often was daring in his approach to Allah! I thought maybe he means the awliya but then the last part wouldn't fit since being compelled to immortality wouldn't bother the Friends of God. It seems to be a couplet against Predetermination....
Very interesting bro NJ.....I like your interpretation. But, I wonder who Iqbal is referring to when he states 'azaad bandon'? Who is he referring to? The Righteous or the Free Spirited like the Sufis....mast bandey who are in their own duniya?! Is he referring to people like himself may be Hmmmmmmmmm.....interesting.
Iqbal wrote: Tere azaad bandon ki na yeh duniya na woh duniya Yahaan marnay kii pabandi, wahaan jeenay ki pabandi! A rough translation may be: For Your free servants there is neither this world nor the next: Here they are compelled to die; there compelled to live! What exactly does he mean by this? He is saying that O' Allah! Where should really free human beings go since in this world mankind is faced with inevitable death and in the next world life is eternal--either in Hell or in Heaven; in other words, the truly free person never has completely free choice to whether live or die.
