Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia

"Fortress of Islam, Heart of Asia" (fa. قلعه اسلام قلب اسیا) is an Afghan mujahideen battle song composed in 1919 by Ustad Qasim. It was adopted as the national anthem of Afghanistan from 1992 to 1999 and from 2002 to 2006.

During the late 1990s, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan under the Taliban took control over most of Afghanistan from the UN-recognized government and ruled most of the country until late 2001. The Taliban outlawed music throughout the territory that they controlled, which consisted of most of the country. As such, most of Afghanistan practically was left without a national anthem during that time, until late 2001 when the Taliban was overthrown. The song was reintroduced by the new transitional government of Afghanistan in 2002; it remained such when the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established in 2004 and was used by the latter until 2006.

Lyrics

Persian script

Romanization

English translation

قلعه اسلام قلب آسیا	Qal’a-ye Islām, qalb-e Āsiyā,	Fortress of Islam, heart of Asia,
جاویدان آزاد خاک آریا	Jāwidān āzād, xāk-e Āriyā,	Forever free, soil of the Aryans,
زادگاه قهرمانان بزرگ	Zādgāh-e qahramānān-e bozorg,	Birthplace of great heroes
سنگر رزمنده مردان خدا	Sangar-e razmenda mardān-e Xodā	Fellow traveler of the warriors of the men of God,
الله اکبر الله اکبر الله اکبر	Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar.	God is great! God is great! God is great!
تیغ ایمانش به میدان جهاد	Tiǧ-e imān-aš ba maydān-e jihād,	Arrow of her faith to the arena of Jihad,
بند استبداد را از هم گسست	Band-e estebdād-rā az ham gosast	Removing the shackles of suppression,
ملت ازاده افغانستان	Mellat-e āzāda-ye Afǧānestān	The nation of freedom, Afghanistan,
در جهان زنجیر محکومان شکست	Dar jehān zanjir-e mahkumān šekast.	Breaks the chains of the oppressed in the world.
الله اکبر الله اکبر الله اکبر	Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar.	God is great! God is great! God is great!
هر خط قران نظام ما بود	Har xatt-e Qur’ān nizām-e mā bowad,	Let the lines of the Koran be our order,
پرچم ایمان به بام ما بود	Parčam-e imān ba bām-e mā bowad,	Let the banner of faith be on our roof,
هم صدا و هم نوا با هم روان	Hamsadā o-hamnawā bā ham rawān,	With the echoes and the voices going together,
وحدت ملی مرام مابود	Wahdat-e melli marām-e mā bowad.	Let national unity be what we strive for,
الله اکبر الله اکبر الله اکبر	Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar.	God is great! God is great! God is great!
شاد زی ازاد زی اباد زی	Šād zi, azad zi, abad zi,	Live happy, live free, live and prosper,
ای وطن در نور قانون خدا	Ay watan dar nur-e qānun-e Xodā.	Oh homeland in the light of God’s law,
مشعل آزادگی را بر فراز	Mash’al-e āzādegi-ra bar farāz,	Lift the torch of freedom high,
مردم سر گشته راشو رهنما	Mardom-e sargoshta-ra show rahnamā.	Become a leader for the people who are oppressed,
لله اکبر الله اکبر الله اکبر	Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar.	God is great! God is great! God is great!