Was it the favor of your gaze, or was it the grace of the academy? Who taught Ismail the manners of a son?

This couplet is a profound contemplation on the source of divine knowledge and grace. Allama Iqbal questions whether the incredible insights displayed by Ismail were due to a mere glance (faizan-e-nazar) or if they were true miracles (karamat) from the sacred place (Maktab). He asks who taught the manners of filial piety and reverence to Ismail—implying that such profound virtues come from a source greater than human instruction.