By whose playful hand was this verse inscribed upon the mosque's archway? When the time for standing prayer arrived, the naive ones fell into prostration.

This couplet is a profound commentary on human behavior and the facade of devotion. The poet highlights the stunning beauty of the mosque's archway, only to point out the irony: the worshippers, in their haste or distraction, fell into prostration (sajda) when the time for standing (qiyam) had arrived. Allama Iqbal uses this contrast to question the sincerity of ritualistic worship versus genuine spiritual understanding.