Remembering Allama Iqbal

Muhammad Iqbal: November 1877-April 1938

The two decades or so preceding the partition of India and Pakistan, marked an era of political turmoil and upheaval in the history of the subcontinent And it is one of the ironies of life that turbulent times foster loftiness of character and human endeavor, exemplified by the contributions and sacrifices of leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Sir Mohammad Iqbal.

While Gandhi and Jinnah took to political activism, Allama Iqbal, the beloved “Poet of the East”, the visionary, the philosopher, patriot and ideal Momin (Believer), formulated the ideological framework for what would result in the creation of Muslim Pakistan. He is therefore appropriately regarded as the spiritual founder of the nation, although the purport of his message extends far beyond the boundaries of Pakistan or the era marking Iqbal’s creative work. His message hence, is just as relevant for Muslims of today, as we are once again faced with a critical juncture in our history as an Ummah.

Wielding a powerful pen, Iqbal inspired the Muslims of India to a realization of their self-worth and identity as a distinct nation with a rich heritage and a perfect system of beliefs. It was Iqbal’ s immense pride as a Muslim that he would impart to his followers and admirers.

Although his firm belief in One God is the pivotal concept in his philosophical system, and his thought must be understood only within this framework, it is his political philosophy, which is most relevant to our discussion.

He wrote his major political works between 1908 and 1938. This would continue to have a significant impact on the Muslim Independence Movement and the creation of Pakistan as an ideological state in August of 1947. As mentioned earlier however, Iqbal's vision encompassed the unification of the entire Muslim Ummah, as he advocated a Pan-Islamism based on his belief in One God, Khudi or Self, the Universalism of Islam and his love for the Prophet Muhammad pbuh. Although Iqbal was a humanist as well as a proud Muslim, he saw no conflict between the humanitarian ideal and Pan-Islamism, for he viewed Islam as being universalistic in essence. In his response to Professor Lowes Dickinson’s accusation of Iqbal’s philosophy as being exclusivist, he states: " The object of my Persian poetry is not to make out a case for Islam: my aim is simply to discover a universal social reconstruction, and in this endeavor, I find it philosophically impossible to ignore a social system which exists with the express object of doing away with all the distinctions of caste, rank and race."

Thus Iqbal viewed the universal humanitarian principle as an essential ingredient of Islamic philosophy. He expresses these notions best in his own words taken from Javed Nama, translated by A. J. Arberry when he speaks of the prophet Muhammad pbuh: "His creed cuts through the rulership and lineage Of Koreish, denies the supremacy of the Arabs: In his eyes lofty and lowly are the same thing He has sat down at the same table with his slave"

Unmistakably, his love for the prophet would serve to be a unifying force towards Muslim solidarity. He also believed that Tawhid or the belief in One Indivisible God, was reflected in the unity of human existence and in universal human ideals. If Islamic theology could bring about the unification of seventh century Arabia, it could nurture the same ideals in contemporary Muslims through the development of the Self’, expressed through Ishq or love of God. Ishq or Love, for Iqbal, remains the driving force, the raison d’etre for action, because it is an emotion characterized by intensity and zeal, being therefore capable of providing impetus to revolution and change. In Iqbal’s philosophy, Ishq is not to be confused with romantic love typical of Urdu and Persian poetry, but a feeling of selfless devotion to God-- an irresistible urge perpetually seeking the Divine Presence.

The other component necessary for change in Iqbal’s vision must involve an affirmation of "man as the maker of his own destiny". Iqbal therefore repudiated the concept of Qismat, fate or predetermination. He firmly believed that change would come about only if Muslims initiated it in their hearts and minds. He therefore often quoted the Qur’anic verse, "verily God will not change the condition of men, till they change what is in themselves" (Sura 13:12). Also, as a vehement condemnation of the apathy and inertia characteristic of the Muslims of the subcontinent, Iqbal stated that if a person "does not take the initiative, if he does not evolve the inner richness of his being, if he ceases to feel the inward push of advancing life, the spirit within him hardens into stone and he is reduced to the level of dead matter" (The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam) For Iqbal therefore, it was imperative that Muslims develop this self-awareness, inspiring them to action and his advice to contemporary Muslims is best stated in the following translation of Iqbal’s verses:

"Your prayer cannot change the Order of the Universe,
But it is possible that praying will alter your being;
If there is a revolution in your inner Self
It will not be strange, then, if the whole world changes too"
(Zarb-e-Kalim)