Birth

Iqbal was born in the Punjab on February 22, 1873. His ancestors, who were Kashmiri Brahmins, had

embraced Islam two hundred years earlier. Iqbal’s own father was a devout Muslim with Sufistic bent

of mind.

Primary Education

He received his early education in Sialkot. After passing the entrance examination, he joined

Intermediary College. Mir Hassan, a great oriental scholar, had a special aptitude for imparting his

own literary taste and to his students. Under his influence, Iqbal was drawn towards Islamic studies,

which he regarded to be an outstanding favor that he could not forget it all his life.

Higher Education

Passing on to the Government College of Lahore, Iqbal did his graduation with English Literature,

Philosophy and Arabic as his subjects. At the college he met Prof. Arnold and Sir Abdul Qadir.

Iqbal’s poem, Chand (moon) and other early poems appeared in the journal (which belonged to Sir

Abdul Qadir) in 1901 and were acclaimed by critics as cutting a new path in Urdu poetry.

It did not take him long to win recognition as a rising star on the firmament of Urdu literature.

In the mean time he had done his M.A in Philosophy and was appointed as a Lecturer in History,

Philosophy and Political science at Oriental College, Lahore. He then moved to Government

College to teach Philosophy and English Literature.

Wherever Iqbal worked or thought his versatility and scholarship made a deep impression on those

around him.

In Europe

Iqbal proceeded to Europe for higher studies in 1905 and stayed there for three years. He took the

Honors Degree in Philosophy and taught Arabic at the Cambridge University in the absence of Prof.

Arnold. From England, he went to Germany to do his doctorate in Philosophy from Munich and then

returned to London to qualify for the bar. He also served as a teacher in the London school of

Commerce and passed the Honors Examination in Economics and Political Science. During his stay

in Europe Iqbal not only read voraciously but also wrote and lectured on Islamic subjects which

added to his popularity and fame in literary circles.

Back in India

Iqbal returned to India in 1908. The poet had won all these academic laurels by the time he was 32 or

33. He practiced as a lawyer from 1908 to 1934, when ill health compelled him to give up his

practice. In fact, his heart was not in it and he devoted more time to philosophy and literature than to

legal profession.

He attended the meetings of Anjuman Himayat-I-Islam regularly at Lahore. The epoch making

poems, Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa, which he read out in the annual convention of it one year

after another, sparkled with the glow of his genius and made him immensely popular. They became

the national songs of Millet.

Iqbal’s other poems Tarana-e-Hind (The Indian anthem) and Tarana-e-Milli (the Muslim Anthem)

also became very popular among masses and used to be sung as symbols of National or Muslim

identity at public meetings.

The spirit of Change

The Balkan wars and the Battle of Tripoli, in 1910, shook Iqbal powerfully and inflicted a deep wound

upon his heart. In his mood of anger and frustration, he wrote a number of stirring poems, which

together with portraying the anguish of Muslims were severely critical of the West.

The spirit of change is evident in poems like Bilad-e-Islamia (the lands of Islam), Wataniat

(Nationalism), Muslim, Fatima Bint Abdullah (who was killed in the siege of Cyrainca, Siddiq, Bilal,

Tahzib-e-Hazir (Modern civilization) and Huzoor-e-Risalat Maab Mein (in the presence of Sacred

Prophet).

In these poems, Iqbal deplores the attitude of Muslim leaders who lay a claim to Islamic leadership

and yet are devoid of a genuine spiritual attachment to the blessed Prophet.

The turning point in Iqbal’s Life

Iqbal was shaken by the tragic events of World War I and the disaster the Muslims had to face. The

genius had passed through the formative period. He had attained maturity as a poet, thinker, seer

and crusader who could read the signs of tomorrow in the happenings of today, make predictions,

present hard facts and unravel abstruse truths through the medium of poetry and ignite the flame of

faith, Selfhood and courage by his own intensity of feeling and force of expression. Khizr-e-Raah

(The Guide) occupies the place of pride among the poems he wrote during this period.

Bang-e-Dara (The caravan bell) published in 1929 has held a place of honor in Urdu poetry and

world poetry.

Iqbal preferred Persian for poetic expression because its circle was wider than that of Urdu in Muslim

India. His Persian works, Asrar-e-khudi (Secrets of the self), Rumuz-e-Bekhudi (Mysteries of

Selflessness), Payam-e-Mashriq (Message of the East), Javed Nama (The

Song of Eternity) belong to the same period of his life. And so is Reconstruction of Religious

Thoughts in Islam, which was extensively appreciated and translated into many languages.

Academies were set up in Italy and Germany for the study of Iqbal’s poetry and philosophy.

Politics

In 1927 the poet was elected to the Punjab Legislative assembly. In 1930, he was elected to preside

over at the annual session of Muslim League. In his presidential address at Allahabad, Iqbal for the

first time introduced the idea of Pakistan. In 1930-31, he attended the Round Table conference,

which met in London to frame a constitution for India.

In Spain

While in England, Iqbal accepted the hospitality of Spain. He also went to Cordoba and had the

distinction of being the first Muslim to offer prayers at its historical mosque after the exile of Moors.

Memories of the past glory of Arabs and their 800-year rule over Spain were revived in his mind and

his emotions were aroused by what he saw.

Meeting with Mussolini

In Italy Iqbal was received by Mussolini who had read some of his works and was aquatinted with his

philosophy. They had long meetings and talked freely to each other.

The Universities of Cambridge, Rome and Madrid and the Roman Royal society organized meetings

in his honor. On his way back he also went to Jerusalem to attend the International Conference of

Motamar-i-Isalami.

In Afghanistan

At the invitation of King Nadir Shah, Iqbal visited Afghanistan in 1932. The king received the poet

with great honor and met hi privately, as well during which he laid bare his heart. The two talked and

wept.

Iqbal’s End

The last phase of Iqbal’s life was embittered with constant illness. But as regards his creative

activities this product was most productive. He kept in touch with every question of the day and

continued composing beautiful verses.

A few minutes before his death he recited these touching lines:

The departed melody may return or not!

The zephyr from Hijaz may blow again or not!

The days of this Faqir has come to an end,

Another seer may come or not!

Although Iqbal’s was long and protracted the end was sudden and very peaceful. He breathed his

last in the early hours of April 21, 1938, in the arms of his old and devoted servant, leaving behind a

host of mourners all over the Islamic world. There was a faint smile playing on his lips, which irresistibly

reminded one of the last criterions, which he laid down for a truthful Muslim.

I tell you the sign of a Mu’min-

When death comes there is smile on his lips

Iqbal Ahmed Khan

Allama Iqbal's philosophical conceptions led him to the conclusion that his ideals of equality and freedom could be embodied only in an Islamic State, and that consequently the muslims of India had no other course but self-determination.

Allama Iqbal as an opponent of all forms of human oppression ranked with the most progressive men of India. He opposed the exploitation of the peoples of the East by - Imperialist Europe, of peasants by

landowners, of workers by capitalists.

The contrast between the patriot actively fighting against evil and the indifferent and submissive man, as well as condemnation of exploiters and compassion for the exploited, formed the undercurrent of many of Allama Iqbal's philosophical poems and prose.

Although Allama Iqbal championed the cause of a separate nation for the Muslims of India, he never lost his pan-Islamic sympathies. His prose and poetry underscored the importance of close cooperation among Muslim nations and the establishment of definite supranational pan-Islamic forms of unity. However, Allama Iqbal never regarded the Muslims as merely a religious community. According to his interpretation, Islam was a philosophy of life, the embodiment of definite historical and cultural traditions, social and legal institutions. In brief, a complete code of life. He neither equated muslim nationalism with religious intolerance nor with a narrow communal outlook.

In 1938 when Allama Iqbal passed away there was only one Muslim country, which could truly be described as sovereign and independent, and that was Turkey. The other areas of muslim concentrations were, in one form or the other, a part of the colonial system that prevailed at that time. Beginning with the creation of Pakistan, the premier muslim state in 1947, the second half of the twentieth century witnessed the emergence of a succession of independent muslim states, from Indonesia in the East to Algeria in the West.

Today, more than one quarter of the membership of the United Nations comes from within the fold of the Muslims Ummah. Stretching from the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean to the shores of the Atlantic, and spanning a vast geographical area, the contemporary world of Islam, comprises almost one-fourth of mankind. It is well endowed with potential riches in men and material and yet its level of literacy is depressingly low and its institutional base perilously weak.

It is a matter of great pain and anguish to find that in a world where daily the virtues of democracy and human rights are trumpeted from the loftiest of pedestals, our brothers and sisters in Palestine and Kashmir are being subjected to the worst kinds of oppression and flagrant denial of their inalienable right of self-determination. The sight on our TV screens of the 12 year old Palestinian boy seeking refuge from Israeli bullets behind his father, until he is felled after a 45-minute barrage, has left an indelible imprint on our minds. And despite such blatant violence and terrorism, Israel has the audacity to blame the Palestinians as the instigators of the killings, in which out of over 150 fatalities all except 8 have been Palestinians.

The reason that Muslims, whether in Palestine, Kashmir, Bosnia or Kosovo are victims of oppression is simple. A child knows it. Muslims are vulnerable because they lack the power to protect themselves. The potential exists, but this potential needs to be harnessed. Where should we then begin. In the contemporary world where it has been established beyond a shadow of doubt that progress is inextricably linked to the pursuit of knowledge, it is high time that we explore ways and means of harnessing the collective genius and resources of the Ummah with a view to making rapid strides in the educational, scientific and technological fields.

In doing so, we would be re-aligning ourselves on a course from which we had strayed some centuries ago. In fact, this would not only be a voyage of discovery but also a journey to rediscover Islam's great intellectual heritage.

Allama Iqbal championed the life of creative endeavour; ceaseless activity is a characteristic theme in his poetry. He called for striving, for effort as the antithesis of apathy, convinced that the struggle for existence in itself brings out the good qualities of mankind. This necessity for activity is a prerequisite not only for the development of the individual but also for the development of the nation.

They have no claim to the sorrows and delights of tomorrow who today do not bestir themselves and whose hearts do not burn. A nation which is nothing today cannot expect a fulsome tomorrow.

This is a great challenge for the collective wisdom of the Muslim world whose intellectual and creative faculties languished during centuries of political decline and foreign domination. Even more important, its cultural identity was subjected to continued erosion by the powerful, economically strong and educationally advanced nations. Indeed, one would find it hard to believe that the same Islamic Ummah once occupied a preeminent position in the realm of humanities and science during a period of history when the rest of the world was groping in intellectual darkness.

There were a number of reasons for the explosion of scientific knowledge in the Muslim world from the 8th to 11th centuries. First and foremost was the message of the Holy Quran ordaining the pursuit of knowledge. The second was the status accorded in Islam to a man of knowledge -- the Aalim. Another factor was the international nature of scientific enterprises in the Islamic world of that time. The Islamic commonwealth cut across colour creed and geographical boundaries. Muslim society was not only tolerant to people outside its poles but greatly receptive to their ideas. Muslim scientists learned from Greek scholars who had systematised and generalised scientific knowledge. But the general scientific contribution made by Muslims used techniques which were based on detailed and prolonged experimental observations, an approach alien to the Greek temperament, but providing the much needed experimental support to the abstract work of the Greeks.

The Islamic world, though marked by a variety of languages, customs and ethnic affiliations, remains unified in its diversity. It is one great Ummah. The basic philosophy behind the concept of Islamic Ummah lies in the sharing of each other's knowledge and experience, weaknesses and strengths, History provides striking example of the invincibility of the Islamic world when it was able to weld its collective strength in the face of formidable challenges.

The need of the hour for the Ummah is a dynamic initiative towards innovation and creative pursuits. The Holy Quran places great emphasis on this creative process when it says, "Verily Allah will not change the condition of men till they change what is in themselves" (13:12). As Allama Iqbal says in his lecture on the Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam: "It is the lot of man to share in the deeper aspirations of the universe around him and to shape his own destiny as well as that of the Universe, Now by adjusting himself to the forces, now by putting the whole of his energy to Would his forces to his own ends and purposes". The panacea that Allama Iqbal was seeking for the regeneration of Muslim society was eloquently expressed by him in the following verse:

Rise! for darkness has spread on the horizon of the East;

Let us illumine it by our fiery speech.

Let us preach the lesson of the principle of progressive evolution,

Transform the worthless drop of dew into a river;

Let the wine lie of old and so hot

That it may melt the heart of the glass.

Stagnant and decadent societies which have suffered from colonial occupation and consequent intellectual decline tend to develop an orientation towards past glories, instead of focussing on the present opportunities or the future challenges. We must avoid this. We should have a pronounced futuristic orientation which must not be interpreted as an alienation from its Islamic heritage because living and growing cultures, like vigorous plants, need their roots all the time, even at full bloom. We must maintain our roots. For muslim societies, a harmonious blend of the vital values of Islam with a thorough understanding of reality provided by knowledge is just the right synthesis for healthy growth.

However, we have to realise that science has undergone a major transformation in the last few decades. Science is no longer a ' stand- alone' activity at the fringe of society. It is now closely inter- linked with medical, agricultural and other production sectors. Moreover, we see the emergence of the so-called mega science. The products of the big science are so costly that no single country can take these efforts alone.

They are forced to pool their funds, their scientists and their technological know-how. A positive aspect of big science is that cooperation between different nations helps lower international tension and contributes to stability and peace. We in the muslim world must adopt a strategy, which enables us to pool our resources in order to strengthen the existing centres of excellence functioning in different countries.

Islam is pro-science. It exhorts people time and again to study nature from cosmology down to the lowest insect. In contrast to 250 verses of the Holy Quran which are legislative, about 750 verses, that is about one eighth of the Holy Quran, exhort the believers to study nature, to reflect, to make the best use of resources and to make scientific enterprise an integral part of the community's life. It was in line with these holy injunctions that barely a hundred years after the death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), the Muslims feverishly undertook the task to master the then unknown sciences. Founding institutes of advanced sciences, Bait-ul-Hikmahs and establishing prestigious universities they acquired ascendancy in science that lasted for 350 years.

The scientific knowledge that found its way to the West from muslim countries was a significant factor in the industrial revolution in Europe of the 18th and 19th centuries, which completely bypassed the muslim countries and enabled the West to colonise us. The present communication revolution, of which Information Technology is a critical element, could multiply manifold the industrial strength of the West. If we miss this too, the Ummah will be regretfully at the mercy of outsiders. Let there not be a repeat of the industrial revolution story. The Ummah wants and ought to be the master of its own destiny.

The Islamic World is presently passing through a critical phase of its history. It is faced with multifarious challenges in political and security fields. Lagging behind in technological advancement, it is sadly wanting in indigenous modern defence capability and is, thus, exposed to security threats of serious proportions. Buying or borrowing security could be one temporary answer; but truly credible and lasting national security would remain elusive without technological progress, which, in turn, is a function of financial security. And that being beyond the capacity of any single country to achieve, the solution clearly lies in closer cooperation and collaboration in all fields, including defence industry. All this may sound ambitious; but it is certainly not out of reach if we are really serious about changing our destiny and have the political will to act together. What we do today will foreordain what history says about us tomorrow. And let it not be said that the Muslims had all that it takes to make it to the top, numerical strength, resource base, mental and physical capabilities and, above all, spiritual inspiration and cultural moorings; but they lacked the vision and the will to act and were ultimately relegated to the footnotes of history.

(The New Nation)