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Allama Iqbal: The Poet of Islam
By: Momin Noorul Hassan
The late Dr. Sir Mohammad Iqbal (popularly known as Allama Iqbal) was born in Siyalkote (Punjab) in 1877. He was one of the greatest poets of the Urdu and Persian. But his name and fame have not been confined to India and Pakistan alone. His works have reached Iran, Afghanestan, Turkey, Russia, the Gulf countries and Europe. He was truly a versatile genius of his time.
After completing his early education at a local school at Siyalkote, Iqbal came to Lahore and sought admission into the Government College. Here he opted for philosophy, Arabic and English and passed his B.A. with flying colors. Then he received his M.A. from the University of Punjab and stood first in the whole Punjab Province.
For higher education Iqbal set out for England in 1905.
He was admitted to the Trinity College of the Cambridge University and began the study of Philosophy. His perseverance and hard work brought him degrees in Philosophy and Economics. He stayed three years in London. During this sojourn, he continued to deliver lectures and read papers on various Islamic subjects. His popularity spread in the academic circle of London and when Professor
Arnold, who had Iqbal as one of his students of Philosophy at the Government College, Lahore, took leave for three months, Iqbal was appointed the Professor of Arabic in his proxy at London University. He was the first Indian to get such a prestigious honor.
He also went to Munich (Germany) and did his doctorate in Philosophy with a unique topic entitled “Metaphysics of Persia”. Then he again returned to London and studied Law and became a Barrister. He was then appointed as a lecturer at the Commerce College, London. Iqbal got these amazing and outstanding honors when he was just 32. He returned to India in 1908.
Though Iqbal began his career as a lawyer, this profession was against his taste and it did not go with his personality.
As a result, he took more interest in composing his poems than in his profession. He succeeded in composing a lot of exalted poems in Urdu which really metamorphosed the mental thinking of millions of people, especially young Muslims.
A typical literary association of Lahore called Anjuman-e-Himayat-e-Islam used to organize an annual function in which Iqbal participated without fail and recited his beautiful poems which always touched the hearts of the listeners. His name and fame began to prevail all over India. His poems were acclaimed by all, even uneducated people who did not know the meaning of his poems used to recite them enthusiastically. They were published in renowned newspapers and magazines of his time such as Makhzan and Ma’arif.
What was the secret of his popularity? Well, first and foremost, Iqbal was an austere Muslim and a lover of the Holy Prophet and the Holy Qur’an. He wrote his poems in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. Moreover, his true and pristine love for the Holy Prophet made his poetry expressive and touching.
In his poetry, Iqbal has given much stress on the knowledge of Self and Ego. It is important as well as necessary to know that, Ego, according to Iqbal, did not mean “selfishness” or the doctrine that man should live for himself. By “Ego” Iqbal meant that man must know about himself. He should think about his Creator and His countess blessings bestowed upon him. Therefore he should obey His commands and live the life of his Creator’s choice. This is the true meaning of “Ego”, according to Iqbal. Iqbal has used the word KHUDI throughout his poetry for this specific phenomenon.
Now something about Iqbal’s Persian poetry. Shaikh Abdul Qadir, Barrister of Law, has written in his preface to “Baang-e-Dara” (Iqbal’s collection of Urdu poems) the particular event which led to Iqbal’s Persian poetry. Once Iqbal was invited to a friend’s house; there he requested to recite some of his Persian couplets. He had to admit that his Persian couplets were few in number. But the request made by the people present at the gathering created an intensive desire in his heart to write Persian poems and ghazals. After this event which had taken place in London, though Iqbal occasionally wrote poems in Urdu, he was totally inclined to Persian poetry with all his heart. His inclination towards Persian poetry had some sound grounds. He must have felt that in comparison to Urdu, Persian has more copious vocabulary and set phrases which are not found in Urdu.
Moreover, Persian was used, more or less, in almost all Islamic countries. So, by this means, Iqbal’s message reached the Islamic countries, also the peoples of America and Europe came to know about this great poet of ours as professor Nicholson translated “Asrar-e-Khudi” in English.
It is in this language that Iqbal wrote a befitting reply to Goethe, one of the greatest poets of Europe. This particular collection of Iqbal’s poems is known as “payam-e-Mashriq” (The Message of the East.)
Iqbal’s collections of Persian poems are too numerous to study in detail. However, his first published collection was Asrar-e-Khudi, which translates as The Mysteries of Ego.
It was published in 1914 and was hailed by the educated people.
The second collection, Rumooz-e-Bikhudi (The Secrets of Forgetting One’s Self) was published in 1915 and enhanced his growing reputation further. Then in 1922 The Payam-e-Mashriq which I have already mentioned.
His other Persian works include Zaboor-e-Ajam (The Testament of Iran), Javeed Nameh (An address or his son Javeed who is still living in Pakistan). His last Persian work was Musafer (The Traveler). His Persian works deserve to be included in the syllabi of Iran’s schools and colleges.
Mawlana Jalaluddin Roomi’s Mathnavi influenced Iqbal so much so that he always considered the Maulana as his spiritual Murshed (The Guide). His book, the Mathnavi, originally written in Persian, was a great source of inspiration to Iqbal. He used to keep this book with him always. Iqbal was so impressed by this book that he accepted it as the only solution to all entanglements created by the materialism of the West.
Iqbal was aware of the political importance of Iran. Therefore, at that time, he said:
If Tehran becomes the Geneva of the Eastern countries Maybe the destiny of the Earth is changed!
Iqbal said so when in 1919 the League of Nations was founded by the then U.S. president, Woodrow Wilson. Iqbal’s prediction in a way has come true with the Iran’s chairing the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference).
With thanks to:
Momin Noorul Hassan
64 Waja Mohalla
Bhiwandi.421302
Dist. Thane(India)
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