Eighty one years back on 21 May, the Poet-Philosopher, thinker and towering South Asia’s Political intellectual Mohammad Iqbal (Allama Iqbal) passed away. He left a huge legacy and even after his death has millions of followers from Pan Islamists to Socialists. His poetry, Philosophy has rich legacy and followers from all the school of thoughts and all over the places attached to his intellectual though and spirit. The spiritual father of Pakistan Iqbal has been praised by his arch rivals like freedom fighter and India’s first woman governor Sarojini Naidu and Asia’s first Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore also. She calls him “Poet Laureate Of Asia” and Tagore says “India just cannot ignore Iqbal whose poetry has universal appeal “(Iqbal, The Life of a Poet, Philosopher and Politician, Zafar Anjum). Public Intellectual Pankaj Mishra calls him “the most important Muslim Philosopher of Modern Times”. He even says “Even before more famous critics of West India’s Tagore and China’s Qichau, Iqbal was there”.(The Birth Of A Nation, The New York Review, Pankaj Mishra). Yahya Michot ,a famous scholar writes that “Iqbal is the great Muslim thinker in the lineage of Ghazzali, Razi and Shah Walliullah”. Robert L. Arrignton in his encyclopedic book “A Companion To Philosophers, Oxford 1999) writes about him in eight philosophers who shaped the modern world” Not only admirers, followers Iqbal has been misinterpreted also. W.C Smith calls him anti intellectual. (Modern Islam in India, W.C Smith) and E. M Forester compares his philosophy with the philosophy of Mughal emperor Akbar’s Deen I Elahi.(Mohammad Iqbal in two cheers for democracy, E.M Forester).
Iqbal is one of the most renowned philosopher of South Asia with peerless impact. His philosophy is used by Islamists, Ultra Orthodox’s and ultra modernists, supporters and opponents of democracy and socialists, communists. They all claims the legitimacy of Iqbal. Prominent scholar on Iqbal Annemerie Schimmel in her book “ Gabriel’s Wings” writes “ Iqbal continued to establish connection between Islamic traditions and new Western research by these comparative studies. His stand was that Muslims should learn Islamic knowledge and wisdom for, as the west has been indebted to Islamic civilisation for learningand wisdom, Muslims won’t loose anything by learning Western Science and Technology”. This is the main crux of Iqbal’s Philosophy. Iqbal used poetry as a means to express his philosophy and provide programme for the development of the Muslim community, to criticize the conditions of the period. He championed the cause of justice, equality and oppression. His poetry is full for message of love. He wanted to awake Muslims. In his autobiographical poem “Zuhd Aur Rindi , Pity and Libertism ) Iqbal called himself harbinger of a different Islam. He was not only pained by the sufferings of sub continent Muslims but by the muslims all around. He was ready to court imprison himself for Palestinian cause and wanted British Indian Muslims to fight for them. (his letters to Jinnah and Fuquerson). He was such humble that he didn’t perceive himself a poet (his letter to Syed Sulaiman Nadwi in 1925). He could not bear pain of anyone.” Once his son Javed got hurt and bled a little. When he saw blood He fainted away” (Zinda Roodh, Justice Javed Iqbal). He was a kind hearted person . His life long servant in one of his interviews said “ On one occasion a thief was caught red handed and some of us gave him beating. Iqbal asked us not to beat. On the contrary, he gave him meal and sent him away”.(Mian Ali Baksh’s interview with Mumtaz Hussain).
Iqbal was a veteran Politician, activist also .He was president Of kasmir committee also.For his pro muslim politics and uplifting the cause of kashmiri Muslims where he had roots, he was attacked and labelled for doing it to become Prime Minister of Kashmir which he rebutalled strongly in Zamindar (Kashmir Exposing The Myth, Behind The Narrative, Khalid Bashir Ahmad).In 1933 he visited Afghanistan with Sulaiman Nadwi and Sir Ross Masood to shape education policies of Afghanistan on the invitation of Shah Of Afghanistan. During the same period he represented Indian Muslims in Round Table meetings also . He represented Muslims in Matamari International Islamic conference also in Jeaoraselum .
Iqbal didn’t wrote poetry only but did translations of many books like Abdul Karim Jilli’s work to writing books like Ilmul Iqtisaad (his first book) on Economics, his Phd thesis “Development of Metaphysics In Muslim Persia”(comparison of Eastern and Western Phisophers), Stray Reflections to his lectures on Islam, modernity etc which were compiled into book “Reconstruction Of Religious Thought In Islam” later published by Oxford. Iqbal was working on many manuscripts which he couldn’t complete due to his ill health. He wanted to write a book on ‘Quran’ (letter to Sir Ross Masood grandson of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who was secretary to Nawab of Bhopal that time later became V.C of A.M.U. Book asking for stipend “Islam as I understand it”which was his paper on Ijtihaad, wanted to elaborate it into book ( his letter to Syed Akbarabadi). Besides, writing books he wanted to re interpret Islamic laws for which he wrote letter to Anwar Shah Kashmiri for help when Kashmiri left Deoband. Kashmiri didn’t accept and left Dabhel. (Islam in Radical age, Mohammad Qasim Zaman). To Start a modern Islamic Research institute in Pathankot soon after which he died (Syed Mawdudi and Islamic Revivalism, Vali Reza Nasr). These dreams of Iqbal remained unfulfilled.
Iqbal has been most critical of West in his later years of life. In his poem “Iblis Ki Majlis I Shiora” (Parliament Of Satan) he has criticised west’s major socio-political and economic systems because of world War and Russian Revolution impact. As prominent scholar Khalifa Abdul Hakeem writes “The tendency to criticise West by Iqbal is so deeply embedded in his thoughts that in so many poems, even if it is out of place, he will add one more critical strike to the west”.(Fikre Iqbal, Khalifa Abdul Hakeem). Iqbal criticised West from western teraditions only. As E.M Forester writes “ Iqbal challenged western modernity on universality of Social and political institutions propagated by it.”
Iqbal was a philosopher par excellence. In one of his famous poem, Ilm-o-Ishq, in Zarb-e-Kaleem, he makes peerless distinction between knowledge and love. As per Iqbal love transcends the limited contours of knowledge. For “love is presence entire and knowledge nothing but a veil”. Iqbal’s contribution to Islamic philosophy is unparallel because he gave the Islamic philosophy an essential epistemological base from where it could lay its grand philosophical foundation.
Iqbal having such a great legacy will be never be erased or forgotten by people. There is hardly any poet in the Muslim history who had such influence on Muslim consciousness, identity. His seminal work is on shaping Muslim identity. Pakistani Prime minister Imran Khan has written one chapter “ Rediscovering Islam, Pakistan’s symbol and template for future” in his book “ Pakistan, A personal History “ writes “ If we read and follow Iqbal the growing gap between the Westernised Rich and traditional poor would be very less”. This sums Mohammad Iqbal, Poet, Philosopher’s legacy who has such deep influence on his community’s future. His philosophy, poetry is still household name even after so much time of his death.
Faizaan Bhat can be reached at bhatfaizan10@gmail.com
