Hinduism: Details about 'Allama Iqbal'
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Allama Dr Sir Muhammad Iqbal (محمد اقبال,علامه محمد اقبال ) (November 9 1877–April 21 1938), commonly known as Allama Iqbal (in Persian: Allameh Eghbal), was a colonial era Indian Muslim poet and philosopher of Kashmiri Brahmin origin, though based in Sialkot (now in Pakistan). In Urdu, "Allama" means learned or wise, and "Iqbal" means good fortune, luck, or prosperity. Though his legal name is Muhammad Iqbal, he is always called Allama Iqbal by the general public in Pakistan. A major writer and poet in Urdu and Persian, Iqbal is in the unusual position of having written one of India's major national songs ("Saare Jahan Se Achcha") while at the same time being credited as a major force behind the creation of Pakistan. He is posthumously revered in Pakistan as "Muffakir-e-Pakistan" ("The Thinker of Pakistan") or "Shair-i-Mashriq" ("The Poet of the East"). Along with Muhammad Ali Jinnah he is considered one of the preeminent founding fathers of Pakistan, arguably having convinced Jinnah to return from England and lead the movement demanding a separate homeland for South Asia's Muslims when Britain granted independence to the region. (Jinnah had practically gone into self-exile after having given up trying to get the national secular and Muslim leaderships to work together.)
Early lifeIqbal was born on November 9 1877 in the city of Sialkot. His father, Shaikh Nur Muhammad, was a tailor in Sialkot, whose devotion to Islam, especially its mystical aspects, gained him respect among his Sufi peers and other associates. His wife, Imam Bibi, was also a devout Muslim. The couple instilled a deep religious consciousness in all their five children. According to most historians, Sahaj Ram Sapru, an official in Kashmir during the administration of the Afghan Governor Azim Khan, was Iqbal's grandfather; the link has never been positively confirmed, however. Iqbal's initial education was in Sialkot. his potential as a poet was first recognized by one of his early tutors, Sayyid Mir Hassan, from whom he learned classical poetry. Mir Hassan never learned English, but his awareness of the merits of Western education and his appreciation of modernity ensured him a position as Professor of Oriental Literature at Scotch Mission. He was Iqbal's tutor until his graduation in 1892. It was also in 1892 that Iqbal was married to Karim Bibi, the daughter of an affluent Gujarati physician. They separated in 1916, but Iqbal provided financial support to Karim Bibi until he died. The couple had three children. In 1895, after completing his studies at Scotch Mission, Iqbal entered the Government College in Lahore, where he studied Philosophy and Arabic and English Literature for his Bachelor of Arts degree. He was an excellent student, graduating cum laude and winning a gold medal for being the only candidate who passed the final comprehensive examination. Meanwhile, he continued writing poetry. When he received his Master's degree in 1899, he had already begun to make his mark in the literary circles of Lahore. While reading for his Master's degree, Iqbal became acquainted with a figure who was to have a strong influence on his intellectual development. Sir Thomas Arnold, a scholar of Islam and modern philosophy, became for Iqbal a bridge between East and West. It was Arnold who inspired in him the desire to pursue higher studies in Europe. Another notable influence on him was Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan. Iqbal in EuropeIn 1905, he went to Europe and began his studies at Trinity College, Cambridge. While in England he was also able to practise law, which he did at Lincoln's Inn. At Cambridge, he crossed paths with other great scholars who further influenced his scholastic development. Under their guidance, Iqbal refined his already considerable intellect and widened his mental horizon. After staying in the United Kingdom, he then went on to study at the University of Munich. He earned a Ph.D. with a thesis on the "Development of Metaphysics in Persia", his only other English work being The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam in 1928. While in Europe he also began to write his poetry in Persian, because it allowed him to reach a wider audience, such as Iran and Afghanistan; he finally decided on sticking to Urdu, however, since most Indians did not understand Persian. It was while in Britain that he first went into politics. Following the formation of the All-India Muslim League in 1906, Iqbal was elected to the executive committee of the league's British chapter. Together with two other leaders, Sayyid Hassan Bilgrami and Sayyid Amir Ali, he also sat on the subcommittee which drafted the league's constitution. Return to the SubcontinentUpon his return to India in 1908, Iqbal embarked on simultaneous careers in law, the academic world, and poetry. Of the three pursuits, he excelled in what was his true calling and first love: poetry. There is a widely held belief that had the Government College in Lahore been more generous with their monthly stipend and academic freedom, he would have been as brilliant an academic as he was a poet. In fact, it was financial considerations that forced him to relinquish his assistant professorship in 1909 to take up a full-time law career. But he did not earn much as a lawyer either, although he could have. Instead of concentrating on the profession, he preferred to divide his time between the law and his own spiritual development. Already a famous poet by then, Iqbal received a knighthood from the British Government in honour of the Asrar-i-Khudi. While dividing his time between the law and poetry, Iqbal, with the encouragement of friends and supporters, decided once more to enter the political arena. In November 1926, he contested a seat in the Muslim District of Lahore, and beat his opponent by a margin of 3,177 votes. In 1930, Iqbal publically proposed the idea of a separate state for Muslims in a famous speech in Allahabad, in which he said: "It is the destiny of the Muslims of the Sub-continent." His view, however (as demonstrated by his correspondence) was that this should be a state within a federal India, rather than a separate nation — and even this he considered to be an undesirable necessity. He believed in the ummah rather than separate Muslim states. In 1931, Iqbal made a second visit to Europe to renew old acquaintances and make new ones, and to reflect and write. He attended conferences in the United Kingdom, and met various scholars and politicians, including the French philosopher Henri Louis Bergson and the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. A visit to Spain inspired three beautiful poems, which were later incorporated into a major composition, Bal-I Jibril (Gabriel's Wing). Iqbal's thoughtAmongst Western thinkers, Iqbal was deeply impressed by Friedrich Nietzsche. Some people have criticised him for endorsing Nietzsche's concept of the Übermensch (superman), which is reflected in Iqbal's own concept of "the perfect man". However, Iqbal asserted that his concept of the perfect man is influenced by Jami and Rumi. Bergson's ideas regarding time also influenced Iqbal. He wrote Payam-i-Mashriq (The Message of the East) as a reply to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's West-östlicher Diwan. Amongst Eastern thinkers, Iqbal was influenced by Rumi, whom he called his spiritual guide. Iqbal also admired Mirza Ghalib's poetic style. Iqbal is one of the foremost modern Muslim philosophers. Major themes in his philosophy include creating an effective response to the intellectual challenge of the West, the revival of intellectual discourse in the Islamic world, and the concept of Khudi or selfness. Later years and deathAfter returning from a trip to Afghanistan in 1933, Iqbal's health deteriorated. His religious and political ideas were gaining wide acceptance and his popularity was at its peak. One of the last things he is remembered for was to establish the Adarah Darul Islam, an institution where studies in classical Islam and contemporary social science would be subsidised. It was perhaps the last wish of a great man who was fascinated with the yoking of modern science and philosophy to Islam, to create bridges of understanding at the highest intellectual level. This thought he expressed thus: In the West, Intellect is the source of life, Iqbal died on April 21 1938 in Lahore, British India (in what after 1947 became a part of (Pakistan). The tomb of Muhammad Iqbal is located in the space between the entrance of the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort (which face each other) in that city. The Pakistan government maintains an official guard at the mausoleum. Iqbal's legacyIqbal is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Urdu language, admired both in India and Pakistan. He is also highly regarded for his Persian poetry, both in the Subcontinent and in Iran itself. He is considered to have been one of the most important Muslim thinkers of the last few hundred years. The Iranaian social scientist Ali Shariati was deeply influenced by Iqbal. Iqbal's book The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, based on a series of lectures, is banned in Saudi Arabia. The lectures call for a renewal and reworking of Islamic philosophy. This philosophical project of Iqbal's is still considered to be unfinished. Iqbal also wanted to write a book, The Book of a Lost Prophet, similar in style to Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. However he died before he could start this project. His books have been translated into Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Czech, Russian and other languages. Allama Iqbal International Airport (formerly Lahore International Airport) was recently renamed after him. Comments about Iqbal
Major works by Iqbal
See also
Institutions and websites on IqbalOn Iqbal
Family history, etc.
Sources
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