ALLAMA IQBAL & HIS EFFORTS

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Semester: 3rd.

Subject: Pakistan Studies

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Table of Contents
I. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 2
II. Phases of development of Iqbal’s sentiment........................................................................................ 2
A. 1st phase: Pre – 1905 ......................................................................................................................... 2
B. 2nd Phase: The Stay in Europe 1905-08 ........................................................................................... 3
C. 3rd Phase: Return to India 1908 and onward ................................................................................... 3
III. Iqbal’s contribution for independent state....................................................................................... 4
A. Muslim league ................................................................................................................................... 4
B. Two nation theory............................................................................................................................. 4
C. Presidential address (1930) .............................................................................................................. 4
D. Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam................................................................................... 4
IV. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 5
V. References ............................................................................................................................................ 5

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I. Introduction
Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the renowned poet of East was born on 9th November 1877 in
Sialkot, Pakistan. He is admired prominently for his classical poetry among all national and international
scholars of literature. He was not only recognized for his poetry but also his philosophical and political
reforms of Muslim ideology. He was given the name of “The Poet of the East” (Shair-e-Mashriq) for his
poetic work whereas, he was entitled “The Thinker of Pakistan” (Muffakir-e-Pakistan) on his efforts for
building the nation of Muslims.

II. Phases of development of Iqbal’s sentiment

A. 1st phase: Pre – 1905
It was during this period (1895-1905) that Iqbal was a staunch nationalistic. He grounded his political
ideas on a pantheistic philosophy and wrote poems in support of his motherland India. His poetry
infused in the thoughts and actions of his readers - the passion to idolize the country. He suggested
Muslims and Hindus that they were the inheritors of a glorious civilization, a part of a wonderful land,
and the nightingale of a magnificent garden. In Tarana E Hindi (1904),

“The best land in the world is our India,

We are its nightingales: this is our garden.

The civilization of Greece, Egypt and Rome slid into oblivion,

but we are the fortunate ones to have survived till now” (Bang e Dara)

Iqbal’s earlier poetic works tinge with vivid sentiment of nationalism. But along this inclination he
focused on his own religion-cultural tradition. These trends can be seen in his numerous exquisite
poems, written in the same period in which he spoke of the Muslims as "Tasvir-i Dard" (The Portrait of
Pain) or as "Nalah-i Yatim” (The Sighing of an Orphan). (Faisal Devji, 2017)

At an annual meeting of Anjuman-e-Himayati Islam, Lahore in March 1899 he read this poem:

“Unless you wake, my countrymen! You will be obliterated

Your story will not be listed among the ones for readability” (Bang e Dara)

His commitment to his country is visibly reflected in another poem entitled “Naya Shiwala” (The New
Temple). He visualizes the construction of a temple of love and idolism of his mother India He says:

“Do you think as god, the idols of stones,

for me, there is deity in every particle of country’s dust.” (Bang e Dara)

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B. 2nd Phase: The Stay in Europe 1905-08

This phase marked the evolution of Iqbal’s thoughts. To pursue his higher education, he remained in
Europe from 1905 to 1908. This gave him a great chance to directly experience the Western civilization.

Iqbal completed his Bachelor of Arts in 1906 from University of Cambridge, and in the same year he was
called to the bar as a barrister at Lincoln's Inn. In University of Munich he submitted his thesis, “The
development of Metaphysics in Persia”, in the year 1908, from where he earned a Doctor of Philosophy
degree. In the same year Iqbal met a remarkable person Miss. Atiya Begum who was at that time
studying in England. She created a great impression upon Iqbal, they both even exchanged a great
number of letters. (Farrukh Aziz Ansari, 2018)

Iqbal’s Philosophy and thoughts regarding Nationalism was being molded unambiguously into the
textures of Islam. He found after his deep study that the Western civilization on which the Muslims of
Sub-continent were feasting was merely infused with the brute nature of materialism. Allama Iqbal
made a passionate plea against the Western notions of nationalism. However, during Iqbal’s three-year
sojourn in Europe from an Indian Nationalist he gleamed into a Pan-Islamist with the very hopes in one
Ummah or Millat fasten together with the principles of Islam. (Bibi, 2013)

The gradual development of Iqbal’s political beliefs was particularly influenced with his insight
about the conflicts and strife between the European nation states, which he considered, was leading
Europe to world-wars. However, the developments within India, such as the Hindu Communist’s
agitation against the partition of Bengal in 1906, purely an administrative scheme but yielded some
benefits to the Muslim of East Bengal also made him change his behavior.

C. 3rd Phase: Return to India 1908 and onward

This phase marked Iqbal’s effort of Reawakening of Muslims. He returned from Europe with renewed
ideas and changed perceptions in 1908. For the next 20 years he became an exponent of Quranic
Message and totally devoted himself to the cause of Islam as he understood the true message of
Qur'an.

Iqbal wrote “Tarana e Mili” (1910), in which he recast his call he previously focused in “Tarana-e-Hindi”
in the following verses:

“China and Arabia are ours; India is ours.

We are Muslims, the whole world is ours”

Now as he abandoned the contemporary Western nationalism, his faith consolidated in having certain
values of a spiritual orientations and ideals which constituted the elements of Islam.

Iqbal wrote poems admiring the Islamic conception of universal brotherhood and disparaging western
concept of territorial, racial or linguistic nationalism as the source of bigotry, hatred and conflict. (Dube,
2012)

He very categorically states that:

“There is no doubt that my ideas about nationalism have undergone a definite change. In my college
days I was a zealous Nationalist that I am not now. The change is due to a mature thinking. It is
unfortunate that my later writings are all in Pakistan which is little understood in this country". (Zamir)

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Once Iqbal’s ideal became crystallized, he started transmitting it through the powerful medium of his
Urdu and Persian poetry. He wrote Shikwa (1909), Shama-o-Shayer (1912), Jawab-e-Shikwa (1912),
Khizr-E-Rah (1921) and Tulu-e-Islam (1922). These poems did not convey his message only for the
Muslim world but for the whole humanity. Thus, he worked for the universal cause. (Anjum, 2014)

III. Iqbal’s contribution for independent state

A. Muslim league
Following the formation of the All-India Muslim League in 1906, Iqbal was elected to the executive
committee of its British chapter in 1908. Together with two other politicians, Syed Hassan Bilgrami and
Syed Ameer Ali, Iqbal sat on the subcommittee which drafted the constitution of the League. (Hasan,
1987)

This was the platform through which Iqbal contributed in politics. He made it very clear in his address at
Aligarh in 1911 that there is a clear difference between Muslims and other nations of the world. The
element of Islamic thought in Muslim nationalism is unique in its essence which makes it unique among
other nationalities. (Sevea, 2012)

B. Two nation theory

th
On the 25 session of the All-India Muslim League held in Allahabad, on the 29th December 1930 a clear
conception of a separate state was given by Muhammad Iqbal and where he was elected as president.
This was an historical speech, in which he presented the very idea of two nations i.e., Muslims and
Hindus are two separate nations by every definition; therefore, Muslims should be able to have their
own separate homeland in the Muslim majority areas of India, in which Islam can be practiced as the
dominant religion.

This claim sketched the principle of the Pakistan Movement and the partition of India in 1947.

C. Presidential address (1930)

Iqbal’s Allahabad Address for the first time framed the creation of a separate state for the Indian
Muslims. This conception was not only clear but comprehensive in the sense that it was based on both
geographical and ideological factors:

“India is a continent of human groups belonging to different races, speaking different languages, and
professing different religions [...] Personally, I would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province,
Sindh and Baluchistan amalgamated into a single State. Self-government within the British Empire, or
without the British Empire, the formation of a consolidated North-West Indian Muslim State appears to
me to be the final destiny of the Muslims, at least of North-West India – I, therefore, demand the
formation of a consolidated Muslim State in the best interest of India and Islam”

D. Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam

Iqbal always showed his total support to Jinnah and worked as his loyal soldier. At the time when
Jinnah’s efforts were towards Hindu-Muslim unity and the formation of unitary India, Iqbal’s vision was
not that appealing. But as soon Muhammad Ali Jinnah returned from London, he initiated the task of the
reorganization of the All-India Muslim League. Since Iqbal envisioned Pakistan, a leader was required to

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organize the Indian Muslims. This leader, according to Iqbal, was Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who was
neither corrupt nor purchasable.

Letters written by Iqbal to Jinnah (1936 to 1937) are those important documents which sketched the
context of the ideology of Pakistan. Iqbal resorted to these letters to guide Jinnah politically as well as
ideologically in the best interests of the Muslims of India. (Farrukh Aziz Ansari, 2018)

IV. Conclusion
Allama Iqbal always investigated the Islamic perceptions. He never let any credo be implemented
without critically taking full stock of it, and likewise, he never turned his back on any ideology without
weighing it in the scale of Islam. He refined and systematized the divine ideal of Ummah when the
nationalism was causing unthinkable havoc unto the mankind. His efforts influenced the youth and the
aged. According to him:

“I love the young ones who darts on the stars” (Bal-e-Jibreel)

V. References
Anjum, Z. (2014). Iqbal: The Life of a Poet, Philosopher and Politician. Random House India.

Bibi, C. (2013). ALLAMA IQBAL The visionary leader of an Independent homeland. (D. S. Imam, Ed.) New
Horizons, Research Journal, 7.

Dube, S. (2012). Enchantments of Modernity: Empire, Nation, Globalization. Routledge.

Faisal Devji, Z. K. (2017). Islam After Liberalism. New York: Oxford University Press.

Farrukh Aziz Ansari, A. A. (2018). NATIONALISM IN PERSPECTIVE: ALLAMA IQBAL’S CRITIQUE

OFWESTERN NATIONALISM. 4(9).

Hasan, M. (1987). A New Approach to Iqbal.

Sevea, I. S. (2012). The Political Philosophy of Muhammad Iqbal: Islam and Nationalism in Late Colonial
India. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Zamir, A. K. (n.d.). Iqbal and Quaid’s Vision of Pakistan.

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