Khiżr-i Rāh: The Pre-Eminent Guide to Action in Muhammad Iqbal's Thought

Author(s): IRFAN A. OMAR

Source: Islamic Studies, Vol. 43, No. 1 (Spring 2004), pp. 39-50
Published by: Islamic Research Institute, International Islamic University, Islamabad
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 Islamic Studies 43:1 (2004) pp. 39-50

Khizr-i Rah: The Pre-Eminent Guide to Action in

Muhammad Iqbal's Thought1
IRFANA. OMAR

IfKhizrwere tobreaktheshipin thesea

A hundredgood reasonslie inKhidr'sdeed.

Al-Khidr (variouslypronounced as al-Khadir,Khizr, Hizir or simplyKhidr) is

known as the immortalguide in the Islamicate tradition.He is theMuslim
equivalent of Elijah, a prophet by some accounts and amysterious "servantof
God* by others. Although he has many names, al-Khidr itselfmeans "the
green one", 'perhapsindicativeof his characteristicofmaking thingsgreen,or
to his regenerativequalities in general.The storyofKhidr is embedded in the
Qur'an as God's "servant"while his name appears in the tafsirliterature.
According to many mufassir?n, themysterious person mentioned in S?rah
18:65 (Khidr-Moses episode) is none other thanKhidr. In Islamic history,
? in
many have made use of the symbolism thatKhidr carries poetry and
other Sufiwritings aswell as in themassive literatureknown as qisas al-anbiy?'
(storiesof prophets).3Poets such as R?m? andHafiz to Gh?lib and Iqb?l all

1
I wish to acknowledge my gratitude to Professor Riaz Umar, former principal of Zakir
Hussain College, University of Delhi, who over a decade ago, first encouraged me to pursue
"Khizr-iRah" and to attempt to discover the unique manner inwhich Iqbal looks at the person
ofKhidr.
2
Maul?n? Jalil al-Din R?mi, MathnavVi Ma'navl (Lahore: Mu'assasah-'i Intish?r?t-ibl?rni,
1398/1978), 1: 55.
3
Wheeler M. Thackston, The Tales of theProphetsofalKisax (Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1978).
For a brief discussion of Khidr in Islam, see AJ. Wensinck, "Khadir", in The Encyclopaedia of
Islam, no. 29 (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1925) and IrfanA. Omar, "Khidr in theMamie Tradition",
Muslim World, 83 (July-October1993), 279-94; forKhidr in theQur'an and tafsirliterature,see
Hifz al-Rahm?n,Qisas al-Qur'?n (Delhi:Nadwat al-Musannifin, 1975) and various other tafaslr
from both the classical and modern periods. For myths and legends surroundingKhidr, see
Haim Schwarzbaum, Biblical and Extra-Biblical Legends in Islamic Folk Literature (Waldorf

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 IRFAN A. OMAR
40

have invokedKhidr for the purpose of highlightingtheir respectivevisions

throughhim. In Iqbal, however,Khidr occupies a rathernuanced role; a role
thatboth conformsaswell as distinguishesitselffrom thatgiven toKhidr by
many previousmystically-inclinedpoets. This essay explores the role ofKinch
inMuhammad Iqbal's thought.
Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), the poet-philosopher of the southAsian
subcontinent,is famous forhis bold, upliftingand inspiringpoetry. Iqbal was
a poet first,and remained that throughouthis life,but he was also a thinker
and a philosopher. The combination of the two gave him the charisma that
captured theMuslim imagination. Iqbal was no doubt themost sought out
Muslim figureof the twentiethcentury;both the religiouslyinclinedaswell as
the literaryminded drew inspirationfromhim.4Through his poetry,which
deeply reflectedhis philosophical thinking, Iqbal sought to awaken the
Muslim mind to the growing indifferenceto eternal values in the name of
rational thoughtandmaterial prosperity.He had a deep reverencefor spiritual
traditions,in particular for Sufism,but the formof spiritualityhe advocated
required activismratherthan resignationfromtheworld as such.
Iqbal's philosophy of 'action' is renderedmostly in verse and in thathe
has effectivelyused the symbolism of Khidr to convey his message against
stagnationand taql?d (unquestioned followingof traditions)and in supportof
a regenerative,life-givingaction.The preeminenceofKhidr in Iqbal's thought
is nowhere more obvious than in his poem titled "Khizr-iRah" (The Guide),
which is one of the lastpoems in the collection calledB?ng-iDar? (TheCall of
theWay); Iqbal's firstpublished collection of Urdu poems.5 Here Iqbal
describesKhidr as an unseen but pre-eminentguide to a searchingbeliever. In
"Khizr-i Rah" Iqbal explores a vision of Ufe,which, although seemingly
ravaged by thepassing of time, in fact representsa dynamic nature of reaUty.
Out of the ordinarymovement of Ufe evolves a "rhythm"reflectivein the
?
storyof Khidr unceasing and unhindered,where death is viewed as but a
smallwayside station in the ultimate journey. It is in the context of Khidr,
then, that for Iqbal in themidst of "the devastating aspect of time" emerges
another concept of time which can be described as a "ceaseless duration".

Hessen: Verlag f?rOrientkunde, 1982). For the symbolism and folkloristicaspects of theperson
of Khidr, see IrfanA. Omar, "The Symbol of Immortality:Some Popular Images of Khidr in
theOrient", IsUmic Culture, vol. 74, no. 3 Quly 2000), 33-51.
4
See Abu 1-Hasan 'AllNadv?, Nuq?sh-i Iqb?l (Lucknow, India:Majlis Tahq?q?t-? Nashriy?t-i
Islam, 1994 [1985]).
5
Muhammad Iqbal, "Khizr-iRah*, inKulliy?t-i Iqb?l: Urdu (Lahore: Shaikh Ghulam Ali &
Sons, 1984 [1973]), 255-276.

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 KHI2R-I R?H: THE PRE-EMINENT GUIDE TO ACTION INMUHAMMAD IQBAL'S THOUGHT
41

From thisperspective Ufe is not measurable in serial time; it is rather seen as

"overflowing, eternal and evergreen."6
This themeof eternitywithin, in spiteof our bondage to, this serial time
permeates Iqbal's other poems as well. In Asr?r-iKhudi (The Secrets of the
Self),Pay?m-iMashriq (Message from theEast) and also inNawa-'i Waqt (The
Melody of Time), Iqbal consistentlydeals with the problem of time,destiny
and the relationship between the Infinite and the finitewhere Khidr
symbolismplays an importantpart in the equation.
Khidr appears in Iqbal in a varietyofways; sometimes in the context of
"greeningof themountain tops" and sometimesreferringto the foiledattempt
of Alexander in findingthe 'fountainof Life'; in all instances a sense of an
untiringwanderer echoes evenly:

Volk?jUjilJx* / /^Ififfir
Call these farmers the embodiment ofKhidr of toil and labour;
As they turn themountain rocks into green.

and,

water asGod knowswhither;

Give up searchingfortheliving
O Alexander, Khizr has hidden it.8

Like many other poets in history Iqbal used the imageryof Khidr to
enhance hismessage of optimism in immortalterms.He depicts the figureof
Khidr as a spiritual"guide".9Iqbal himselfdrew spiritualguidance fromKhidr
and expressed the possibilities of conventionalwisdom in the guise of lyrical
beauty. In the followingverses from "Khizr-iR?h", Khidr relates the answers
to Iqbal's questions concerning the condition of theMuslim world:

"/UsA" ?c- ?
U0tll? UM ?~/>JsA?-t\>lf
What do you relatethestoryof theTurk and theArab ?
The tragedy of the people of Islam is nothing of a secret tome.11

6
S. Alam Khundmiri, "Conception of Time", inHafeez Malik, ed., Iqbal: Poet-Philosopherof
Pakistan (New York: Columbia University Press, 1971), 250.
7
Muhammad Iqbal, Sar?d-iRafiah, ed. Ghulam Rasool Mehr and Sadiq Ali D?awari (Lahore:
ShaikhGhulam AU & Sons, 1959), 244-45.
8
Ibid.
9
Anwar Beg, The Poet of theEast (Lahore:Khawar Publishing Cooperative Society, 1961), 115-6.
10
Muhammad Iqbal, "Khizr-iRah* inKulliyy?t Iqb?l: Urdu, 264.
11
Anwar Beg, The Poet of theEast, 115-6.

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 IRFAN A. OMAR
42

But to Iqbal theperson ofKhidr representsmore than justa guide (Khizr

iR?h); ratherhe sees him as an embodiment of the secretof immortality.In
many ways Iqbal revises the logic of viewingKhidr's role by proclaiminghim
both an 'immortalguide' and a 'guide to immortality'.In the formersense,
Khidr exists as part of a long tradition of attracting seekers to spiritual
disciplinewhere the latterdraw upon him for spiritualguidance.
In the lattersense, the immortalstatusof thisguide presupposes a stateof
immortality, which is the goal of all seekers.Thus while Khidr's immortality
ensureshis continued guidance forever, what draws one to immortalityis the
state of being called maq?m al-Khidr,where the epitomization of essential
Khidrian traitsbecome a reality.This state of being is the state of "positive
action". For in Iqbal, thevirtue of "action" is Ufe itselfand so long as there is
action, there is Ufe. Again Iqbal, putting thewords in the mouth of the
ProphetKhidr, says:
12 -
i??( i??b??-?Jtfr?r&J ff ftfiVf
Constant circulation makes the cup of lifemore durable,
O ignorant one! This is the very secret of Ufe's immortaUty.13

This philosophy of action expressed inKhidrian terms is quite similar to

the storyof Gilgamesh. As theEpic of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian hero, poses
the perennial question, that is of immortaUty, it very much seeks to highUght

Gilgamesh's attempt to achieve "personal immortaUty,eternal youth, [and]

.
lastingfame. .[but]only to fail in every attempt."14In the end, however, as
the author of The SunlightDialogues puts it,Gilgamesh findsthe answer to the
question of immortaUtyin the "ultimateact, the actwhich comes when the
gods command it",an utterlyimpersonalact of death.15
It seems thatdeath is impossible to overcome and immortaUtyis nothing
but an illusion of the mind. And yet when all "iUusions of personal
immortalityare strippedaway, there is only the act tomaintain the freedom
to act."16For in Iqbal also we find that the immortaUtyof the human soul is
seen not in the simpUstic,duaUstic opposition of the soul to the body, but

12
Muhammad Iqbal, eKhizr-iR?h* inKulliyy?t-iIqb?l: Urd?, 258.
13
Anwar Beg, The Poet of theEast, 198, translationmodified.
14
JohnGardner and JohnMaier, Gilgamesh: TranslatedFrom theSin-he^-Onnini Version (New
York: Alfred A Knopf, 1984), 6.
15
JohnGardner, The SunlightDialogues (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1973), 533.
16
JohnGardner & JohnMaier, Gilgamesh, 6. The Epic of Gilgamesh is a storyof despair and
hope, of death and immortality.It reveals amessage of life in the language of death through the
medium of verse inmore ways than it symbolizes utterdespair.

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 GUIDETO ACTION INMUHAMMADIQBAL'STHOUGHT
KHI2R-IR?H: THE PRE-EMINENT
43

rather in its (soul's) interplaywith the ego,which Iqbal called khudi. Iqbal
says, "the lifeof the ego is a kind of tension caused by the ego invading the
environment and environment invading the ego".17Thus, immortalityis not
simplybeing human and possessing a soul, rather it lies in an active interplay
of the ego with the environmentwhich in turn creates a constant tension
between the two, contributingto the ever-enhancementand perfectionof the
ego drawing oneself away fromthe clutchesof fatalism(qismat).1*
Ego in Iqbal is seen as a "unity ofmental states". It is a freepersonal
causality that is primarilyof thewill, with the body being its instrument;this
unity,moreover, is "absolutelyunique."19Furthermore, the selfhood or self
affirmationis this ego'sworldly manifestation.Achieving thisunitywill allow
theDivine will to "flow throughthehuman soul, fillingand transformingit,
until one reaches conformitywith one's destined fate."20To Iqbal, the
development of the ego is themost importanttask thatultimately leads one to
thatof being an "individual"which is self
thehighest formof self-affirmation,
contained,unique and centred.Thus as Iqbal remembers McTaggart by saying,
the "Universe is an association of individuals" and God Himself is an
individual althoughHe in his majesty representsthe Perfect Individual, the
Absolute Ego, theCenter of all centers.21
Iqbal, likeR?m?, believed in personal immortality(of the soul) and that
achieving this immortalityrequireda strongdeterminationon thepart of each
individual. In otherwords, it is by self-effort and strongwill that one may
attain it, just aswe have seen in the example ofGilgamesh. Thus the imagery
and symbolismofKhidr in Iqbal's thoughthighlightstheneed for theultimate
effort (action) on the part of human beings. Iqbal says, ... "personal
immortality,then, is not ours as of right; it is to be achieved by personal
effort."22This personal effortis translated into the notion to act where an
individualattains immortalityby virtue of his/herwill and an acquired power
to act rather than by virtue of justbeing. In this sense, immortalityis not a
given thing; it is not just there, it is an "earned immortality."23
The German
poet Goethe (1749-1832), one of Iqbal'sWestern mentors,whom he read and

17
Mohammad Iqbal, The Reconstruction ofReligious Thought in Islam (Delhi: Kit?b Bhavan,
1998,6th reprint),102.
18
Ibid.
19
Muhammad Maruf, "?llama Iqbal on Immortality",Religious Studies, 18 (Summer 1982),
376ff.
20
Annemarie Schimmel,Decipher?ng theSigns ofGod: A Phenomenologkal Approach to Islam
(Albany: StateUniversity ofNew York Press, 1994), 147.
21
Beg, The Poet of theEast, 189.
22
Iqbal, The ReconstructionofReligious Thought,119.
23
Maruf, "Allama Iqbal on Immortality",377.

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 IRFAN A. OMAR
44

admired, echoes a similar philosophy of action, "striving and willing and

accomplishing."

He who toils forever striving,

Him can we redeem.24

There ismuch here that resembles Iqbal's notion of khudi and his perception
ofKhidr as one who epitomizes, albeit symbolically,strivingand action. It is
not surprisingthat Iqbal is said to have had a meaningful engagementwith
Goethe despite the latter'slikenessforH?fiz whom Iqbal criticized.
Immortality implies some sense of continuity of what we call life. In
Iqbal, this continuity is spelled out in termsof a continuous development of
the ego. As the ego in this physical life aims at its perfectionby use of the
? that is our ? it
physical structure body actually aims to survive this
structureitself,which is necessitated at the event of death. Beyond death the
ego survives, if it does, in a differentstate of consciousnesswhich, in the
Islamic tradition, is known as 'alani albarzakh ? a state between death and
But theultimate stagefor the integrationof the immortalego is
resurrection.25
its attainment of eternity or, religiously speaking, heaven, which is the
culminationof both lifeand love:

[If]theessenceof lifeis love,

The essence of love is ego.26

Even as the ego (khudi)contains thepotential of perfectionof the soul it

seeks the guidance of those perfectedegos thathave, by theirown strivingas
well as God's intervention,already had a glimpse of that elevated state of
consciousness. Khidr, in Iqbal's view, symbolizes one such guiding Ego.
Furthermore,as one whom God calls "one ofOur servants"Khidr typifiesthe
act-bound Ego, who is busy implementingdivine will in human space.27
Therefore, it isbyvirtueofhispower toact that
Khidr is immortal

24
Cited in Thomas Carlyle, On Heroes, Hero-Worship and theHeroic inHistory (Lincoln:
University ofNebraska Press, 1966 [1904]), xi.
25
Iqbal, The ReconstructionofReligious Thought, 120.
26
Fayyaz Mahmood, "Iqbal's Attitude Towards God", inRaziuddin & others,Iqbal as a Thinker
(Lahore: Sh.Muhammad Ashraf, 1973 [1944]), 277.
27
As mentioned above, theQur'an (18: 65) refersto Khidr, without naming him as such, as
"one ofOur servants,on whom We had bestowedMercy fromOurselves and whom We had
taughtknowledge fromOur own presence". English tr.Abdullah Yusuf AH, TheMeaning of the
Holy Qur'an, New Edition (Brentwood,MD: Amana Corporation, 1992).

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KHIZR-I R?H: THE PRE-EMINENT GUIDE TO ACTION INMUHAMMAD IQBAL'S THOUGHT
45

In the nurturing of khud? lies the secret of Godhead28

The concept of khud? (selfor ego) characterizesIqbal's thoughtmore than

anythingelse. The essence of hismessage lies in understanding the "secretsof
the self." Iqbal, as evidenced fromthe above verse, disdained thosewho make
no efforton their part to nurture their khud? and are simplywaiting for
another 'messiah' to appear,whether it isKhidr, Mahdl or Jesus.For Iqbal,
the ego is both "single and manifold, both hidden and open."29The ego is
preserved as a separate entity; separate from the divine and yet completely
dependent.Thus Iqbal's philosophy is opposed to themonistic understanding
held by someMuslim mystics, such as those of the school of Ibn 'Arabi,who
argued in favor of the idea of wahdat al-wuj?d or the "unity of Being."30As
mentioned above, Iqbal conceives the idea of unity in termsof "will" rather
than "being", arguing that there is no "Universal life" fromwhich all else
emanated and hence longs for reunification,constitutingthe great oneness of
all. In Iqbal, God and human beings are distinct,and there is hardly and room
for self-annihilation;rather it is the opposite, the self-affirmation, which
allows the full realization of the Self.Unlike in pantheistic Sufismwhere the
human soul seeks tomerge itselfinto theDivine, in Iqbal thehumanwill seeks
to unite with theDivine will which allows the latter to flow through the
former,hence preserving the individualityof both, and fulfillingthe human
goal of the realization of the self.To Iqbal, the ego nevermerges itselfinto the
"ocean", as itwere, of theGodhead to the extentwhere it (like a drop ofwater
in theocean) completely loses its identity.But therehangs always thisparadox
of union in separation and separation in union:

11
osi (Jlf jlf?lfi) c^lU* Jl (jUf

The Selfisbrilliantby thelightofDivine grandeur,

Its reachings are from itsnot-reaching,

28
Mahmood, "Iqbal's Attitude Towards God", 282.
29
Annemarie Schimmel,Gabrieh Wing: A Study into theReligious Ideas of SirMuhammad Iqbal
(Leiden: EJ. Brill, 1963), 103.
30
The notion of wahdat al-wuj?d was enunciated by the famousAndalusian Sufi, Ibn 'Arabi
(d. 536/1240) who believed in the ultimate unity of the human soul and God. SeeWilliam C.
Chittick, The SufiPath ofLove (Albany: StateUniversity ofNew York Press, 1985).
31
Muhammad Iqbal, "Kladi" inArmagh?n-iHij?z, Kulliy?t Iqbal: F?ris? (Lahore: ShaikhGhulam
Ali, 1973), 121/1003. For the English translationof these lines see Schimmel, GalmeVs Wing,
139.

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 IRFAN A. OMAR
46

Its separation is a station of the stations of union,

Its union is one of the stations of separation.

Iqbal stood against the resigningspiritualismof his day,whose origin he

attributed to the development of the Persian Neoplatonism within the
intellectualhistory of Islam.32Thus we can see that despite his love for the
Jal?l al-D?n R?n , Iqbal rejected the pantheistic elements in Mevl?n?'s
thought.However, inR?m? he sawmore thanpantheism;he saw an "advocate
of spiritualdevelopment. . .[and] the infinitequest forGod."33 Through his
poetry of "action" Iqbal drove out all three:thepoet fromthe tavern; the Sufi
fromhis kh?nq?h (monastery),and thepreacher fromhismosque. His poetry
is essentially a critique of the perpetual inaction of these three roles,
traditionallymanifested by a self-centredpoet, a resignedmystic and a literalist
religious imam.He confrontsthese threecharactersbyway of a dialoguewith
Khidr who, as a symbol of life through action, appealed to Iqbal in almost
every aspect of his philosophical outreach. Iqbal was certainly not against
thesevocations per se; rather,he sought to drive out the stigmaof spiritualand
social stagnationthat theseroles seemed to have brought about.

One day Khidr appeared to Iqbal and said, "If the eye of the heart be
open, thedestinyof theworld isunveiled." Iqbal, therefore,questionedKhidr:

Away from inhabitation you roam the desert,

Your life is devoid of day and night; today and tomorrow;
What is thesecretof life;
what iskingship
And what is this conflict between capital and labour.

To thisKhidr replied:

Why do you wonder over my rambles in the desert?

This constant motion is the potent sign of life.

32 .Kamali, "The
A. Heritage of IslamicThought" inHafeez Malik, ed., Iqbal: Poet-Philosopher
ofPakistan, 211.
33
Annemarie Schimmel, The Triumphal Sun: A Study of theWorks
ofJal?loddinRumi (Albany:
StateUniversity ofNew York Press, 1993), 384.
34
Muhammad Iqbal, "Khizr-iRah* inKulliyyat-iIqbal: Urdu, 256.
35
Ibid., 257

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KHI2R-I R?H: THE PRE-EMINENT GUIDE TO ACTION INMUHAMMAD IQBAL'S THOUGHT
47

and,

Create your own world ifyou are among the living,

Life is thesecretofAdam, theconscienceofUfeitself!37

Iqbal's message is filledwith optimism as he constantly remindsus to

"hope." It ishope thatmotivates one to action thateventually leads one to self
determination and self-affirmation38 as opposed to self-annihilationa la
monistic Sufism. In this,Iqbal invitesevery individual to become, as itwere, a
substitute for Khidr just as the latter is seen to substitute forMoses'
"perceptivity"39in the Qur'?nic episode narrating the encounter between
Moses andKhidr.40

bJibi

Being a Khidr to theMoses of perception.41

But the optimism of Iqbal uses the figureofKhidr in an antin?mi?nway as

well. Reminding us of the "fool of God", who, unlike somany others, does
not seekhelp fromKJiidr,Iqbal says:

Happy is theman who, thoughthirsty

in thesun,
Does not beg of Khizr a cup ofwater in such need.43

Iqbal's referencehere is to theProphetMuhammad (peace be on him) as the

"PerfectMan" which highlightsthe idea of complete trust inGod [tawakkui).

36
Ibid., 259.
37
Anwar Beg, The Poet of theEast, 198ff,translationmodified.
38
Muhammad Iqbal, Asr?r-iKhud?, translationintoEnglish with Notes and Introduction by R.
A. Nicholson, The Secretsof theSelf (Lahore: Farhan Publishers, 1977), xiii.
39
Yusuf S. Chishti, Sharh-iAsrar-iKhudi (Lahore: IshratPublishingHouse, n.d.), 276.
40
Sura 18:60-82; cf.Omar, "Khidr in thefclamicTradition", 280.
41
Iqbal, Asr?r-iKhudi, translatedbyNicholson, The Secretsof theSelf, 24. Iqbal often portrays
various prophetic figures such as Adam, Abraham, Moses and Khidr with having various
strengths.At timesMoses is seen as "superior" toKhidr and at other occasions, as in the case
above, Khidr seems to be substitutingMoses' superior perception (idr?k). Cf. Schimmel,
Gabriels Wing, 264.
42
Muhammad Iqbal, "Asr?r-iKhudr inKulliyy?t Iqb?l: Parisi, 24.
43
Beg, The Poet of theEast, 124.

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 IRFAN A. OMAR
48

It seems that Iqbal wants us to look up toKhidr as a guide but not become
completely dependent on him. In fact each seeker should strive to be Khidr
like.Hajv?r? in his Kashf alMahjub mentions one of the "servants"of God
named Ibrahim b. Ahmad al-Khaww?s who was asked by Khidr for his
company.Al-Khaww?s refusedfearingthathe "mightput confidence in him
[Khidr] instead of inGod",44 Similarly,while protesting against taql?d,Iqbal
says:

yourselfthanto followblindly,
Betterannihilate
Forget the dealings with Khidr, rather search on your own;
See the descent of divine in the sanctuary of your heart,
And quit waiting forMahdi or Jesus.45

In conclusion, it should be noted that although Iqbal's philosophy? not

unlikemany schools of Sufism? validatesKhidr's high functionas a guide, it
cautions against spiritualdependence of others,Messiah included, for one's
ultimate salvation.For Iqbal taql?d is synonymouswith death and creativity
and self-actionis life.Thus thoughKhidr is indeed a guide sought out by
many, yet he should be a guide to action rather than to a sort of spiritual
resignation found among many mystics who invest great hopes in the

supposed spiritualpowers of theirguide (shaykb).

Iqbal appeals primarily to theheart ratherthan to themind.46His poems

are filledwith passion. IqbaPs understandingof esoteric Islam furnisheshim
with ideas that lie dormant in a normal state of being. But his usage of the
Khidr symbolism evokes the riot in his expressionwhich, coupled with his
ability to express itpassionately throughthemedium of verse, renders itvery
unconventionally. But more than anything, to Iqbal a true poet is analogous to
Khidr in that theyboth seek to guide others to the "fountainof Life" (in Iqbal,
synonymouswith action) and hence thepoet is likened to "Khizr-iR?h."47 In

44
Sayyid 'Ali ibn 'Uthm?n al-Hujw?r?,Kashf al-Mahj?b, tr.R. A. Nicholson (Leiden: E.J. Brill,
1911), 153,290.
45
Abdul Hakim Khalifa, Fikr-i Iqb?l (Lahore: Bazm-i Iqb?l, 1957), 20. [For the firstcouplet, see
Muhammad Iqbal, "Ghazliyat" inB?ng-iDr? inKulliyy?t Iqb?l: Urd?, 107.However, we could
not locate the second couplet there.Ed.]
46
Cf. Beg, Poet of theEast, 211. See alsoNicholson's Introduction in Iqbal, Asr?r-iKhud?> trans.
Nicholson, The Secretsof theSelf viii.
47
Schimmel,Gabriel's Wing, 61.

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KHI2R-I R?H: THE PRE-EMINENT GUIDE TO ACTION INMUHAMMAD IQBAL'S THOUGHT
49

so far as Iqbal somehow confounds the role of a poet with a Sufi.He thus
describes thepoet:

hc?j
<???w/<t??fc > ?U i'?
fi

moon and the stars,

His thoughts dwell with the
He creates beauty in thatwhich is ugly and strange;
He is a Khizr, and amidst his darkness is the Fountain of Life:
All things that exist aremade more living by his tears.49

Such a person as described in these verses is not just a poet who calls
people to action for just any reason but ratherwho calls people to 'act' in the
path ofGod, strivingto achieve unitywith theDivine. Here Iqbal combines
the roles of amystic and a poet into one wholesome being such asKhidr who
is at once a "knower" aswell as a proactive "guide".His is a prophetic calling
and he undertakes acts that are seeminglydefiant of God's law (as Khidr
appeared toMoses in the storyrelated inQur'?n 18: 60-82) but in actual fact
are divinely ordained and ultimatelybeneficial to all. Thus, it is not surprising
that such an ideal poet in Iqbal's mind is none other than the greatmaster
?
Rumi, who is both amystic having attained theknowledge ofGod ?irf?n)
? and a
poet, who communicates or transmitsthisknowledge to others in
subtleways and in sublimeverses. In another poem in collection B?ng-iDar?
Iqbal says:

My taskis tobe a guidein thisworld

Like Khidr I am constantly on the go.

Not only did Iqbal see himself in this fold of being as an embodimentof
the role ofKhidr but he himselfperceivedRumi, the greatmystical genius, as
his own "Khizr"who had tremendousinfluenceover him both in the content
of his thought,and the styleof his expression of that thought.51In fact, the

48
Muhammad Iqbal, "Dar Haq?qat-i Shi'r wa Isl?h-iAdbiyy?t Isl?miyyah,, inAsr?r-iKhudi in
Kulliyy?t Iqb?l: F?rsi, 35.
49
Nicholson, The Secretsof theSelf 62ff.
50 "
Muhammad Iqbal, 'Aql-?Dil" inKulliyy?t Iqb?l: Urdu, 41.
51
M. M. Sharif,About Iqbal and hisThought (Lahore: Instituteof IslamicCulture, 1964).

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 IRFAN A. OMAR
50

Khidr in Iqbal's famous poem, "Khizr-iRah" is symbolized by none other

than R?m?.52

52
Schimmel, Gabriel's Wing, 264, 357. Professor Schimmel reports that in recognition of the
spiritual connection Iqbal had toRumi, theTurks have carved out a 'maqam* for Iqbal in the
garden adjacent to themausoleum ofMawlana Rumi inKonya. See herDeciphering theSigns of
God, 55.

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