Sir 

Doctor Allama Muhammad

Iqbal (November 9, 1877 – April 21, 1938)
was a Muslim poet and philosopher who
was born in Sialkot town, in British
India (which is now in Pakistan). He
became the national poet of Pakistan. He is
also known as the poet of East. He wrote
poetry in Urdu and Persian. His poetry is
considered to be revolutionary. [1] His vision
of an independent state for the Muslims of
British India was a starting point for the
creation of Pakistan. He is commonly
referred to as Dr Allama Iqbal.
1.Origins[change | change source]
Allama was born as Muhammad Iqbal, in
Sialkot, Punjab, then British India, on 9th
November 1877. His family migrated long
before, from Kashmir to Sialkot. His father
was Sheikh Noor Muhammad and his
mother was Imam Bibi, who worked in a
small government job but later started his
own business. Both Allama Iqbal's mother
and father were very pious and religious-
minded people and devoted to a simple life.
They had six children, two sons, Ata
Muhammad and Muhammad Iqbal and four
daughters.
After early Islamic education and then
secondary at a small school in Sialkot, Iqbal
was admitted to the Scottish Murray
College, Sialkot, where he topped the
higher secondary examinations and got a
scholarship to study at the famous
Government College, Lahore, for BA. On
going to live in the hostel there, Iqbal met
Professor Arnold, an English teacher who
taught many things to Iqbal and guided him
in his studies of philosophy and literature.
2.Early career[change | change source]
At this time, Iqbal also became well known
as a new poet and writer. He used to go to
attend a 'Mushaira' at the haveli of Hakim
Syed Aminuddin, in BhaatiGate area of Old
Lahore city—here, he met many famous
poets and writers and also began to write
good poems which became very popular.
He was guided by Mirza Dagh, Mirza
Gurgani, Hakim Amin uddin, Hakim Shuja
uddin and Sir Abdul Qadir. His first famous
poem, Koh i Himala was also printed in
Makhzan magazine, owned by Hakim Shuja
uddin and Sir Abdul Qadir
After doing his BA and MA from
Government College, Lahore, Iqbal was
appointed a professor at this same
institution and after some time, in 1905, he
was selected for higher studies in England
and Europe. He went and studied in
Cambridge University and then also law
at University of London, and then he went
to Munich, Germany, where he took a PHD
degree. After all his study, Iqbal decided to
go back and teach and also practice law in
India.
3.Later career, poetic and ideological
work[change | change source]
Although faced by many difficulties, Iqbal
followed this plan. He taught some senior
classes at Government College and also
practiced Law at Lahore High Court. At the
same time, he wrote many famous poems
such as Asrar i Khudi, Ramuz i
Bekhudi, Payam i Mashriq, Zabur i
Ajam, Bang i Dara, Bal i Jibrail, Zarb i
Kalim and etc. Because of his learning and
knowledge, people soon began to call him
'Allama' Iqbal and in 1922, King George V
of Britain, made him a knight, giving him the
title of Allama 'Sir' Muhammad Iqbal.He
was awarded 5 awards
4.Ideological work[change | change source]
Allama Iqbal was a poet and a
philosopher, he was always concerned
about the thoughts and ideas and
condition of Muslims everywhere, but
specially Indian Muslims who were
under British Rule and also threatened
by Hindu majority population. Iqbal
believed strongly in Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's
earlier idea about 'Two Nation theory' that
Muslims and Hindus were two separate
nations and should be allowed to live
separately. He put forward this idea again
in his famous Allahabad Address of Muslim
League, in 1930,[2] and also preached
this in his poems and lectures. Allama's
words and ideas inspired many
Muslims, some of whom became
leaders of the Muslim League, and
struggled to obtain Pakistan later on. He
was very popular amongst the Muslim
masses too.
5.Death[change | change source]
Allama Iqbal died in Lahore, on 21st
April 1938, and is buried near the
Badshahi Mosque in Lahore. His
message and ideas lived on. Under the
leadership of Quaid i Azam Muhammad
Ali Jinnah, Pakistan became separate
from India in August 1947 by
the partition of India.