Allama Muhammad Iqbal: From

Indian Nationalist to Muslim

Nationalist.
Introduction:
Before visiting Europe in 1905, he was a staunch Indian
Nationalist.
He considered India superior to the rest of the world.
Cont..
He was against communal clashes. He said, “No religion
preaches hatred and that everybody living in this country
is Indian and India is his land”.
 Paradigm Change: From Indian
Nationalist to Muslim Nationalist:
When he visited Europe (1905-1908), he found that
nationalism was against the basic principles of Islam.
He came to know that Nationalism is dividing the
Muslims.
 Allama Muhammad Iqbal as a
Hardcore Muslim:
He wrote a book, “The Reconstruction of Religious
Thought in Islam” in 1930.
 Main Theme:
Islam can salvage the Muslims.
Islam has always saved Muslims.
Islam is a living and dynamic ideology that can meet
modern challenges.
Islam help to overcome internal discord and enable the
person to meet external challenges.
With spiritualism based derived from Islam Ijtehad and
Reinterpretation.
Allahabad Address (1930):
 Propounded idea of separate state for the Muslims of the
subcontinent.
 While addressing annual session of Muslim League at
Allahabad, Allama Muhammad Iqbal said:
 “I would like to see the Punjab, NWFP, Sindh, Balochistan
amalgamated into a single state as a self government within the
British empire or without. This is final destiny of the Muslims
of North-West India”.
 Important Points of Allahabad
Address:
 Islam had given its followers a creed which united Muslims of the
subcontinent into a single nation
 Islam was the prime and decisive factor in the life of Indian Muslims
 He defined the Muslims of India as a nation and emphasized that
there could be no possibility of peace in India without recognizing
them as one
 There were many nations in the land, every nation was distinguished
from the other in their customs, traditions and religion
 The difference in the mind, difference in thoughts and religion
furthermore, difference in the customs and tradition make them
unable to live together
 Two-Nation Theory in the Light of
Speeches of Allama Muhammad
Iqbal:
“India is not a country, it is a sub-continent of human
beings belonging to different languages and practicing
different religions. Muslim nation has its own religious
and cultural identity.”
‘Despite living for 1000 years, Hindus and Muslims have
their own ideologies’
There should be separate independent parliaments for both
nations.
Cont..
 “Western concept of nationalism is based on race and ethnicity,
while Islamic concept of nationalism is based on religion.
Therefore, all Muslims constitute one single nation”.