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Categories: 1877 births | 1938 deaths | Literature of Pakistan | Pakistani culture | Pakistani people | Urdu poets | Pakistani poets | Indian poets Muhammad Iqbal(Redirected from Mohammad Iqbal)
Family BackgroundThere is some controversy regarding the migration of his grandfather from Kashmir. Iqbal's grandfather Shaikh Rafiq, was a Kashmiri Pandit named Sahaj Ram Sapru before his conversion to Islam and was a revenue collector. Iqbal's father Shaikh Nur Muhammad was a tailor whose handiwork was quite well known in Sialkot. But it was his devotion to Islam, especially its mystical aspects, that 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. For a detailed treatement of various theories regarding Iqbal's family background see Theories on Muhammad Iqbal's Family Background. Youth
It was also in 1892 that Iqbal was married to Karim Bibi, the daughter of an effluent Gujarati physician. They separated in 1916, but Iqbal provided financial support to Karim Bibi until he died. The couple had three children. In 1885, 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, graudating 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 among 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 , an erudite 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. One influence on him was Sir Sayed Ahmad Khan. Another influence, in his life and his family, it is some times shamelessly propagated, was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian, the founder of the Ahmadiyyah sect/movement, though the subject is controversial. Iqbal's brother Shaikh Ata Muhammad joined the Ahmadiyya Movement of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad first, and Iqbal made his pledge in 1897 though he seemed to have opposed the movement in his later years. Iqbal in Europe
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 from Europe in 1908, Iqbal embarked on a career in law, academics and poetry, all at once. 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 academician 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 fulltime 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 brilliant 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 wide margin of 3,177 votes. 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 Britain and met various scholars and politicians, including the French philosopher Henri Louis Bergson and the Italian dictator Mussolini. A visit to Spain inspired three beautiful poems, which were later incorporated into a major composition, Bal-I Jibril (Gabriel's Wing).
InfluencesAmongst the Western Thinkers, Iqbal was deeply impressed by Nietzsche. Some people have criticized Iqbal 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. Iqbal wrote Payam-i-Mashriq (The Message of the East) as a reply to Goethe's West-östlicher Diwan. Iqbal praised Goethe in the same book and considered him to a poet of the first rank. Amongst the Eastern thinker's Iqbal was influenced by Moulana Rumi, whom he called his spiritual guide. Iqbal's also admired Mirza Ghalib's poetic style. Major Works of Iqbal
Later Years and DeathAfter returning from a trip to Afghanistan in 1933, Iqbal's health deteriorated. But his religious and political ideas were gaining wide acceptance and his popularity was at its peak. One of the last great things he did was to establish the Adarah Darul Islam, an institution where studies in classical Islam and contemporary social science would be subsidized. 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,
In the East, Love is the basis of life. Iqbal died on April 12, 1938 in Lahore, India (in what after 1947 became a part of (Pakistan). He is buried 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.
Legacy of IqbalIqbal 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 be 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 lectures Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam are banned in Saudi Arabia. Iqbal also wanted to write a book, "The Book of a Lost Prophet, similar in style to Nietzsche's Also sprach Zarathustra. However he died before he could start this project. His books have translated into Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Czech, Russian and other languages. Allama Iqbal International Airport (formerly Lahore International Airport) was recently renamed for him).
Quotes on Iqbal
External linksWorks
Institutions and websites on IqbalOn Iqbal
Family history, etc.Sources
Categories: 1877 births | 1938 deaths | Literature of Pakistan | Pakistani culture | Pakistani people | Urdu poets | Pakistani poets | Indian poets The contents of this article are licensed from Wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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