Remembering/Rediscovering Allama Iqbal

[Momo]

It's curious how few Pakistanis know the work of Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal. Of course we all know a bit about him (thanks to our text-books, and some pretty harmless* couplets of his as displayed on our TV screens), but very few amongst us realize his stature as a poet/philosopher/islamic nationalist/aashiq-e-rasool/islamic traditionalist.

Which is a pity, because we Pakistanis have had so few people like that in the last 100 years.

True, Iqbal is considered to be a bit of an enigma, and a controversial figure (the traditionalists accusing him of being too liberal and modern, whereas the liberal complaining about his traditionalist thoughts). I don't feel myself qualified to address that issue; will let the readers of this thread to decide for themselves.

And then there is the complaint against him of saying so much and doing absolutely nothing, which I feel is a bit unfair because he himself - being the humble person he was - conceded that he was only a guftaar ka ghaazi (a warrior of words). Again, saying and writing stuff like he did can hardly be dismissed as lack of action.

In this endeavour to rediscover/remember Iqbal, I intend to post some of his work, as well as some interesting (and surprising) episodes from his life (inshaallah); input from PPers will be welcome.

* The dangerous 'socialist' part of his message (that threatened status quo) e.g. "jis khet se dehkaan ko muyassar na ho rozi -- us khet ke har khosha e gandam ko jala de" conveniently never flashed accross any TV screen in Pakistan of course. This thread is one way of correcting the effects of that kind of selective transmission.

 

[Mohsin]

Great thread Momo!

Probably one of his best known:
[UTUBE]yvBd_F-Fn3w[/UTUBE]

 

[Momo]

I will start with "jawab-e-shikwa", written in 1912.

The video clips and the translation (of course nothing to do with Iqbal; not my work either) are not perfect, but on the whole they are reasonably good. Of course for those who understand urdu, translation doesn't come into the picture that much any way.

Part 1:
[utube]DJ5zOjxbKWM&feature=related[/utube]

Part 2:
[utube]U7WXREb6u8Q&feature=related[/utube]

Part 3:
[utube]K8SLE65uvxU&feature=related[/utube]

 

[KB]

Iqbal - whose individuality was never extinguished - in many of his poems addressed God in bold manner. Many Muslims reading some of those poems for the first time would be uneasy with his audacious approach.

But what the poems, where he has a conversation with God, demonstrate is that for Iqbal, it was possible to have a dialogue with God, to vent frustrations, to ask questions, without overstepping the mark. In other words obedience to God does not preclude inquiries, thoughts and observations.

 

[AS GOOD AS IT GETS]

good work momo, keep it up

 

[Momo]

Iqbal - whose individuality was never extinguished - in many of his poems addressed God in bold manner. Many Muslims reading some of those poems for the first time would be uneasy with his audacious approach.

But what the poems, where he has a conversation with God, demonstrate is that for Iqbal, it was possible to have a dialogue with God, to vent frustrations, to ask questions, without overstepping the mark. In other words obedience to God does not preclude inquiries, thoughts and observations.

Yes.

And he was never disobedient to God. And he is one of the biggest lovers of Rasool Allah known (as is evident in his poems as well as instances from his life -- more about which, later).

 

[KB]

It may also be useful to provide a 'skeleton sketch' on Muhammad Iqbal - Pakistan's 'spiritual father'.

His was, after all, an extraordinary life.

He obtained a BA (English, Philosophy and Arabic) in 1897 from Government College, Lahore; a MA from the same institution in 1899 in Philosophy. He enrolled as a student of law at Lincoln's Inn in London and was admitted to the bar in 1908. In 1907 he obtained a BA in Cambridge and in 1907 Munich University awarded him a PhD on his theses on the development of metaphysics in Persia.

He wrote poetry in Urdu and Persian. His 1934 publication, entitled The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam remains to this day one of the most important works of philosophy on Islam.

He represented India's Muslims at London Round Table Conferences and the World Islamic Congress in the early 1930s. He was elected in 1926 to the Punjab Legislative Council.

In the 1930s he would become an influential figure for the Muslim League, delivering the famous 1930 Presidential address at Allahabad at the annual All-India Muslim League meeting. During the 1930s he advocated a homeland for India's Muslims and become an important influence on Muhammad Ali Jinnah, famously, saying in a letter to the Quaid in June 1937, "you are the only Muslim in India today to whom the community has a right to look up for safe guidance through the storm which is coming."

On the day Iqbal died, Jinnah said, “To me he was a personal friend, philosopher and guide and as such the main source of my inspiration and spiritual support.”

 

[MIG]

When I was a student in Aitchison, Allama Iqbals grandson once narrated a story about how he was saved by an alibi provided by a friend after the murder of a courtesan in heera mandi ! Apparently the Allama had been visiting this lady and she was killed in some argument - he escaped from a open window.... I wouldnt have believed it if it wasnt his grandson narrating it. His point was that my Grandfather wasnt a saint.

Wallaho Aalim.

 

[Momo]

^^
MIG, unsubstantiated stories like these (which may very well be true) have no place on forums like these, because not only are they slanderous, they don't add to the thread in any way.

As for the grandson thing, you will be surprised what goes on in families (again I am not saying that he was telling a lie, just that it can't bebelieved just because he said it). What is the name of this grandson?

As for the saint thing, of course he was no saint, but who is claiming he was?

 

[MIG]

Oi Mujhay aap sabaq sikha rahain kiya?

I told you that it was a story related by his grandson in an assembly meeting - dont remember his name but he was known to all, teachers and students as such.

Nothing slanderous here if its true.

 

[MIG]

^^
MIG, unsubstantiated stories like these (which may very well be true) have no place on forums like these, because not only are they slanderous, they don't add to the thread in any way.

As for the grandson thing, you will be surprised what goes on in families (again I am not saying that he was telling a lie, just that it can't bebelieved just because he said it). What is the name of this grandson?

As for the saint thing, of course he was no saint, but who is claiming he was?

Really? he is known as Hadrat Allama Iqbal.

he was a philosopher beyond par - he is the same league as Quaid but not an example of a good Muslim.

 

[Zeenix]

When I was a student in Aitchison, Allama Iqbals grandson once narrated a story about how he was saved by an alibi provided by a friend after the murder of a courtesan in heera mandi ! Apparently the Allama had been visiting this lady and she was killed in some argument - he escaped from a open window.... I wouldnt have believed it if it wasnt his grandson narrating it. His point was that my Grandfather wasnt a saint.

Wallaho Aalim.

Like all people, Iqbal went through different stages. Iqbal the socialist, Iqbal the philosopher, Iqbal the socialist, Iqbal the Spiritual reformer. So indeed he went through these phases of life. However he never stuck to one phase and moved on and his poetry reflects the stages that he went through. It is thus imperative that we analyze Iqbal's poetry and life according to the different phases that he went through. From Iqbal the socialist to Iqbal the mystic, the nationalist Iqbal and finally the reformist, Iqbal went through a big transition.

However his contribution as a reformer and his contribution to the Urdu (and Persian) Language is phenomenal. The dimensions of Urdu poetry which typically revolved around a single subject, was totally changed by Iqbal. He successfully used Poetry as a tool for reformation.

 

[Zeenix]

As for the saint thing, of course he was no saint, but who is claiming he was?

Have you studied Iqbal???

 

[Zeenix]

he was a philosopher beyond par - he is the same league as Quaid but not an example of a good Muslim.

He was miles ahead of Quaid. Infact there is no comparison between the two.

 

[Momo]

Oi Mujhay aap sabaq sikha rahain kiya?

Aap ko kaun sabaq parha sakta hai, nauzubillah?

 

[Momo]

Really? he is known as Hadrat Allama Iqbal.

Really? Who referred to him as that on this thread? And even if somebody calls him hazrat, what does it mean? (That he is a great example of a muslim?)

How well do you know urdu, MIG? Do you know what hazrat means? It means gentleman. When we say 'Khawateen of hazraat', it means 'ladies and gentlemen' (hazraat=plural of hazrat). Even you and I are hazrat (actually hazraat), no matter how high (or low) we may score on the good muslim scale.

he was a philosopher beyond par - he is the same league as Quaid but not an example of a good Muslim.

Wow. This is a gem. ) I have heard some funny things this week from the lips of Sarah Palin but this one takes the cake.

You are either trying to be jocular, or else you don't know what you are talking about here. One of the two.

 

[mamoo gogo]

Is it true that during a small period of time he was of the Qadianiyas?

 

[Momo]

Have you studied Iqbal???

I have studied the urdu part of his poetry. Don't understand everything of course.

 

[Momo]

Is it true that during a small period of time he was of the Qadianiyas?

This thread has well and truly been hijacked now. So much for a discussion on his work/message.

 

[MIG]

Really? Who referred to him as that on this thread? And even if somebody calls him hazrat, what does it mean? (That he is a great example of a muslim?)

How well do you know urdu, MIG? Do you know what hazrat means? It means gentleman. When we say 'Khawateen of hazraat', it means 'ladies and gentlemen' (hazraat=plural of hazrat). Even you and I are hazrat (actually hazraat), no matter how high (or low) we may score on the good muslim scale.


Wow. This is a gem. ) I have heard some funny things this week from the lips of Sarah Palin but this one takes the cake.

You are either trying to be jocular, or else you don't know what you are talking about here. One of the two.

You know Momo Mian - for someone relatively new to PP, you seem to have a lot to say - I will ignore your personal attack as a mistake and let it be...

As for use of Hazrat, you may not have noticed but in Pakistan - we refer to many people as Hazrats - including our prophets.

 

[AS GOOD AS IT GETS]

I think MIG did not mean any thing wrong or slanderous from reading it he was just sharing his experience so lets keep revert back to the subject to kep in positive and constructive

 

[Momo]

If you took anything as personal, I apologize, because it was not intended at all. You may delete any portion you feel was over the top. As for my being a new member, I don't think that has any relevence. These kinds of exchanges take place all the time on PP (even more pointed ones) and nothing happens (as long as no indecent words are used), and you know it. That I have been warned has more to do with your being a MOD, than my being a relative newcomer. And you know this too.

Once again, I apologize if anything I said felt like personal to you, because it was unintentional.

Coming back to the point though, yes some of us use the prefix hazrat with the names of Prophets and Sahaba, but that word alone does not make anybody a good muslim.

 

[MIG]

Momo - pls stop this pseudo intellectual nonsense.

Quoting Hadees to call me a liar is also not right and dont think I am a fool not to realize what you mean.

I stated what I heard with my own ears from his grandson.

This story is also well known to many Lahorites so nothing new - if you have heard this the first time, thats your problem

You started this thread to praise Allama Iqbal - I suggest you continue with it.

 

[Momo]

Thank you.

 

[AS GOOD AS IT GETS]

how about shiekh momo? is sheikh not usually associated with a someone of significant religious stature, ineed perhaps a well qualified religious figure in many quarters or is it just me being uneducated on this matter.

 

[Momo]

^^
It's not that Sheikh (associated with religious stature). It's his family name (caste). If you want to bestow it on Iqbal, you will have to call him Sheikh Sheikh Muhammad Iqbal.

 

[TAK]

شکوہ

کيوں زياں کار بنوں ، سود فراموش رہوں
فکر فردا نہ کروں محو غم دوش رہوں
نالے بلبل کے سنوں اور ہمہ تن گوش رہوں
ہم نوا ميں بھي کوئي گل ہوں کہ خاموش رہوں
جرات آموز مري تاب سخن ہے مجھ کو
شکوہ اللہ سے ، خاکم بدہن ، ہے مجھ کو

ہے بجا شيوہء تسليم ميں مشہور ہيں ہم
قصہ درد سناتے ہيں کہ مجبور ہيں ہم
ساز خاموش ہيں ، فرياد سے معمور ہيں ہم
نالہ آتا ہے اگر لب پہ تو معذور ہيں ہم
اے خدا! شکوہء ارباب وفا بھي سن لے
خوگر حمد سے تھوڑا سا گلا بھي سن لے

تھي تو موجود ازل سے ہي تري ذات قديم
پھول تھا زيب چمن پر نہ پريشاں تھي شميم
شرط انصاف ہے اے صاحب الطاف عميم
بوئے گل پھيلتي کس طرح جو ہوتي نہ نسيم
ہم کو جمعيت خاطر يہ پريشاني تھي
ورنہ امت ترے محبوب کي ديواني تھي؟

ہم سے پہلے تھا عجب تيرے جہاں کا منظر
کہيں مسجود تھے پتھر ، کہيں معبود شجر
خوگر پيکر محسوس تھي انساں کي نظر
مانتا پھر کوئي ان ديکھے خدا کو کيونکر
تجھ کو معلوم ہے ، ليتا تھا کوئي نام ترا؟
قوت بازوئے مسلم نے کيا کام ترا

بس رہے تھے يہيں سلجوق بھي، توراني بھي
اہل چيں چين ميں ، ايران ميں ساساني بھي
اسي معمورے ميں آباد تھے يوناني بھي
اسي دنيا ميں يہودي بھي تھے ، نصراني بھي
پر ترے نام پہ تلوار اٹھائي کس نے
بات جو بگڑي ہوئي تھي ، وہ بنائي کس نے

تھے ہميں ايک ترے معرکہ آراؤں ميں
خشکيوں ميں کبھي لڑتے ، کبھي درياؤں ميں
ديں اذانيں کبھي يورپ کے کليساؤں ميں
کبھي افريقہ کے تپتے ہوئے صحراؤں ميں
شان آنکھوں ميں نہ جچتي تھي جہاں داروں کي
کلمہ پڑھتے تھے ہم چھاؤں ميں تلواروں کي

ہم جو جيتے تھے تو جنگوں کے مصيبت کے ليے
اور مرتے تھے ترے نام کي عظمت کے ليے
تھي نہ کچھ تيغ زني اپني حکومت کے ليے
سربکف پھرتے تھے کيا دہر ميں دولت کے ليے؟
قوم اپني جو زر و مال جہاں پر مرتي
بت فروشي کے عوض بت شکني کيوں کرتي!

ٹل نہ سکتے تھے اگر جنگ ميں اڑ جاتے تھے
پاؤں شيروں کے بھي ميداں سے اکھڑ جاتے تھے
تجھ سے سرکش ہوا کوئي تو بگڑ جاتے تھے
تيغ کيا چيز ہے ، ہم توپ سے لڑ جاتے تھے
نقش توحيد کا ہر دل پہ بٹھايا ہم نے
زير خنجر بھي يہ پيغام سنايا ہم نے

تو ہي کہہ دے کہ اکھاڑا در خيبر کس نے
شہر قيصر کا جو تھا ، اس کو کيا سر کس نے
توڑے مخلوق خداوندوں کے پيکر کس نے
کاٹ کر رکھ ديے کفار کے لشکر کس نے
کس نے ٹھنڈا کيا آتشکدہ ايراں کو؟
کس نے پھر زندہ کيا تذکرہ يزداں کو؟

کون سي قوم فقط تيري طلب گار ہوئي
اور تيرے ليے زحمت کش پيکار ہوئي
کس کي شمشير جہاں گير ، جہاں دار ہوئي
کس کي تکبير سے دنيا تري بيدار ہوئي
کس کي ہيبت سے صنم سہمے ہوئے رہتے تھے
منہ کے بل گر کے 'ھو اللہ احد' کہتے تھے

آ گيا عين لڑائي ميں اگر وقت نماز
قبلہ رو ہو کے زميں بوس ہوئي قوم حجاز
ايک ہي صف ميں کھڑے ہو گئے محمود و اياز
نہ کوئي بندہ رہا اور نہ کوئي بندہ نواز
بندہ و صاحب و محتاج و غني ايک ہوئے
تيري سرکار ميں پہنچے تو سبھي ايک ہوئے

محفل کون و مکاں ميں سحر و شام پھرے
مے توحيد کو لے کر صفت جام پھرے
کوہ ميں ، دشت ميں لے کر ترا پيغام پھرے
اور معلوم ہے تجھ کو ، کبھي ناکام پھرے!
دشت تو دشت ہيں ، دريا بھي نہ چھوڑے ہم نے
بحر ظلمات ميں دوڑا ديے گھوڑے ہم نے

صفحہ دہر سے باطل کو مٹايا ہم نے
نوع انساں کو غلامي سے چھڑايا ہم نے
تيرے کعبے کو جبينوں سے بسايا ہم نے
تيرے قرآن کو سينوں سے لگايا ہم نے
پھر بھي ہم سے يہ گلہ ہے کہ وفادار نہيں
ہم وفادار نہيں ، تو بھي تو دلدار نہيں!

امتيں اور بھي ہيں ، ان ميں گنہ گار بھي ہيں
عجز والے بھي ہيں ، مست مےء پندار بھي ہيں
ان ميں کاہل بھي ہيں، غافل بھي ہيں، ہشيار بھي ہيں
سينکڑوں ہيں کہ ترے نام سے بيزار بھي ہيں
رحمتيں ہيں تري اغيار کے کاشانوں پر
برق گرتي ہے تو بيچارے مسلمانوں پر

بت صنم خانوں ميں کہتے ہيں ، مسلمان گئے
ہے خوشي ان کو کہ کعبے کے نگہبان گئے
منزل دہر سے اونٹوں کے حدي خوان گئے
اپني بغلوں ميں دبائے ہوئے قرآن گئے
خندہ زن کفر ہے ، احساس تجھے ہے کہ نہيں
اپني توحيد کا کچھ پاس تجھے ہے کہ نہيں

يہ شکايت نہيں ، ہيں ان کے خزانے معمور
نہيں محفل ميں جنھيں بات بھي کرنے کا شعور
قہر تو يہ ہے کہ کافر کو مليں حور و قصور
اور بيچارے مسلماں کو فقط وعدہ حور
اب وہ الطاف نہيں ، ہم پہ عنايات نہيں
بات يہ کيا ہے کہ پہلي سي مدارات نہيں

کيوں مسلمانوں ميں ہے دولت دنيا ناياب
تيري قدرت تو ہے وہ جس کي نہ حد ہے نہ حساب
تو جو چاہے تو اٹھے سينہء صحرا سے حباب
رہرو دشت ہو سيلي زدہء موج سراب
طعن اغيار ہے ، رسوائي ہے ، ناداري ہے
کيا ترے نام پہ مرنے کا عوض خواري ہے؟

بني اغيار کي اب چاہنے والي دنيا
رہ گئي اپنے ليے ايک خيالي دنيا
ہم تو رخصت ہوئے ، اوروں نے سنبھالي دنيا
پھر نہ کہنا ہوئي توحيد سے خالي دنيا
ہم تو جيتے ہيں کہ دنيا ميں ترا نام رہے
کہيں ممکن ہے کہ ساقي نہ رہے ، جام رہے!

تيري محفل بھي گئي ، چاہنے والے بھي گئے
شب کے آہيں بھي گئيں ، صبح کے نالے بھي گئے
دل تجھے دے بھي گئے ، اپنا صلا لے بھي گئے
آ کے بيٹھے بھي نہ تھے اور نکالے بھي گئے
آئے عشاق ، گئے وعدہء فردا لے کر
اب انھيں ڈھونڈ چراغ رخ زيبا لے کر

درد ليلي بھي وہي ، قيس کا پہلو بھي وہي
نجد کے دشت و جبل ميں رم آہو بھي وہي
عشق کا دل بھي وہي ، حسن کا جادو بھي وہي
امت احمد مرسل بھي وہي ، تو بھي وہي
پھر يہ آزردگي غير سبب کيا معني
اپنے شيداؤں پہ يہ چشم غضب کيا معني

تجھ کو چھوڑا کہ رسول عربي کو چھوڑا؟
بت گري پيشہ کيا ، بت شکني کو چھوڑا؟
عشق کو ، عشق کي آشفتہ سري کو چھوڑا؟
رسم سلمان و اويس قرني کو چھوڑا؟
آگ تکبير کي سينوں ميں دبي رکھتے ہيں
زندگي مثل بلال حبشي رکھتے ہيں

عشق کي خير وہ پہلي سي ادا بھي نہ سہي
جادہ پيمائي تسليم و رضا بھي نہ سہي
مضطرب دل صفت قبلہ نما بھي نہ سہي
اور پابندي آئين وفا بھي نہ سہي
کبھي ہم سے ، کبھي غيروں سے شناسائي ہے
بات کہنے کي نہيں ، تو بھي تو ہرجائي ہے !

سر فاراں پہ کيا دين کو کامل تو نے
اک اشارے ميں ہزاروں کے ليے دل تو نے
آتش اندوز کيا عشق کا حاصل تو نے
پھونک دي گرمي رخسار سے محفل تو نے
آج کيوں سينے ہمارے شرر آباد نہيں
ہم وہي سوختہ ساماں ہيں ، تجھے ياد نہيں؟

وادي نجد ميں وہ شور سلاسل نہ رہا
قيس ديوانہ نظارہ محمل نہ رہا
حوصلے وہ نہ رہے ، ہم نہ رہے ، دل نہ رہا
گھر يہ اجڑا ہے کہ تو رونق محفل نہ رہا
اے خوش آں روز کہ آئي و بصد ناز آئي
بے حجابانہ سوئے محفل ما باز آئي

بادہ کش غير ہيں گلشن ميں لب جو بيٹھے
سنتے ہيں جام بکف نغمہ کو کو بيٹھے
دور ہنگامہ گلزار سے يک سو بيٹھے
تيرے ديوانے بھي ہيں منتظر 'ھو' بيٹھے
اپنے پروانوں کو پھر ذوق خود افروزي دے
برق ديرينہ کو فرمان جگر سوزي دے

قوم آوارہ عناں تاب ہے پھر سوئے حجاز
لے اڑا بلبل بے پر کو مذاق پرواز
مضطرب باغ کے ہر غنچے ميں ہے بوئے نياز
تو ذرا چھيڑ تو دے، تشنہء مضراب ہے ساز
نغمے بے تاب ہيں تاروں سے نکلنے کے ليے
طور مضطر ہے اسي آگ ميں جلنے کے ليے

مشکليں امت مرحوم کي آساں کر دے
مور بے مايہ کو ہمدوش سليماں کر دے
جنس ناياب محبت کو پھر ارزاں کر دے
ہند کے دير نشينوں کو مسلماں کر دے
جوئے خوں مي چکد از حسرت ديرينہء ما
مي تپد نالہ بہ نشتر کدہ سينہ ما

بوئے گل لے گئي بيرون چمن راز چمن
کيا قيامت ہے کہ خود پھول ہيں غماز چمن !
عہد گل ختم ہوا ٹوٹ گيا ساز چمن
اڑ گئے ڈاليوں سے زمزمہ پرواز چمن
ايک بلبل ہے کہ ہے محو ترنم اب تک
اس کے سينے ميں ہے نغموں کا تلاطم اب تک

قمرياں شاخ صنوبر سے گريزاں بھي ہوئيں
پےتاں پھول کي جھڑ جھڑ کے پريشاں بھي ہوئيں
وہ پراني روشيں باغ کي ويراں بھي ہوئيں
ڈالياں پيرہن برگ سے عرياں بھي ہوئيں
قيد موسم سے طبيعت رہي آزاد اس کي
کاش گلشن ميں سمجھتا کوئي فرياد اس کي!

لطف مرنے ميں ہے باقي ، نہ مزا جينے ميں
کچھ مزا ہے تو يہي خون جگر پينے ميں
کتنے بے تاب ہيں جوہر مرے آئينے ميں
کس قدر جلوے تڑپتے ہيں مرے سينے ميں
اس گلستاں ميں مگر ديکھنے والے ہي نہيں
داغ جو سينے ميں رکھتے ہوں ، وہ لالے ہي نہيں

چاک اس بلبل تنہا کي نوا سے دل ہوں
جاگنے والے اسي بانگ درا سے دل ہوں
يعني پھر زندہ نئے عہد وفا سے دل ہوں
پھر اسي بادہء ديرينہ کے پياسے دل ہوں
عجمي خم ہے تو کيا ، مے تو حجازي ہے مري
نغمہ ہندي ہے تو کيا ، لے تو حجازي ہے مري!

 

[TAK]

جواب شکوہ

دل سے جو بات نکلتي ہے اثر رکھتي ہے
پر نہيں' طاقت پرواز مگر رکھتي ہے
قدسي الاصل ہے' رفعت پہ نظر رکھتي ہے
خاک سے اٹھتي ہے ، گردوں پہ گزر رکھتي ہے
عشق تھا فتنہ گرو سرکش و چالاک مرا
آسماں چير گيا نالہ بے باک مرا

پير گردوں نے کہا سن کے' کہيں ہے کوئي
بولے سيارے' سر عرش بريں ہے کوئي
چاند کہتا تھا' نہيں! اہل زميں ہے کوئي
کہکشاں کہتي تھي' پوشيدہ يہيں ہے کوئي
کچھ جو سمجھا مرے شکوے کو تو رضواں سمجھا
مجھے جنت سے نکالا ہوا انساں سمجھا

تھي فرشتوں کو بھي حيرت کہ يہ آواز ہے کيا
عرش والوں پہ بھي کھلتا نہيں يہ راز ہے کيا!
تا سر عرش بھي انساں کي تگ و تاز ہے کيا!
آگئي خاک کي چٹکي کو بھي پرواز ہے کيا!
غافل آداب سے سکان زميں کيسے ہيں
شوخ و گستاخ يہ پستي کے مکيں کيسے ہيں!

اس قدر شوخ کہ اللہ سے بھي برہم ہے
تھا جو مسجود ملائک' يہ وہي آدم ہے!
عالم کيف ہے' دانائے رموز کم ہے
ہاں مگر عجز کے اسرار سے نامحرم ہے
ناز ہے طاقت گفتار پہ انسانوں کو
بات کرنے کا سليقہ نہيں نادانوں کو

آئي آواز' غم انگيز ہے افسانہ ترا
اشک بے تاب سے لبريز ہے پيمانہ ترا
آسماں گير ہوا نعرئہ مستانہ ترا
کس قدر شوخ زباں ہے دل ديوانہ ترا
شکر شکوے کو کيا حسن ادا سے تو نے
ہم سخن کر ديا بندوں کو خدا سے تو نے

ہم تو مائل بہ کرم ہيں' کوئي سائل ہي نہيں
راہ دکھلائيں کسے' رہرو منزل ہي نہيں
تربيت عام تو ہے' جوہر قابل ہي نہيں
جس سے تعمير ہو آدم کي' يہ وہ گل ہي نہيں
کوئي قابل ہو تو ہم شان کئي ديتے ہيں
ڈھونڈنے والوں کو دنيا بھي نئي ديتے ہيں

ہاتھ بے زور ہيں' الحاد سے دل خوگر ہيں
امتي باعث رسوائي پيغمبر ہيں
بت شکن اٹھ گئے' باقي جو رہے بت گر ہيں
تھا براہيم پدر اور پسر آزر ہيں
بادہ آشام نئے ، بادہ نيا' خم بھي نئے
حرم کعبہ نيا' بت بھي نئے' تم بھي نئے

وہ بھي دن تھے کہ يہي مايہ رعنائي تھا
نازش موسم گل لالہ صحرائي تھا
جو مسلمان تھا اللہ کا سودائي تھا
کبھي محبوب تمھارا يہي ہرجائي تھا
کسي يکجائي سے اب عہد غلامي کر لو
ملت احمد مرسل کو مقامي کر لو!

کس قدر تم پہ گراں صبح کي بيداري ہے
ہم سے کب پيار ہے! ہاں نيند تمھيں پياري ہے
طبع آزاد پہ قيد رمضاں بھاري ہے
تمھيں کہہ دو يہي آئين و فاداري ہے؟
قوم مذہب سے ہے' مذہب جو نہيں' تم بھي نہيں
جذب باہم جو نہيں' محفل انجم بھي نہيں

جن کو آتا نہيں دنيا ميں کوئي فن' تم ہو
نہيں جس قوم کو پروائے نشيمن، تم ہو
بجلياں جس ميں ہوں آسودہ وہ خرمن تم ہو
بيچ کھاتے ہيں جو اسلاف کے مدفن، تم ہو
ہو نکو نام جو قبروں کي تجارت کرکے
کيا نہ بيچو گے جو مل جائيں صنم پتھر کے

صفحہ دہر سے باطل کو مٹايا کس نے؟
نوع انساں کو غلامي سے چھڑايا کس نے؟
ميرے کعبے کو جبينوں سے بسايا کس نے؟
ميرے قرآن کو سينوں سے لگايا کس نے؟
تھے تو آبا وہ تمھارے ہي مگر تم کيا ہو
ہاتھ پر ہاتھ دھرے منتظر فردا ہو!

کيا کہا ! بہر مسلماں ہے فقط وعدہ حور
شکوہ بے جا بھي کرے کوئي تو لازم ہے شعور
عدل ہے فاطر ہستي کا ازل سے دستور
مسلم آئيں ہوا کافر تو ملے حور و قصور
تم ميں حوروں کا کوئي چاہنے والا ہي نہيں
جلوئہ طور تو موجود ہے' موسي ہي نہيں

منفعت ايک ہے اس قوم کي نقصان بھي ايک
ايک ہي سب کا نبي' دين بھي' ايمان بھي ايک
حرم پاک بھي' اللہ بھي' قرآن بھي ايک
کچھ بڑي بات تھي ہوتے جو مسلمان بھي ايک
فرقہ بندي ہے کہيں اور کہيں ذاتيں ہيں
کيا زمانے ميں پنپنے کي يہي باتيں ہيں

کون ہے تارک آئين رسول مختار؟
مصلحت وقت کي ہے کس کے عمل کا معيار؟
کس کي آنکھوں ميں سمايا ہے شعار اغيار؟
ہوگئي کس کي نگہ طرز سلف سے بيزار؟
قلب ميں سوز نہيں' روح ميں احساس نہيں
کچھ بھي پيغام محمد کا تمھيں پاس نہيں

جاکے ہوتے ہيں مساجد ميں صف آرا, تو غريب
زحمت روزہ جو کرتے ہيں گوارا ، تو غريب
نام ليتا ہے اگر کوئي ہمارا, تو غريب
پردہ رکھتا ہے اگر کوئي تمھارا, تو غريب
امرا نشہ دولت ميں ہيں غافل ہم سے
زندہ ہے ملت بيضا غربا کے دم سے

واعظ قوم کي وہ پختہ خيالي نہ رہي
برق طبعي نہ رہي، شعلہ مقالي نہ رہي
رہ گئي رسم اذاں روح بلالي نہ رہي
فلسفہ رہ گيا ، تلقين غزالي نہ رہي
مسجديں مرثيہ خواں ہيں کہ نمازي نہ رہے
يعني وہ صاحب اوصاف حجازي نہ رہے

شور ہے، ہو گئے دنيا سے مسلماں نابود
ہم يہ کہتے ہيں کہ تھے بھي کہيں مسلم موجود!
وضع ميں تم ہو نصاري تو تمدن ميں ہنود
يہ مسلماں ہيں! جنھيں ديکھ کے شرمائيں يہود
يوں تو سيد بھي ہو، مرزا بھي ہو، افغان بھي ہو
تم سبھي کچھ ہو ، بتائو تو مسلمان بھي ہو!

دم تقرير تھي مسلم کي صداقت بے باک
عدل اس کا تھا قوي، لوث مراعات سے پاک
شجر فطرت مسلم تھا حيا سے نم ناک
تھا شجاعت ميں وہ اک ہستي فوق الادراک
خود گدازي نم کيفيت صہبايش بود
خالي از خويش شدن صورت مينايش بود

ہر مسلماں رگ باطل کے ليے نشتر تھا
اس کے آئينہء ہستي ميں عمل جوہر تھا
جو بھروسا تھا اسے قوت بازو پر تھا
ہے تمھيں موت کا ڈر، اس کو خدا کا ڈر تھا
باپ کا علم نہ بيٹے کو اگر ازبر ہو
پھر پسر قابل ميراث پدر کيونکر ہو!

ہر کوئي مست مے ذوق تن آساني ہے
تم مسلماں ہو! يہ انداز مسلماني ہے!
حيدري فقر ہے نے دولت عثماني ہے
تم کو اسلاف سے کيا نسبت روحاني ہے؟
وہ زمانے ميں معزز تھے مسلماں ہو کر
اور تم خوار ہوئے تارک قرآں ہو کر

تم ہو آپس ميں غضب ناک، وہ آپس ميں رحيم
تم خطاکار و خطابيں، وہ خطا پوش و کريم
چاہتے سب ہيں کہ ہوں اوج ثريا پہ مقيم
پہلے ويسا کوئي پيدا تو کرے قلب سليم
تخت فغفور بھي ان کا تھا، سرير کے بھي
يونہي باتيں ہيں کہ تم ميں وہ حميت ہے بھي؟

خودکشي شيوہ تمھارا، وہ غيور و خود دار
تم اخوت سے گريزاں، وہ اخوت پہ نثار
تم ہو گفتار سراپا، وہ سراپا کردار
تم ترستے ہو کلي کو، وہ گلستاں بہ کنار
اب تلک ياد ہے قوموں کو حکايت ان کي
نقش ہے صفحہ ہستي پہ صداقت ان کي

مثل انجم افق قوم پہ روشن بھي ہوئے
بت ہندي کي محبت ميں برہمن بھي ہوئے
شوق پرواز ميں مہجور نشيمن بھي ہوئے
بے عمل تھے ہي جواں ، دين سے بدظن بھي ہوئے
ان کو تہذيب نے ہر بند سے آزاد کيا
لا کے کعبے سے صنم خانے ميں آباد کيا

قيس زحمت کش تنہائي صحرا نہ رہے
شہر کي کھائے ہوا ، باديہ پيما نہ رہے
وہ تو ديوانہ ہے، بستي ميں رہے يا نہ رہے
يہ ضروري ہے حجاب رخ ليلا نہ رہے!
گلہ جور نہ ہو ، شکوئہ بيداد نہ ہو
عشق آزاد ہے ، کيوں حسن بھي آزاد نہ ہو!

عہد نو برق ہے ، آتش زن ہر خرمن ہے
ايمن اس سے کوئي صحرا نہ کوئي گلشن ہے
اس نئي آگ کا اقوام کہن ايندھن ہے
ملت ختم رسل شعلہ بہ پيراہن ہے
آج بھي ہو جو براہيم کا ايماں پيدا
آگ کر سکتي ہے انداز گلستاں پيدا

ديکھ کر رنگ چمن ہو نہ پريشاں مالي
کوکب غنچہ سے شاخيں ہيں چمکنے والي
خس و خاشاک سے ہوتا ہے گلستاں خالي
گل بر انداز ہے خون شہدا کي لالي
رنگ گردوں کا ذرا ديکھ تو عنابي ہے
يہ نکلتے ہوئے سورج کي افق تابي ہے

امتيں گلشن ہستي ميں ثمر چيدہ بھي ہيں
اور محروم ثمر بھي ہيں، خزاں ديدہ بھي ہيں
سينکڑوں نخل ہيں، کاہيدہ بھي، باليدہ بھي ہيں
سينکڑوں بطن چمن ميں ابھي پوشيدہ بھي ہيں
نخل اسلام نمونہ ہے برومندي کا
پھل ہے يہ سينکڑوں صديوں کي چمن بندي کا

پاک ہے گرد وطن سے سر داماں تيرا
تو وہ يوسف ہے کہ ہر مصر ہے کنعاں تيرا
قافلہ ہو نہ سکے گا کبھي ويراں تيرا
غير يک بانگ درا کچھ نہيں ساماں تيرا
نخل شمع استي و درشعلہ دود ريشہ تو
عاقبت سوز بود سايہ انديشہ تو

تو نہ مٹ جائے گا ايران کے مٹ جانے سے
نشہ مے کو تعلق نہيں پيمانے سے
ہے عياں يورش تاتار کے افسانے سے
پاسباں مل گئے کعبے کو صنم خانے سے
کشتي حق کا زمانے ميں سہارا تو ہے
عصر نو رات ہے، دھندلا سا ستارا تو ہے

ہے جو ہنگامہ بپا يورش بلغاري کا
غافلوں کے ليے پيغام ہے بيداري کا
تو سمجھتا ہے يہ ساماں ہے دل آزاري کا
امتحاں ہے ترے ايثار کا، خود داري کا
کيوں ہراساں ہے صہيل فرس اعدا سے
نور حق بجھ نہ سکے گا نفس اعدا سے

چشم اقوام سے مخفي ہے حقيقت تيري
ہے ابھي محفل ہستي کو ضرورت تيري
زندہ رکھتي ہے زمانے کو حرارت تيري
کوکب قسمت امکاں ہے خلافت تيري
وقت فرصت ہے کہاں، کام ابھي باقي ہے
نور توحيد کا اتمام ابھي باقي ہے

مثل بو قيد ہے غنچے ميں، پريشاں ہوجا
رخت بردوش ہوائے چمنستاں ہوجا
ہے تنک مايہ تو ذرے سے بياباں ہوجا
نغمہ موج سے ہنگامہء طوفاں ہوجا!
قوت عشق سے ہر پست کو بالا کر دے
دہر ميں اسم محمد سے اجالا کر دے

ہو نہ يہ پھول تو بلبل کا ترنم بھي نہ ہو
چمن دہر ميں کليوں کا تبسم بھي نہ ہو
يہ نہ ساقي ہو تو پھرمے بھي نہ ہو، خم بھي نہ ہو
بزم توحيد بھي دنيا ميں نہ ہو، تم بھي نہ ہو
خيمہ افلاک کا استادہ اسي نام سے ہے
نبض ہستي تپش آمادہ اسي نام سے ہے

دشت ميں، دامن کہسار ميں، ميدان ميں ہے
بحر ميں، موج کي آغوش ميں، طوفان ميں ہے
چين کے شہر، مراقش کے بيابان ميں ہے
اور پوشيدہ مسلمان کے ايمان ميں ہے
چشم اقوام يہ نظارہ ابد تک ديکھے
رفعت شان 'رفعنالک ذکرک' ديکھے

مردم چشم زميں يعني وہ کالي دنيا
وہ تمھارے شہدا پالنے والي دنيا
گرمي مہر کي پروردہ ہلالي دنيا
عشق والے جسے کہتے ہيں بلالي دنيا
تپش اندوز ہے اس نام سے پارے کي طرح
غوطہ زن نور ميں ہے آنکھ کے تارے کي طرح

عقل ہے تيري سپر، عشق ہے شمشير تري
مرے درويش! خلافت ہے جہاں گير تري
ماسوي اللہ کے ليے آگ ہے تکبير تري
تو مسلماں ہو تو تقدير ہے تدبير تري
کي محمد سے وفا تو نے تو ہم تيرے ہيں
يہ جہاں چيز ہے کيا، لوح و قلم تيرے ہيں

 

[TAK]

ترانہء ہندي

سارے جہاں سے اچھا ہندوستاں ہمارا
ہم بلبليں ہيں اس کي، يہ گلستاں ہمارا
غربت ميں ہوں اگر ہم، رہتا ہے دل وطن ميں
سمجھو وہيں ہميں بھي، دل ہو جہاں ہمارا
پربت وہ سب سے اونچا، ہمسايہ آسماں کا
وہ سنتري ہمارا، وہ پاسباں ہمارا
گودي ميں کھيلتي ہيں اس کي ہزاروں ندياں
گلشن ہے جن کے دم سے رشک جناں ہمارا
اے آب رود گنگا، وہ دن ہيں ياد تجھ کو؟
اترا ترے کنارے جب کارواں ہمارا
مذہب نہيں سکھاتا آپس ميں بير رکھنا
ہندي ہيں ہم وطن ہے ہندوستاں ہمارا
يونان و مصر و روما سب مٹ گئے جہاں سے
اب تک مگر ہے باقي نام و نشاں ہمارا
کچھ بات ہے کہ ہستي مٹتي نہيں ہماري
صديوں رہا ہے دشمن دور زماں ہمارا
اقبال! کوئي محرم اپنا نہيں جہاں ميں
معلوم کيا کسي کو درد نہاں ہمارا

 

[DHONI183]

A brilliant poet he was!!!

 

[mamoo gogo]

This thread has well and truly been hijacked now. So much for a discussion on his work/message.

But isn't that true with every thread you're part of

 

[lahori@denmark]

He was miles ahead of Quaid. Infact there is no comparison between the two.

my personal opinion is that muslim leuge cld never achive pakistan without quaid e azam and therefor i put quaid miles ahead..

 

[Momo]

But isn't that true with every thread you're part of

But I started this one, dammit.

 

[Joseph K.]

Why do we Pakistanis have to either deify or demonise everybody? Iqbal was a human being but it is true that he is respected like a saint in Pakistan, a saint who he, definitely, was not. His philosophy was not very original either with dominant Western themes of his time freely borrowed from Nietzsche and Carlyle etc and transplanted to an oriental setup. Still he was a major figure in our history and one of the very few thinkers our history produced in recent centuries.

My favorite Iqbal verse:

Chay me goyam Musalmanam malarzam
Kay danam mushkilat i la illaha.

(Can be loosely translated as "When I say I am a Muslim, I tremble because I know the difficulties involved in being the worshipper of One True God")

A perfect thought for our time. A time when sh*t-loads of so-called Muslims can be seen running amock in streets screaming death to everybody else while themselves rotting with all moral flaws . These thoughtless sheeple have hijacked our religion. These people wear their religion on their sleeves, shoving it in everybody else's face never realizing the moral responsibilities that entail being Muslim.

As far as Miggy's comment is concerned, it might seem shocking but this is one of the known things. We must avoid the trap of putting anybody or anything beyond reasonable discussion. Why should all talk of Iqbal or Jinnah or any other human being stay at the level of hagiography? He was a an excellent poet, a good nationalist thinker and a dedicated political leader. He had all kinds of problems with Mullahism and would have highly disapproved of the thoughtless religious trends that engulf our contemporary society. A poet's biography is irrelevant as what we should mainly concern ourselves with is his message. Still it is nice to drop a disturbing fact here and there just to jolt people out of their blind and thoughtless 'respect' for someone whose message is neglected while people are too busy worshiping his personality. Respect can be a very dangerous and mind-numbing thing. We all RESPECT Qura'an, don't we? How many of us understand and follow its commands?

 

[Momo]

His philosophy was not very original either with dominant Western themes of his time freely borrowed from Nietzsche and Carlyle etc and transplanted to an oriental setup.

I am not so sure about the originality of his philosophy because I have never read Nietzche and Carlyle and especially not 'etc' (I hope you have). But this accusation of yours against Iqbal (of borrowing from them) sure isn't original. Have heard it many a time.

We must avoid the trap of putting anybody or anything beyond reasonable discussion. Why should all talk of Iqbal or Jinnah or any other human being stay at the level of hagiography?

I agree one hundred percent. As long as it is reasonable.

A poet's biography is irrelevant as what we should mainly concern ourselves with is his message. Still it is nice to drop a disturbing fact here and there just to jolt people out of their blind and thoughtless 'respect' for someone whose message is neglected while people are too busy worshiping his personality. Respect can be a very dangerous and mind-numbing thing. We all RESPECT Qura'an, don't we? How many of us understand and follow its commands?

Do you believe that we don't understand and follow Qur'an because we respect it a bit too much?

 

[KB]

Why should all talk of Iqbal or Jinnah or any other human being stay at the level of hagiography?

As purely a footnote to the above, Jinnah in particular has suffered from this. Pakistani hagiography, Indian demonology and Western reliance on Mountbatten's views of Jinnah, have led to him being reduced to a cardboard figure; his personality drained of humanity.

Given that he thwarted British and Indian ambitions, his casting as a one-dimensional villain by many Indian and British historians is understandable. What is more ironic is that in Pakistan he appears as a stern, forbidding figure on portraits and thus Western and Indian prejudices of him as a man devoid of emotion and personality are reinforced. Additionally historians have concentrated on the political and constitutional dimensions of his leadership. As such a singularly uninspiring presentation of Jinnah has often emerged. No wonder so many Pakistanis know very little of the 'founding father', despite his ubiquitous presence, appearing as he does on bank notes and numerous posters, politicians speeches and newspaper articles.

A more nuanced, balanced and empathetic understanding of Jinnah, shorn of ideological pretensions, from all sides, would lead to a more realistic presentation of Jinnah's 'human face'.

 

[Joseph K.]

I am not so sure about the originality of his philosophy because I have never read Nietzche and Carlyle and especially not 'etc' (I hope you have). But this accusation of yours against Iqbal (of borrowing from them) sure isn't original. Have heard it many a time.



Do you believe that we don't understand and follow Qur'an because we respect it a bit too much?

As far as the philosophy is concerned, nationalism and the concepts of the 'superman' pop up again and again in 19th century philosophy. Iqbal's mard i momin is Nietszche's superman Islamized. Return to a golden past, 'nishaat i sania' was also a dream favorite with European Romantics in the 19th century, specially in England and Germany. Daring dialogue with the God and the Devil etc are also quite common-place in Western Literature which resurfaced strongly in Goethe's Faust in the 19th Century. Iqbal steeped himself in German thought during his time at the university there. He draws parallels between Eastern and Western thought in his treatise Development of Metaphysics in Persia and shows great enthusiasm for Leibniz, Schopenhauer and Schleiermacher while showing their parallels in Oriental thought.

http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/F-J/I/Iqbal/metaphys/iqbfn.htm

And yes, I do believe that we understand Qura'an a lot less because we are too busy wrapping it in covers, putting it on the top shelf and reading it in its original language and not encouraging people to read in translation. This must be the only book in the world which is read by millions of readers every day who are not capable of understanding a word of it. Situation was the same in Europe during the Dark Ages and William Tyndale was actually burned alive in Belgium for translating Bible. Ironically it is considered a 'sawab' to parrot words without understanding them!!! Same goes for Iqbal's poetry. We are all 'Iqbal enthusiast' and think it sufficient to sing praises of 'Hazrat Allama Sir Mohammed Iqbal RAA (rehmat Allah alaihim)' but how many are willing to understand or even read his poetry? Then there are sections of Iqbal's poetry that deal with Muslim Rennaisance and we love the parts of it that remind of the military conquest (hur mulk mulk i maa ust, kay mulk i khuda i maa ast) but forget the parts that set the condition for this renaissance, i-e moral rejuvenation and revival (sabaq phir parh sadaqat ka adaalat ka shjaat ka). Even Iqbal is hijacked by those who undertake selective readings of texts as a day-job. This selective understanding of texts is a symptom of a wide-spread ignorance of these texts and this ignorance enables the power-hungry, self-seeking and dishonest people to use these writings in their search for power. Everything should be read and understood by everybody, not only understood but analysed, criticised and discussed. Only criticism keeps texts alive. A text that is not understood is a dead text.

Lack of originality is not an accusation. Nothing is original. Everything and everybody borrows from someone else. Intertextuality is one of the very basic facts of life. Claiming originality is ignorance and associating originality with things is wrong. One must always be willing to give credit where credit is due, only makes us more generous.

 

[Serendipity]

my two cents here would b....accoording to a lecture I heard by Dr Israr, who gave personal account of first hand witness of how he came to this conclusion, his ideology of khudi, is based on his understanding of quran, of course his experinces and education would have shaped and possibly reaffirmed his belief which come out strongly in parts of his poetry

 

[Joseph K.]

'Khudi' is the Islamized version of Will to Power (Nietszche) or what Bergson called elan vitale. The vital force, the existence, and in Iqbal's case, this existence attains purity and freedom through submission to God but in a relationship so strong that God himself takes human wishes in account.

 

[Momo]

'Khudi' is the Islamized version of Will to Power (Nietszche) or what Bergson called elan vitale. The vital force, the existence, and in Iqbal's case, this existence attains purity and freedom through submission to God but in a relationship so strong that God himself takes human wishes in account.

By Iqbal's own admission, as reported by Syed Nazir Niazi, the philosophy of khudi is based on the following verse of Al-Qur'an:

And be not ye as those who forgot Allah, therefor He caused them to forget their souls. Such are the evil-doers.

 

[Momo]

As far as the philosophy is concerned, nationalism and the concepts of the 'superman' pop up again and again in 19th century philosophy. Iqbal's mard i momin is Nietszche's superman Islamized. Return to a golden past, 'nishaat i sania' was also a dream favorite with European Romantics in the 19th century, specially in England and Germany. Daring dialogue with the God and the Devil etc are also quite common-place in Western Literature which resurfaced strongly in Goethe's Faust in the 19th Century. Iqbal steeped himself in German thought during his time at the university there. He draws parallels between Eastern and Western thought in his treatise Development of Metaphysics in Persia and shows great enthusiasm for Leibniz, Schopenhauer and Schleiermacher while showing their parallels in Oriental thought.

You have mentioned 19th century European poets, but I am surprised at absolutely no mention of muslim philosophers that 'originally' came up with similar concepts. You talk about "Neitzsche's" superman as if it was an undisputed fact that he came up with the idea first (which cannot be farther from the truth).

Al Jali is the 'original' inventor of this concept (his book Insaan-e-kaamil, although he in turn must have had his inspirations as well). Even Ibn Bajja (12th century) with his concept of 'mutawahid' precedes Neitzsche by hundreds of years (although Ibn Bajja - hailing from Spain - can also be technically called a European). So giving an impression that it all started with Neitzsche is a bit unfair. If one is to trace Iqbal's mard e momin back to its source of inspiration, why stop at Neitzsche?

And yes, I do believe that we understand Qura'an a lot less because we are too busy wrapping it in covers, putting it on the top shelf and reading it in its original language and not encouraging people to read in translation. This must be the only book in the world which is read by millions of readers every day who are not capable of understanding a word of it. Situation was the same in Europe during the Dark Ages and William Tyndale was actually burned alive in Belgium for translating Bible. Ironically it is considered a 'sawab' to parrot words without understanding them!!! Same goes for Iqbal's poetry.

I agree with you only partly here. Yes, we have reduced Qur'an to the level of being merely a parcel of blessing, only to be used on certain occasions or as a means of earning sawaab, and not something to be understood and discussed and accepted as guidance on a daily basis.

But the reasons for that are more complex than you have mentioned (although there is truth in your argument (respecting it too much and wrapping it in covers, and trying to earn more and more sawaab by blind reading at a high speed), but it is only partly the reason):

In our case, as opposed to Europe of dark ages, nobody is (never was) forced not to read translation of Qur'an (in fact that's where Qur'an is different from say Bible, because Qur'an is in a living language, and has always been in public hands as opposed to a select group of clergymen).

Then, nobody stops us muslims from learning Arabic and trying to understand it directly. That we don't do it has more to do with our characteristic lethargy than the stubborn insistance of mullahs on earning sawaab on each letter recited in the original, or our overly reverent attitude towards the book (I don't deny these factors though). So the single most important reason in my view is our mental lethargy.

And then there is the second major reason. In our subconscious minds, we know that understanding more will require reforming our lives more, and we are too used to the dominant christian doctrine of the separation of church and state (reducing religion to a set of rituals and feeling free to do whatever is expedient in our economic, social, and political lives) to be willing to change anything. This is another thing that stops many people from devoting any part of their lives to the study of Qur'an. Lets call this reason expediency and convenience.

And then comes the lifestyle part. We are too busy running after the latest electronic gadget to hit the market, or in pursuit of things ranging from clothes to fast cars (and all these things cost money), that we simply don't have time for anything meaningful. For most of us, life is a hundred meters dash (in terms of intensity, only it lasts as long as a marathon), with death as the finish line. So we just don't have any time left after all the running around involved in first making money, and then in spending it. And this is really tricky because only understanding Qur'an can put the reality of this life in perspective, but we don't have any time for it. And because we don't have any time, we never try to read it, hence the continued non-stop high-intensity journey towards death.

Then comes the final nail in our coffin. Who reads any books now (okay a few do, but we live in an age where people will waste hours watching films and surfing internet but nobody is willing to do any hard work)?

Although it's no consolation, we are not alone in not trying to understand our book. Even the most enthusiastic brands of christians share this distinction with us (for almost the same reasons listed above). Or else they wouldn't claim to be the followers of Jesus while doing exactly the opposite of what he used to do.

Lack of originality is not an accusation. Nothing is original. Everything and everybody borrows from someone else. Intertextuality is one of the very basic facts of life. Claiming originality is ignorance and associating originality with things is wrong.

Agreed. Like Saif said:

Saif andaaz e bayaan rang badal deta hai
Warna duniya mein koi baat nayee baat naheen

True, it should not be an accusation. But if one is so inclined to trace things to their sources of inspiration, one should do it thoroughly and not partially and in half-measures, don't you think?

And coming back to our topic, Iqbal never claimed originality in his philosophy of khudi. By his own admission, his 'khudi' is mainly based on Qur'an (see my post above).

 

[Joseph K.]

Should be a bit enlightening:

http://www.allamaiqbal.com/publications/journals/review/oct00/08.htm

Here is the full article:

MUHAMMAD IQBAL AND GERMANY ‘A Correspondence of the Heart’
by
M. A. H. Hobohm​

It is well known that the poet-philosopher Muhammad Iqbal had a deep admiration for Germany, German thought, German poetry and there are innumerable instances in his writings, in his poems, in letters and in recorded conversations with him which indicate clearly that the works of German philosophers and poets have been a source of great inspiration to him. Foremost among them was Goethe to whom he refers again and again of whom he says, I though not a prophet, he has a book namely ‘Faust, and whom he compares to Ghālib the great poet of Urdu and Persian of the nineteenth century and to that illustrious sage of the East, Maulāna Jalāl al‑Dīn Rūmī. In a poem in the Payām‑i‑Mashriq Iqbal imagines Goethe meeting Rūmī in paradise and reciting Faust to him. Rūmī listens and extols Goethe as one who has really understood the Great Secret. In bringing Goethe and Rūmī together, Iqbal brought together not only two of the greatest spirits of the East and West, but also the two men who have influenced him more than anyone else in his career as a thinker and as a poet. None other than Iqbal himself has told us sol. In his preface to the Payām‑i‑Mashriq, the book in which Iqbal’s art probably reached the height of its power and perfection, he writes these Lines: ‘The Payām-i-Mashriq owes its inspiration to the Western Divan of Goethe, the German ‘Philosopher of Life’, about which, Heine, the Israelite poet of Germany says: ‘This is a nosegay presented by the West to the East as a token of high regard. This Divan bears testimony to the fact that the West, being dissatisfied with its own spiritual life is turning to the bosom of the East in search of spiritual warmth.’ The Payām-i-Mashriq is Iqbal’s response to Goethe’s West-östlicher Divan on the title page of which —I should like to recall to our memory— Goethe had written in his own hand the following words in Arabic language and script: ‘Ad-Dīwān Sharqī lil Mu’allif al-Gharbī’ —An Eastern Divan by a Western Author. Iqbal’s introduction to the Payām-i-Mashriq also contains a short but extremely interesting account of the ‘Oriental Movement’ in German literature. It serves to give us a glimpse of the extent of Iqbal’s contacts with German culture, just as his philosophical work, as for instance reflected in his Lectures The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam reveals his profound knowledge of, and his deep admiration for German thought, inspite of his frequent differences with German thinkers as for instance Nietzsche. Though Iqbal was a great admirer of Nietzsche and there is much that they both had in common observes Justice Javid Iqbal ‘the poet’s son in an essay on Iqbal and Nietzsche, there are fundamental differences between the two, namely their sources of inspiration and basic to their whole concept of, and outlook on life, their conception of God. In an article, entitled ‘Conversations with Iqbal’, by Syed Nazir Niazi, a close friend of Iqbal, who has had extensive conversations with him, which he recorded from time to time, we have another treasure trove of information on Iqbal’s preoccupations with German culture and German thought. Again it is Goethe who figures most prominently in their conversations. Writes Niazi: ‘Perhaps what life needs most are men who can understand its ultimate purpose. Goethe was such a man and so was Iqbal. And it was Iqbal who turned our attention to Goethe. It is a remarkable episode in our history that Iqbal alone should have resisted the force of a whole literature and culture, namely English, which was dominating our life through political control. It is a fact that we accepted Goethe rather than Shakespeare. Shakespeare is no doubt admired, but Goethe is the favourite. Shakespeare is a unique artist whom we all recognize, but Goethe is one of us who has secured a place in our heart. If we bear this point in mind a glimpse of the perfect man or Vicegerent of God or Mu’min or Man of Faith and his character, disposition as conceived by Iqbal, is seen to some extent in Faust a creature of Goethe’s thoughts, and not for instance in the ‘Superman of Nietzsche. The sources from which we can glean information on Iqbal’s connections and contacts with Germany and the instances in his writings where he expresses himself on her poets and thinkers are numerous and manifold. It is my privilege today to contribute to that material by presenting to the public for the first time a report on a collection of letters written by Iqbal which have an immediate and direct bearing on his connections with and his feelings for my country. They are letters and postcards addressed by Iqbal to his German language tutor in Heidelberg, Miss Emma Wegenast, letters and postcards of which I possess photo copies and some originals. The collection is a gift which Miss Wegenast, the recipient, made in the early sixties, shortly before her death, to the Pakistan‑German Forum, a bilateral cultural association of which at the time the late Mr. Mumtaz Hasan was President while I had the honour to be its honorary General Secretary. The Pakistan‑German Forum, being an organisation whose aim it was and is to promote and strengthen cultural relations between the two countries, was fully aware that Muhammad Iqbal is the greatest cultural link that exists between Germany and Pakistan. It was only natural, therefore, that when Mr. Mumtaz Hasan and I were invited to visit Germany in the summer of 1959, we made it a point not only to visit the cities and universities of Heidelberg and Munich where Iqbal had stayed and studied in 1905 and 1906 but to make every effort and attempt to trace any person still alive who had met Iqbal during his days in Germany. It was in the pursuit of this aim that with the help of friends we were able to find and to contact Miss Emma Wegenast to whom our attention had been drawn by references to her in Begum Atiya Fayzee’s book on, Iqbal. Although we could not meet Miss Wegenast personally, a correspondence developed between Mr. Mumtaz Hasan and her. As a result of this correspondence she made over to the Forum the letters she had received from Iqbal with the request to pass them on to any archive in Pakistan where they could be accessible to scholars engaged in research into Iqbal’s life and work. Mr. Mumtaz Hasan was kind enough to prepare for me a complete set of photocopies which he gave to me along with two original letters. Since, I had to leave Pakistan on transfer soon after, I do not know the present whereabouts of the letters that were donated by Miss Wegenast. But before examining the letters further let me return once again very briefly to our visit to Germany which yielded yet another fruit: we succeeded in persuading Inter Nations, a German organisation founded in Bonn in 1952 to promote intercultural relations and contacts with other nations to locate the original thesis submitted by Iqbal to the University of Munich for his Ph.D. and to have it copied for the Forum. The thesis was found and thanks to the late Dr. Richard Mönnig, the Director of Inter Nations, who himself had taken a keen interest in Iqbal, some 30 photo-mechanical reprints of the thesis were produced. The thesis is properly proceeded by a ‘Lebenslauf’, a curriculum vitae, presumably compiled by Iqbal himself and signed by him, in which he gives his date of birth as the 3rd of Dhū Qa‘dah 1294 A. H., with the year 1876 in brackets. The method of calculation which led to this year: of the Christian era was probably the one widely used by Orientalists in Germany and elsewhere at that time. It follows the formula year A. H. minus year A.H. divided by 33 plus 622 equals the year of the Christian era. The thesis was submitted with the approval of Professor Dr. Friedrich Hommel, Iqbal’s supervisor or doctor‑father as he is called in Germany, to the Faculty of Philosophy, Section I (respectively II) of the Ludwig Maximilians University at Munich. It was published in London in 1908 by Luzac & Co. and was printed by E.J, Brill of Leiden in Holland. I would like to add the remark that at the time when Iqbal obtained his degree in Munich, it was quite customary, even obligatory at German universities to submit Ph. D. Theses or ‘Inaugural Dissertationen’ as they are called in German, in print, and in a set fairly large number of copies to be distributed to important libraries and relevant research centres in the country and abroad. But let me now turn to the letters. They are altogether 27 in numbers including two postcards. They cover two distinct periods, namely the year from 1907 to the outbreak of the Great War in 1914 and the years from 1931 to 1933. The long silence between these periods is only interrupted once by a letter written in 1919. There is every possibility that I may have lost some of my photocopies in the course of several moves from one continent to another and that the original collection is larger than mine. I have a faint recollection that there were altogether more than 40 letters plus some photographs. As I already mentioned, the person to whom the letters were addressed is Miss Emma Wegenast. She was Iqbal’s German language tutor in Heidelberg at the ‘Pension Scherer’, one of those highly respectable boarding houses for students—so common in German university towns before the advent of the students hostel tower blocks. ‘Pension Scherer’ or the Heidelberg School, as Iqbal calls it in one of his letters, seems to have been a boarding house mainly for foreign students, which explains the tutorial facilities. Fraulein Wegenast was in her twenties when she and Iqbal met and we have it on the authority of Begum Atiya Fayzee that she was very beautiful and highly accomplished, polished young lady. Iqbal was very fond of her—there is no doubt about that— but as the letters reveal, it was a pure and innocent fondness. I have the feeling when reading the letters, that to Iqbal Fraulein Emma Wegenast was the embodiment of all that he loved and respected of all that he was so strongly attracted by, in German culture, in German thought, in German literature, perhaps in German life as a whole. Iqbal addresses her throughout very formally as ‘Mein liebes Fraulein Wegenast’ or ‘My dear Fraulein Wegenast’ with only the ‘Mein’ hinting at his fondness for her.’ But it is fondness coupled with respect, for in all the letters written in German and they all belong to the first period when his memories of her were the freshest and his feelings for her must have been the strongest, he always uses the formal and respectful ‘Sie’ in addressing her, not once lapsing into the intimate ‘Du’. The letters do not reveal anything sensational. They are rather ordinary letters as any two friends would exchange among themselves: no deep thoughts, no poetry, and yet they answer some of the questions about Iqbal which were still open and they certainly throw further light on Iqbal’s feelings for my country. The first question answered is the one posed by Syed Nazir Niazi in his essay on conversations with Iqbal. When he writes: ‘I had always been curious to find out how far Iqbal had studied the German language… I personally believe he had made a deep and penetrating study of German literature in original. He must have been well-versed in German Language. But he never used any German word in his conversations, not even at the time when his children were under the care of a German governess who lived in his house. Well, the letters certainly provide an answer to this question. All his letters written before the outbreak of the Great War except two are written in German, and although Iqbal complains in them time and again about severe shortcomings in his knowledge of that language and of his inability to express himself in the way he would like to, even apologizing for insulting the reader by his ‘schlechte Deutsch’, (bad German). I can only say that when Iqbal does so, he is much too modest. I find it remarkable how well he expresses himself in that language, a language after all, in which he has had tuition for only a relatively short time. No, he knew German alright, as the letters reveal, though in latter years, his active knowledge of that language must have progressively faded away, and quite understandably so. In his first detailed letter after his return to a native country, dated 11th January 1909, Lahore, he gives a very lucid and fluent account in German of the overwhelming welcome accorded to him by his countrymen. As a by-product, so to say, the letters yield another, hitherto unknown piece of information: the addresses at which Iqbal stayed in London in 1908 and again in 1931 and 1932 when he attended the Round Table Conferences. They are: 49, Elsham Road in Kensington in 1908, 113 A St. James Court, Buckingham Gate in 1931 and lastly Queen Anne’s Mansion, St. James Park in 1932. Now these addresses are known, the Buildings Advisory Committee of the Greater London Council should be requested to put up a blue plaque at one of these addresses, in commemoration of him who is one of the greatest sons of Pakistan, if not the greatest. However much I should like to do so, the time at my disposal today does not permit me to quote extensively from the letters I feel however, that I owe it to you to read out one passage at least which is particularly expressive. On receipt of the news that Fraulein Wegenast’s father had died, he sent her the following message of condolence: Dear Miss Wegenast, I am extremely sorry to hear the sad news of your father’s death; and though my letter must reach you a good many days after this sad event, yet neither time nor distance can make my sympathy with you in your bereavement any the less warm. The news has pained me very much indeed, and I pray that Almighty God may be pleased to shower his choicest blessings on the venerable old man, and to give you strength to endure your sorrow. ‘Verily we are for God and to God we return. This is the sacred text that we recite when we hear the news of death. And I recited this verse over and over again on reading your painful letter. Such events though do happen in everybody’s life and we must meet our troubles like those who left us their lives to imitate. You remember that Goethe said in the moment of his death —‘More Light! Death opens up the way to more light and carries us to those regions where we stand face to face with eternal Beauty and Truth.’ I remember the time when I read Goethe’s poems with you and I hope, you also remember those happy days when we were so near to each other —so much so that I spiritually share in your sorrows, Please write to me when you feel inclined to do so, I wish I had been in Germany to convey my sympathy to you personally. May God be with you. Yours ever, Mohammad Iqbal

Some more representative quotations could be cited as follows:
‘I remember the time when I read Goethe’s poems with you and I hope you also remember those happy days when we were so near to each other spiritually speaking’.
'Here it is: Fraulein Wegenast, that is Goethe, Heine, Kant and Schopenhauer, it is Heidelberg, the Neckar, Germany —it is those happy days!’
And that is the Leitmotif of Iqbal’s letters to Emma Wegenast. ‘My body is here, my thoughts are in Germany’.
‘It is impossible for me to forget your beautiful country where I have learned so much. My stay in Heidelberg is nothing now but a beautiful dream. How I’d wish I could repeat it!’
‘I am very fond of Germany. It has had a great influence on my ideals and I shall never forget my stay in that country.’
‘Never shall I forget the days I spent at Heidelberg when you taught me Goethe’s Faust and helped me in many ways. Those were happy days indeed.’
‘I’d wish I could see you once more at Heidelberg or Heilbronn whence we shall together make a pilgrimage to the sacred grave of the great master Goethe.’
‘The other day, I was reading Heine and I thought of the happy days when we read the poet together.’
And a final quotation: ‘Germany was a kind of second home to my spirit. I learned much and I thought much in that country. The home of Goethe has found a permanent place in my soul.’ Yes indeed! Fraulein Wegenast that is Goethe and Heine, Kant and Schopenhauer, Heidelberg’ the Neckar ‘Germany’ those happy days —And those happy days, Germany the Neckar, Heidelberg Schopenhauer and Kant, Heine and Goethe that to Iqbal was Fraulein Wegenast, as this correspondence not of the mind, not of the intellect, but of the heart reveals.

 

[Zeenix]

my personal opinion is that muslim leuge cld never achive pakistan without quaid e azam and therefor i put quaid miles ahead..

Actually i corrected myself when i said there is no comparison because of the difference of their domain of activities. Whereas Jinnah was a statesman, a leader, Iqbal was a reformer, a visionary at the very core. Achieving Pakistan was never a target for the Muslim League, rather their main focus was to safeguard muslim interests in Combined India. Even Jinnah was an advocate of united India, it was only in the later part and specially after Nehru's points, that he started to distance from the combined India stance. It was Iqbal who provided the Muslim League leadership with a concrete objective, i.e Pakistan.

 

[moumotta]

Actually i corrected myself when i said there is no comparison because of the difference of their domain of activities. Whereas Jinnah was a statesman, a leader, Iqbal was a reformer, a visionary at the very core. Achieving Pakistan was never a target for the Muslim League, rather their main focus was to safeguard muslim interests in Combined India. Even Jinnah was an advocate of united India, it was only in the later part and specially after Nehru's points, that he started to distance from the combined India stance. It was Iqbal who provided the Muslim League leadership with a concrete objective, i.e Pakistan.

There is a view that the partnership between Jinnah and Iqbal did not necessarily extend to identity of views in many respects.

Nehru writes in Discovery of India of his meeting with Iqbal a few months before Iqbal's death.

Iqbal, on his sick bed sent for Nehru. Nehru recalls- he was in reminiscent mood and wandered from one subject to another. .... A little before I left him he said to me "What is there in common between Jinnah and you? He is a politician, you are a patriot."

 

[Zeenix]

moumotta: Yes Jinnah and Iqbal initially weren't synchronous regarding creation of Pakistan. However quite the contrary as you put it, Iqbal had started propagating an independent land for Muslims quite early as there are plenty of letters to prove that. As a matter of fact, Jinnah once laughed at Iqbal's speech terming it as nonsense. Jinnah was at one point a leader of Indian National Congress, and India's best ambassador for "Hindu muslim unity". but Iqbal strongly disagreed with Jinnah and when Jinnah came back from England after 4 years of absence from the independence struggle, it was Iqbal who finally convinced him of his ideology.

 

[KB]

The celebrated Pakistani anthropologist, Akbar S Ahmed, on his book on Jinnah, argued persuasively that Iqbal influenced Jinnah greatly. In Ahmed's words:

"Iqbal's ideas on the Islamic nature of the community, the need to focus on the poor and dispossessed (again derived from Islam), the passionate reverence for the holy Prophet, misgivings about the 'atheistic socialism' of Congress leaders like Nehru, the continuing Hindu-Muslim riots, the emphasis on Muslim identity and destiny - all these would become essential components of Jinnah's thinking."

Historian Ian Talbot too states that

As the Quaid-e-Azam Papers reveal, Jinnah both in private correspondence and in public utterances unequivocally expected the fledgling state to stand for the notions of civic duty, probity ad equality of rights and concern for the underprivileged which formed part of his deeply held beliefs rooted in Islam and which had been brought alive from him in the political philosophy and ideas of Iqbal.

Iqbal's influence in the mid to last 1930, it seems, had led to Jinnah appreciating his Muslim identity to a much greater extent.

 

[Awesome Anjum]

Iqbal's influence in the mid to last 1930, it seems, had led to Jinnah appreciating his Muslim identity to a much greater extent.

Do you feel Iqbal would have approved of Jinnah's seemingly secular approach to the creation of Pakistan? Particularly the infamous 'you are free to worship' as you please speech, which has often been used by historians as evidence of the Quaid's secularism. Was this secularism not in contrast to Iqbal's belief that Islam was from the very beginning 'a civil society' which provided mankind with a logical set of ideals and values?

Forgive any inaccuracy in my post, I am a mere amateur in contrast to the likes of the seasoned, well-read posters who have contributed in this thread.

 

[KB]

The 11 August address must be seen in context with other speeches if it is to be understood. Three days after his often quoted 11 August address, when Mountbatten had suggested the Mughal emperor Akbar as a role mode, Jinnah replied:

"The tolerance and goodwill that great Emperor Akbar showed to all the non-Muslims is not of recent origin. It dates back to thirteen centuries ago when our Prophet [PBUH] not only by words but by deeds treated the Jews and Christians, after he had conquered them with, the utmost tolerance and regard and respect for their faith and beliefs. The whole history of Muslims, wherever they ruled, is replete with those humane and great principles which should be followed and practised."

As Akbar Ahmed skilfully demonstrated, Jinnah’s emphasis on the tolerance and the safeguarding of minority rights, which he especially emphasised following the creation of Pakistan, were increasingly anchored to his own comprehension of Islam. This can be seen quite clearly when the two speeches on the 11 and 14 August are considered together.

Jinnah was not appealing to 'secular' ideals rather Islamic injunctions when emphasising the need for tolerance and protection of minorities. In his own words:

"no injunction is considered by our Holy Prophet [PBUH] more imperative and more divinely binding than the devout but supreme realization of our duty of love and toleration towards all other human beings"

In December 1947, he stated "let it be clear that Pakistan is going to be a Muslim State based on Islamic Ideals.”

For Jinnah, there was no conflict between tolerance and respect for minorities, equal citizenship rights and Islam.

Iqbal himself in that famous 1930 address, where he advocated "autonomous Muslim states" in India, said:

"Nor should the Hindus fear that the creation of autonomous Muslim states will mean the introduction of a kind of religious rule in such states. I have already indicated to you the meaning of the word religion, as applied to Islam. The truth is that Islam is not a Church. It is a State conceived as a contractual organism long before Rousseau ever thought of such a thing, and animated by an ethical ideal which regards man not as an earth-rooted creature, defined by this or that portion of the earth, but as a spiritual being understood in terms of a social mechanism, and possessing rights and duties as a living factor in that mechanism. The character of a Muslim State can be judged from what the Times of India pointed out some time ago in a leader on the Indian Banking Inquiry Committee. "In ancient India," the paper points out, "the State framed laws regulating the rates of interest; but in Muslim times, although Islam clearly forbids the realisation of interest on money loaned, Indian Muslim States imposed no restrictions on such rates." I therefore demand the formation of a consolidated Muslim State in the best interests of India and Islam. For India, it means security and peace resulting from an internal balance of power; for Islam, an opportunity to rid itself of the stamp that Arabian Imperialism was forced to give it, to mobilise its law, its education, its culture, and to bring them into closer contact with its own original spirit and with the spirit of modern times."

In that same speech Iqbal, faced by the threat of what he saw as homogenising claims of Indian nationalism, which left little space for a Muslim identity, proclaimed the right of a “communal entity” to “retain its private individuality.”

However he was keen to stress that he meant no malice towards other communities, indeed stating that a community that was "inspired by feelings of ill-will towards other communities is low and ignoble." He stated emphatically that "it is my duty, according to the teaching of the Quran, even to defend their [other religious communities] places of worship, if need be."

So Iqbal like Jinnah advocated just treatment of minorities based on his understanding of Islam and I think would have agreed with Jinnah on the need to be tolerant towards, and respectful of, minorities.

 

[Momo]

Today is the 131th anniversary of Allama Iqbal's birth.

Let's listen to this, and try to be something like the momin described in this poem (or failing that, atleast be a little sharamsaar for the current state of our character):

[utube]TvQQ8xIE7vM[/utube]

 

[Wazeeri]

Geo had a piece on him yesterday and his poetry hits you hard everytime you hear it again.

As for the accusation of murder, they are in official records. Iqbal was savd by the fact that he had an alibi in his class register.

 

[Momo]

The following (which happens to be one of my favourite works by Iqbal) is dedicated to brother saqibhssn:

Tu abhi rahguzar mein hai, qaid e muqaam se guzar!
Misr o hijaaz se guzar, Paaras o shaam se guzar!

Jis ka amal hai be-gharaz, us ki jaza kuchh aur hai
Hoor o khayaam se guzar, baada o jaam se guzar!

Garche hai dilkasha bohat, husn e farang ki bahaar
Taaerak e buland baal, daana o daam se guzar!

Koh shigaaf teri zarb, tujh se kushaad e sharq o gharb
Tegh e halaal ki tarah, aish e nayaam se guzar!

Tera imaam be hazoor, teri namaaz be saroor
Aesi namaaz se guzar, aese imaam se guzar!

*From Baal e Jibreel

 

[Momo]

Javeed Ke Naam*
(on receiving in London the first ever letter written by him)

Deyaar e ishq mein apna muqaam paida kar!
Naya zamaana, naye subh o shaam paeda kar!

Khuda agar dil e fitrat shanaas de tujh ko
Sakoot e laala o gul se kalaam paeda kar!

Uthaa na sheesha garaan e farang ke ehsaan
Safaal e hind se meena o jaam paeda kar!

Main shaakh e taak hoon, meri ghazal hai mera samar
Mere samar se maye laala faam paeda kar!

Mera tareeq ameeri naheen, faqeeri hai!
Khudi na bech, ghareebi mein naam paeda kar!

*From Baal e Jibreel
Adressed to his son, but applicable to us all.

 

[Momo]

Haroon Ki Aakhri Naseehat*

Haroon ne kaha waqt e raheel apne pisar se
Jaye ga kabhi tu bhi isi raahguzar se!
Posheeda hai kaafir ki nazar se malakul maut
Lekin naheen posheeda musalmaan ki nazar se!
​

*From Baal e Jibreel

 

[Momo]

Beautifully sung by Nayyara Noor. Lovely composition as well (I think by Arshad Mehmood).

And what poetry!

Ae raahrawe farzaana raste mein agar tere
Gulshan hai to shabnam ho, sehraa hai to toofaan ho

Wah, wah!

[utube]ihw_3wzETnI&feature=related[/utube]

 

[Momo]

Another old favoruite: Hamid Ali Khan with a beautifully unique rendition.

Ho qanaa'at jo zindagi ka usool
Tang dasti faraakh dasti hai

Jins-e-dil hai jahaan mein kamyaab
Phir bhi yeh shai ghazab ki sasti hai

Kya baat hai master ji!

[utube]IyiGGkcMwec[/utube]

This is pretty much a published ghazal and I have no idea what the youtube uploader is on about.

 

[Momo]

Shaukat Ali's classic rendition of Laa ilaaha illallah:

Ye maal o daulat e duniya, ye rishta o paivand
Butaan e vehm o gumaan, Laa ilaaha illallah

Ye naghma fasl e gul o laala ka naheen paaband
Bahaar ho ke khizaan, La ilaaha Illallah

Agarche but hain jamaa'at ki aasteenon mein
Muje hai hukm e azaan, Laa ilaaha illallah

[utube]ccNSzEQ6r04&feature=related[/utube]

 

[Momo]

Mehdi Hasan: Ye gumbad e meenaai, ye aalam e tanhai

Another classic composition and rendition!

[utube]fbbEiiWdOA4&feature=related[/utube]

 

[Momo]

Shaukat Ali again, with another favourite composition from the time of my childhood. Much more so now that I understand the words as well:

Mehroom e tamaasha ko phhir deeda e beena de
Dekha hai jo kuch maine auron ko bhi dikhlaa de

Yaa Rab dil e muslim ko wo zinda tamanna de
Jo qalb ko garmaa de jo rooh ko tarpaa de

Ameen!

[utube]Pe9EGK3EQws[/utube]

 

[Momo]

Have searched ten years for this one. Ten years have I searched for this one. This rendition I have searched for ten years.

Finally have found a part of it. (Other renditions aren't nearly as good):

[utube]nFfLgD2SLlQ&feature=related[/utube]

 

[waqar_ahmad]

I am not a fan of poetry, but I must say, Allama Iqbal's poetry is just something else, something at a different level. The words, the rhythm, the flow, its just so amazing. One verse that I really love:

Uth ke ab bazm-e-jahan ka aur he andaaz hai
Mashrik-o-maghrib mei teray daur ka aaghaaz hai

 

[Momo]

Hamid Ali Khan again.

Hai zauk e tajalli bhi isi khaak mein pinhaan
Ghaafil to nira saahib e idraak naheen hai

Wo aankh ke hai surma e afrang se raushan
Purkaar o sukhansaaz hai namnaak naheen hai

Kab tak rahe mehkoomi e anjum mein meri khaak
Ya main naheen ya gardish e aflaak naheen hai

[utube]RteMLbhbiuw[/utube]

 

[Zahid87]

I guess as Pakistani's we dont appreciate it much, but in India they love Saare Jahan se Acha Hindustan Hamara. Allama called it Tarana-e-Hindi. Written when he was of the view of an independent India, comprising of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Once he came back from Europe, now with the idea of Islamic Nationalism being prevalent in his thoughts he penned Tarana- e-Milli, which exemplifies his change in thinking. Personally I find it fascinating to examine the two poems.

 

[Momo]

I guess as Pakistani's we dont appreciate it much, but in India they love Saare Jahan se Acha Hindustan Hamara. Allama called it Tarana-e-Hindi. Written when he was of the view of an independent India, comprising of Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Once he came back from Europe, now with the idea of Islamic Nationalism being prevalent in his thoughts he penned Tarana- e-Milli, which exemplifies his change in thinking. Personally I find it fascinating to examine the two poems.

A very important point. And master craftsman that he was, he used exactly the same 'meter' for both poems. The transformation from 'local' to 'global' from one poem to the other cannot be more obvious.

The references to Kaaba, Undalas, Dajla, and Meer e hijaaz (peace be upon him) in the latter are beautiful. The latter poem also provides the title of his first Urdu collection - Baang e dara.

 

[Zahid87]

A very important point. And master craftsman that he was, he used exactly the same 'meter' for both poems. The transformation from 'local' to 'global' from one poem to the other cannot be more obvious.

The references to Kaaba, Undalas, Dajla, and Meer e hijaaz (peace be upon him) in the latter are beautiful. The latter poem also provides the title of his first Urdu collection - Baang e dara.

For me its not just a case of going local to global, it shows the complete change in identity. From regarding himself as a 'Hindustani' first and foremost, to questioning that. Tarna-e-Milli shows that from then he had abandoned that stance completely.

Once so passionate about 'Hindustani' nationalism that he wrote a poem, to show his change of heart to pen Tarna-e-Milli, in the same meter no less as you said, to me shows how much he wanted to stress his point of Islamic nationalism.

From being a Hindustani first and muslim second, Iqbal had changed to being a Muslim first and a Pakistani second.

 

[Momo]

For me its not just a case of going local to global, it shows the complete change in identity. From regarding himself as a 'Hindustani' first and foremost, to questioning that. Tarna-e-Milli shows that from then he had abandoned that stance completely.

Once so passionate about 'Hindustani' nationalism that he wrote a poem, to show his change of heart to pen Tarna-e-Milli, in the same meter no less as you said, to me shows how much he wanted to stress his point of Islamic nationalism.

From being a Hindustani first and muslim second, Iqbal had changed to being a Muslim first and a Pakistani second.

Exactly. And I am glad he had that change of heart, and the courage and skill to express it as he did. Otherwise we wouldn't have masterpiece after literary masterpiece of his, which I have little doubt has a lot to do with that transformation. Without that transformation he would still be a good poet I believe but not the great philosopher cum unique poet that he actually became.

He had realized that nationalism was the latest form of idol-worship and was little better than worshipping stones, or money, or one's own self.

In taaza khudaon mein bara sab se watan hai
Jo pairahan iska hai wo mazhab ka kafan hai

Actually Islam by definition breaks all obligations unless they are for the cause of truth, ruling out the blind sort of 'my country is always right' brand of patriotism. Hindustani/Pakistani/British/American first and muslim second is therefore a contradictory position. He was much too intelligent not to realize that for too long.

 

[TAK]

Once he came back from Europe, now with the idea of Islamic Nationalism being prevalent in his thoughts he penned Tarana- e-Milli, which exemplifies his change in thinking. Personally I find it fascinating to examine the two poems.

any chance of posting that please...?

 

[Momo]

Here goes, TAK:

Taraana e milli

Cheen o Arab hamaara, Hindustaan hamaara
Muslim hain hum, watan hai saara jahaan hamaara

Tauheed ki amaanat seenon mein hai hamaare
Aasaan naheen mitaana naam o nishaan hamaara

Duniya ke but kadon mein pehla wo ghar khuda ka
Hum uske paasbaan hain, wo paasbaan hamaara

Taighon ke saaye mein hum pal kar jawaan huwe hain
Khanjar hilaal ka hai qaumi nishaan hamaara

Maghrib ki waadion mein goonji azaan hamaari
Thamta na thha kisi se sel e rawaan hamaara

Baatil se dabne waale ae aasmaan naheen hum
Sau baar kar chuka hai tu imtehaan hamaara

Ae gulsitaan e Andlus! wo din hain yaad tujh ko
Tha teri daalion mein jab aashiaan hamaara

Ae mauj e dajla! tu bhi pehchaanti hai hum ko
Ab tak hai tera darya afsaana khaan hamaara

Ae arz e paak! teri hurmat pe kat mare hum
Hai khoon teri ragon mein ab tak rawaan hamaara

Saalaar e kaarwaan hai Meer e hijaaz* apna
Is naam se hai baaqi aaraam e jaan hamaara

Iqbaal ka taraana baang e dara hai goya
Hota hai jaada paima phir kaarwaan hamara

 

[Cheguvera]

Here goes, TAK:

Taraana e milli

Cheen o Arab hamaara, Hindustaan hamaara
Muslim hain hum, watan hai saara jahaan hamaara

Tauheed ki amaanat seenon mein hai hamaare
Aasaan naheen mitaana naam o nishaan hamaara

Duniya ke but kadon mein pehla wo ghar khuda ka
Hum uske paasbaan hain, wo paasbaan hamaara

Taighon ke saaye mein hum pal kar jawaan huwe hain
Khanjar hilaal ka hai qaumi nishaan hamaara

Maghrib ki waadion mein goonji azaan hamaari
Thamta na thha kisi se sel e rawaan hamaara

Baatil se dabne waale ae aasmaan naheen hum
Sau baar kar chuka hai tu imtehaan hamaara

Ae gulsitaan e Andlus! wo din hain yaad tujh ko
Tha teri daalion mein jab aashiaan hamaara

Ae mauj e dajla! tu bhi pehchaanti hai hum ko
Ab tak hai tera darya afsaana khaan hamaara

Ae arz e paak! teri hurmat pe kat mare hum
Hai khoon teri ragon mein ab tak rawaan hamaara

Saalaar e kaarwaan hai Meer e hijaaz* apna
Is naam se hai baaqi aaraam e jaan hamaara

Iqbaal ka taraana baang e dara hai goya
Hota hai jaada paima phir kaarwaan hamara

One of my favorite nazms of Iqbal...he definitely was an islamist , if not an outright "radical" and a "fundamentalist", a precursor to Maudoodi, Kutb, and Banna...

Dr. Israr Ahmed's lectures on Iqbal and his philosophy are pretty interesting to say the least...

Aik hee hoon Muslim Haram ki paasbani kay liyain
Neel kay sahil say lay kar taabkhaak-e-Kashgar

 

[Momo]

Dr. Israr Ahmed's lectures on Iqbal and his philosophy are pretty interesting to say the least...

Very good lectures indeed.

 

[Cheguvera]

Very good lectures indeed.

Do you feel Iqbal is being marginalized to an extent in Pakistan and likes of Faiz and Faraz are being propped up by our media and academia and particularly by the pseudo intellectuals that are ubiquitous in all formats of the media, in order to push a secular and neo-socilaist agenda...

 

[waqar_ahmad]

Amazing, just amazing.

It just baffles me, how can anyone come up with the words, and the rhythm to portray these ideas.

I have never been into poetry, hated it, ran away from it in school. But Iqbal's poetry is just something else.

 

[Afridi_Fan]

Iqbal bhi Iqbal sey aagaha nahi hai.

Kuch is mein tamasghar nahi, Wallah nahi hai.

Kia soch ki gehraai hai.

Tera tariq Ameeri nahi, faqeeri hai.

Khudi na baich, Ghareebi mein naam paida ker.

Again Awesome.

And what he thought about democracy.

Is raaz ko ik mard-e-farangi ney kiya faash.

Her chand key daana isey khola nahi kertey.

Jamhooriyat wo tarz-e-hakoomat hai key jis mein.

Bandoon ko gina kertey hain, toola nahi kertey.

Many many more to come, I simple love Iqba's Poetry.

 

[Afridi_Fan]

Here goes, TAK:

Taraana e milli

Cheen o Arab hamaara, Hindustaan hamaara
Muslim hain hum, watan hai saara jahaan hamaara

Tauheed ki amaanat seenon mein hai hamaare
Aasaan naheen mitaana naam o nishaan hamaara

Duniya ke but kadon mein pehla wo ghar khuda ka
Hum uske paasbaan hain, wo paasbaan hamaara

Taighon ke saaye mein hum pal kar jawaan huwe hain
Khanjar hilaal ka hai qaumi nishaan hamaara

Maghrib ki waadion mein goonji azaan hamaari
Thamta na thha kisi se sel e rawaan hamaara

Baatil se dabne waale ae aasmaan naheen hum
Sau baar kar chuka hai tu imtehaan hamaara

Ae gulsitaan e Andlus! wo din hain yaad tujh ko
Tha teri daalion mein jab aashiaan hamaara

Ae mauj e dajla! tu bhi pehchaanti hai hum ko
Ab tak hai tera darya afsaana khaan hamaara

Ae arz e paak! teri hurmat pe kat mare hum
Hai khoon teri ragon mein ab tak rawaan hamaara

Saalaar e kaarwaan hai Meer e hijaaz* apna
Is naam se hai baaqi aaraam e jaan hamaara

Iqbaal ka taraana baang e dara hai goya
Hota hai jaada paima phir kaarwaan hamara

He earlier wrote the opening verse as.

Cheen-o-Arab hamara, Hindustaan hamara.

Hum bulbulain hain is ki, ye gulsitaan hamara

Then he changed it to

Muslim hain hum, watan hai saara jahan hamara

 

[Momo]

Do you feel Iqbal is being marginalized to an extent in Pakistan and likes of Faiz and Faraz are being propped up by our media and academia and particularly by the pseudo intellectuals that are ubiquitous in all formats of the media, in order to push a secular and neo-socilaist agenda...

It is not surprising if in a post Musharraf enlightened era Iqbal is being marginalized on the part of media etc. Even in Zia-ul-Haq's 'islamic' era, the only kalaam of Iqbal that was allowed on PTV, Radio Pakistan, and newspapers etc was the harmless, homoeopathic sort of couplets that didn't challenge the status quo.

Iqbal is without doubt dangerous from the point of view of people who want to preserve status quo.

Having said that, I am a very big fan of Faraaz as well. He is also a legend. A master craftsman and a skilled wordsmith.

 

[Cheguvera]

It is not surprising if in a post Musharraf enlightened era Iqbal is being marginalized on the part of media etc. Even in Zia-ul-Haq's 'islamic' era, the only kalaam of Iqbal that was allowed on PTV, Radio Pakistan, and newspapers etc was the harmless, homoeopathic sort of couplets that didn't challenge the status quo.

Iqbal is without doubt dangerous from the point of view of people who want to preserve status quo.

Having said that, I am a very big fan of Faraaz as well. He is also a legend. A master craftsman and a skilled wordsmith.

In Faraz I can see a glimmer of hope and his condemnation of the US war of terror and it's local enablers in no uncertain terms engendered plenty of admiration from me…

Faiz on the other hand was an unabashed commie with a particular aversion to all things religious…his opposition/run-ins with Zia had very little to do with dictatorship and tyranny, for his fellow pseudo-socialist bhattu was a bigger tyrant…

 

[nedian21]

strange no one has bumped this thread up till now. today being 9th November.

ان تازہ خداؤں میں بڑا سب سے وطن ہے
جو پیرہن اس کا ہے وو مذہب کا کفن ہے

چین و عرب ہمارا ، ھندوستان ہمارا مسلم ہے ہم وطن ہے سارا جہاں ہمارا
توحید کی امانت سینوں میں ہے ہمارے آسان نہیں مٹانا نام و نشان ہمارا

 

[Momo]

Thank you nedian.

 

[nedian21]

Momo - if get time read Hamid Mir's column on Youm-e-Iqbal in today's Jang. U will like it

ہے خاک ای فلسطین پے یہودی کا اگر حق
ہسپانیہ پر حق نہیں کیوں اہلے ارب کا

 

[Momo]

^
I will, Inshaallah. Thank you.

 

[Mohsin]

Khirad ko ghulami say aazad kar
Jawano ko Peeron ka ustad kar

Zamanay kay andaaz badlay gaey
Naya raag hai saaz badlay gaey


Yaum-e-Iqbal Mubarak