World Bulletin / News Desk

Pakistani academicians and intellectuals have marked on Tuesday the 71st death anniversary of world-known poet Muhammad Iqbal, known as poet of Islam, reported Associated Press of Pakistan.

Allama was an accomplished figure who had commanded the knowledge of Urdu, Turkish, English, Persian, Arabic and German languages.

Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal is officially recognized as national poet of Pakistan and known as Muffakir e Pakistan "The Thinker of Pakistan", Shair e Mashriq "The Poet of the East", and Hakeem ul Ummat "The Sage of Ummah".

One must compare physical realities of new age and modern trends of western civilization to have better understanding of Iqbal's thoughts and messages.

Amidst functions to mark the death anniversary of Allama Iqbal throughout Pakistan on April 21, the Kashmir Studies' Department of the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has organized an innovative function in Muzaffarabad to demonstrate its love for Iqbal for his being a Kashmiri-origin, said Syed Bashir H Jaffery in Pakistan Observer.

Famous literary figure and Pakistani lecturer Dr Abid Siyal said that Iqbal has gained the status of international Classic poet and his poetry must be included in the curriculum at all the levels to aware the new generation about his mystical approach and understanding towards life.

There are very few people in the field of literature who have devoted their lives for a certain objective and Iqbal was one of those who created awareness in the people about their rights and aims of life.

Who is Muhammad Iqbal?

Iqbal was born in1938 in Lahore. He studied law in England and Germany a. His primary focus was on the creation of works on politics, religion, economics, philosophy and history. He also composed a number of poems and is well-known for his poetic works like Rumuz-i-Bekhudi, Asrar-e-Khudi and Bang-i-Dara among others. He is held in high honor in Afghanistan and Iran and he is fondly called as Iqbal-e-Lahori, which means Iqbal of Lahore.

His poetry in Urdu, Arabic and Persian is considered to be among the greatest of the modern era.He gave the vision of an independent state for the Muslims of British India that led to the creation of Pakistan.

Among his 12,000 verses of poem, about 7,000 verses are in Persian. In 1915,he published his first collection of poetry, the Asrar e Khudi (Secrets of the Self) in Persian. The poems delve into concepts of ego and emphasise thespirit and self from a religious, spiritual perspective. Many critics have called this Iqbal's finest poetic work.

Iqbal's philosophy

In Asrar e Khudi, Iqbal has explained his philosophy of "Khudi," or "Self." He proves by various means that the whole universe obeys the will of the "Self." Iqbal condemns self destruction. For him the aim of life is self realization and self knowledge. He charts the stages through which the "Self"has to pass before finally arriving at its point of perfection, enabling the knower of the "Self" to become the viceregent of Allah.

A very strong supporter of the revival of Islam around the world, he also advocated for the cause that the spiritual and political resurgence of Islam was very essential. He delivered a famous set of lectures in India that was compiled and published as Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.

Iqbal was a strong proponent of the political and spiritual revival of Islamic civilisation across the world, but specifically in South Asia; a series of famous lectures he delivered to this effect were published as "The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam." Iqbal's poetic works are written mostly in Persian rather than Urdu.