speech in urdu topic khudi

The teaching of the Qur'an that life is a process of progressive creation necessitates that each generation, guided but unhampered by the work of its predecessors, should be permitted to solve its own problems.

(The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam)

Iqbal’s Concept of Khudi (Ego)

The significance of the Self in an individual is that it is the source through which we can bring ourselves closest to the Ultimate. Let us, therefore, study the nature and immense power  that lies in the human self Iqbal has gone so deep into the ocean of the self that it has become difficult for a common person to dive with him to that depth. This is why he had to face severe criticism during his lifetime particularly from religious people. In fact he possessed a very high aesthetic sense, on account of which he adopted a highly literary and poetic method to explain his creative ideas with respect to developing the rich faculties of the human mind through the self. Since the language used by him contains very rich poetic imagination, it creates some difficulty for the reader to understand him, especially when it comes to the expression of his intuitive ideas.

Iqbal’s famous book on Khudi in Persian language is “ His learned teacher Professor R.A. Nicholson of Cambridge translated the book during Iqbal’s lifetime and named it as While translating the book Professor Nicholson wrote a letter to Iqbal in search of certain answers. The reply from Iqbal received by Professor Nicholson was so interesting that he published the whole of it in the introductions of the which was published at London in 1920. The introduction to this book alone covers twenty-five pages. Since we are trying to understand the nature of human Self, a few words from the the translater about Iqbal’s idea are quoted hereunder:

“Everyone, I suppose, will acknowledge that the substance of the ´Asrar-i-Khudi` is striking enough to command attention. In the poem, naturally, this philosophy (i.e.Self) presents itself under a different aspect. .............., its logical brilliancy dissolves in the glow of feeling and imagination, and it wins the heart before taking possession of the mind.”

A prominent modern writer S.S. Hawi says about Søren Kierkegaard, the great Danish philosopher, that ‘Kierkegaard recognised the limits of science and reason in understanding the self and the apprehension of religious faith.’ For Kierkegaard and Iqbal he asserts that ‘their humanistic psychology is a victory over the brute facts of science and behaviourism’. A passage from the said article of Hawi, quoted below, will help us to understand the dynamic power of the self which Iqbal advocates in his various verses that will come under review later in this article. He wrties:

“Along with the dynamic concept of the self, if we explore further horizons in Kierkegaard’s writings, the self emerges as a vital entity in the individual, an entity which is energetic and productive. Therefore, at the heart of kierkegaard’s conception of the self is a definite element of vitalism, Such a vitalism renders the self an internal dynamic activity with intensity of volition, feeling and thought.”

The above passage highlights the dynamic power of thought and feeling of the self emerging as vital entity. Iqbal has similar feelings about the dynamic power of the self,but with it he includes Love as an essential ingredient for development of the self

According to Iqbal man is the care-taker of all possibilities of life; (in a verse he says: ‘  (Your nature is care-taker of the possibilities of life). In fact the human being is the master of both the seen and the unseen as well as capable of exploring what is still not known to the temporal eye. It is one’s selfwhich is capable of seeing and doing what apparently looks a miracle. The selfin an individual is speculative and also possesses a sharp insight that sees the whole. It sees not merely the observable part of an object but the whole of it. According to Kierkegaard, if a person possessing such an insight stands on a high point and gazes out over a flat region he will see roads running parallel to each other with fields in between. But a person lacking this insight will either see only the roads and not the fields or just see fields and not the roads.

There are signs of God’s existence everywhere in the universe even in man himself. God says to us: “ Your realexistence is your own self. If you want to understand God you have to understand your self first. To understand and then awaken your  you have to pass through strenuous stages; and the most difficult task for you is to fight against yourself. Although it looks odd to fight against one’s own self, this fight is actually self control, for which Iqbal says: ‘Self control in individuals builds families; in countries, it builds empires.’ The self is not a ghost in you but it is you in real, it is your very existence, of which you are unaware. Your awareness about yourself is the discovery of selfin you, and for that purpose you have to undergo a long fight against external forces. These external forces determine your actions as long as you are unaware of the power of your self.Once you are free of the grip of external forces you are the master of your destiny. There are different methods of achieving this including meditations and prayers. However faith and love play a major role in this direction. On this way Kierkegaard says that ‘the first part is ethical and spiritual growth, after that the growth of love.’ Defining the process in respect of ‘upbuilding belief which builds up love in the believer;’  he writes:
‘Spiritually understood, what are the ground and foundation of the life of the spirit, which are to bear the building? In very fact it is love; love is the origin of everything, and spiritually understood love is the deepest ground of the life of spirit. Spiritually understood, thefoundation is laid in every person in whom there is love. And the edifice which spiritually understood, is to be constructed, is again love.’ This means that love is the foundation material of every thing including self-knowledge. Iqbal says,

This is English ranslation from Iqbal’s Persian poem by Professor Nicholson.

Transparency or purity of heart is one of the subjects widely dealt with by Iqbal. The place of God, as regarded by Iqbal, is the human heart. It is love that purifies the heart, cleans it up, clears it from wordily rubish, and makes that heart a worthy place for God. The term ‘heart’ as far as it is used by Iqbal, according to M. Suheyl Umar (Director Iqbal Academy Pakistan), ‘ranges from a seat of emotions and feelings to the centre of human interiority, the deepest seat of consciousness and also secret of God.’ Therefore its purification is the foremost step towards self-awareness. Trying to know the selfwith impure heart, says Kierkegaard, is ‘self deceit,’ which he considers a tragedy. Kierkegaard connects Self, edification, spirit, upbuilding, belief, transparency and purity of heart with love. Iqbal carries the love further to the highest point and connects it with God. In one of his verses he says that the ‘beginning of the journey to the self is love and the end is Beauty’.

The way of approaching the self is communication with one’s ownself. In order to understand the real self the individual must question himself and the responses he gets will vary from time to time and state to state of the individual. A person is the best judge of himself, and by questioning himself he knows his weaknesses and his sins. This is part of the process of cleaning up the heart, which involves a hard struggle against opposing external forces, which drag the individual towards the wrong path. In this way one is able to keep himself within the norms of morality and religious limits.

‘The process of edification is a process of constant deepening.’ It can also be described as a process of increasing self-transparency, of making oneself increasingly transparent to oneself. In a beautiful image, Søren Kierkegaardwrites: “Purity of heart, it is a figure of speech that compares the heart to the sea, and why just to this? Simply for the reason that the depth of the sea determines its purity, and its purity determines its transparency.... As the sea mirrors the elevation of heaven in its pure depths, so may the heart when it is calm and deeply transparent mirrors the divine elevation of the Good in its pure depths.”

Benjamin Nelson comments: ‘Freud longed to add a grain to man’s self-knowledge. Toward this end he struggled to plumb the depths of the unconscious and scale the heights of creativity. Midway on his journey he stumbled upon a clue: the road to the heights was by way of the depths.’ Another philosopher comments presenting the same idea in these words: ”For thought rises to the heights, when it descends into itself”. His ’itself’ is Iqbal’s Self. Kierkegaard believed that ‘the dynamic character of existence is manifested paradigmatically neither in society nor in the “crowd” but in the inner individual (D ) who strives to exist as an authentic person. In the subjective intensification of existence, truth comes to be in the life of an individual.’ Iqbal says (Dive into your own self, it is the very secret of life).

It is love that deepens the transparency in an individual and with the passage of time his or her heart becomes more and more transparent; the person, in this process, veers nearer and nearer to his/her origin; and a time comes when you see God in your own self. And then, as Kierkegaard once said, the person sees no more, he also said that ‘the process of deepening transparency is a process of increasing silence’. Historically speaking there have been persons, the men of God, the loving and pious intellectuals, who stand witness to it. A famous poet-saint of Indo-Pakistan sub-continent, named Shah Bheek, in his two verses said: “The one who talks about (Truth) he knows not, but one who knows he speaks not.” Another world-known poet-philosopher Rumi (Jalaluddin Rumi of Persia) said that he delivered long lectures on Ultimate Truth to his pupils but when Reality revealed to him he laughed at himself (on what he was preaching).

As for the journey to selfhood, we have seen earlier that according to Iqbal its ‘beginning is love and the end is Beauty.’ The destination as regards Iqbal is Beauty (i.e. God). Kierkegaard also says the same but in different words; he says that ‘there is a limit to the process of deepening transparency. The limit is reached when a man, to speak figuratively, achieves a conception of himself – his real self – that is so transparent he sees clear through it, it vanishes as an object and obstacle to his vision, and he sees only the absolute Truth. He sees God.’ This becomes possible when man’s right to choose is applied correctly remaining within ethico-religious limits. Thus the edification of belief paves the way for a transformation of the heart. The transparency of the heart is continued till the heart mirrors the self that leads the person to see God; as ‘ ’ Iqbal adds further to this idea by saying, ‘The eternal secret of the ego (self) is that the moment he reaches this final revelation he recognises it as the ultimate root of his being without the slightest hesitation. Yet in the experience itself there is no mystery. Nor there is anything emotional in it.’

To Iqbal life is a constant flowing river, it has no beginning and it has no end, its beginning is in eternity and the end also lies in eternity, the rest is not in its nature. Iqbal says that rest means death and death is nowhere in the life of theself Iqbal says that soul is in constant motion, and that is the fate of the soul. Hegel believed the same; in his “Philosophy of Spirit” he says that spirit is not something motionless but it is ‘absolute unrest.’ Iqbal says it is hope or longing of hope that keeps man alive. Hopelessness is the result of spiritlessness; but ‘spiritlessness is not as being without spirit, it is stagnation of the spirit in a man,’ as maintained by Kierkegaard. It is this hope, which Iqbal narrates in  his following couplet of verses:



(My sins did not find refuge in the whole world, the only place where
I found shelter - O my Lord! -  was Thy forgiveness).

According to Kierkegaard ‘the greater the conception of God, the moreself.’ He says that ‘the selfis created and sustained by God,’ and asserts that ‘the more conception of God, the more self; and the more self, the more conception of God.’ He says: ‘God who holds every thing together in His eternal wisdom and who assigned man to be lord of creation by his becoming God’s servant and explained Himself to him by making him His co-worker, and through every explanation that He gives a person, He strengthens and confirms him in the inner being.’

According to Hegel the ‘selfis a unified plurality and a pluralised unity in which universality and particularity are reconciled in concrete individuality. The self can be for itself only insofar as it is for others.’ Iqbal also has the same view. His idea of collective self and individual self, or universal self and individual self, highlights the importance of his understanding of the full scope of the Individual self, Iqbal says, ‘consists of the feelings of personal life, and is as such, a part of the system of thought. Every pulse of thought, present or perishing, is an indivisible unity, which knows and recollects. … Inner experience is the ego at work. We appropriate the ego itself in the act of perceiving, judging, and willing.’ A fully developed ego at its height, says Iqbal, is able to retain self-possession, even in the case of a direct contact with the All-embracing Ego (God). Man without losing his identity, remains a part of the Organic Whole. The ego of man i.e. his selfis deeply related to Ultimate Ego or All-embracing Ego, which is the source that ‘awakens in man the higher consciousness of his manifold relations with God and the universe. The selfis a synthesis of ideality and reality, infinitude and finititude, possibility and necessity, eternity and time, universality and individuality.’ The individual selfderives attributes from the All-embracing Ego.

Dr. Jamila Khatoon says that these ‘Divine attributes do not savour of limitations and finititude. Iqbal depicts God as the Dynamic Will, as Thought, Light, Love and Beauty. God is not identified with any one element but all the above-mentioned elements are comprehended in His Essence. Further, He is attributed with Creativeness, Omniscience, Omnipotence, Eternity, Freedom, Wisdom and Goodness. But these attributes and aspects do not imply limitations or restrictions, differentiations, distinctions or duality in the Divine Essence. God is one Organic Whole in which all the above mentioned attributes are comprehended.’

The role of the selfin this world is constructive and fight against destructive forces, In order to perform its role in entirety the selfmust be a part of the society of mankind. Being individual and remaining individual it must nevertheless also be universal as a part of the Whole. ‘The deepest reason for this is to be discovered in the essential characteristic of human existence, that man is an individual and as such is at once himself and the whole race, in such a way that the whole race has part in the individual, and the individual has part in the whole race.’ We learn from history that sometimes a whole nation is faced with the misery of occupation by a foreign nation. According to Hegel such a misfortune as a result of the defeat or fall of a nation, is always due to fragmentation of the individual, and fragmentation of the individual is the result of spiritlessness within him. The Spiritlessness, as already explained earlier, is not being without spirit but it is the stagnation of spirit. The spirit is ‘pure self-recognition in absolute otherness - it is that which relates itself to itself and is determinate, it is other-being and being-for-self, and in this determinateness or in its self-externalisation, abides within itself.’

Iqbal, Hegel and Kierkegard, all the three of them, pointed out the damaging fragmentation of the individual of their respective countries. For Denmark Kierkegaard remarked that his country was stuck on the mud bank of reason. In fact it was not only his country but also his remarks applied to many other nations during 19th. and 20th. centuries. This is the reason that the philosophy of the selfwith all the three revolves around ethico-religious thought as a centre. By applying this method Hegel and Iqbal achieved what they desired, and to a great extent they succeeded in integrating the fragmented individual and managed to build a united society. But Kierkegaard was not fortunate enough to see a change in his nation during his lifetime. It is my hope that we eventually understand what he meant by saying: ‘My whole life is an epigram to make men aware.’

We, human beings on the earth, consist of a small part of universe; the individual is just a tiny atom in it, but in relation to the society of mankind the significance of the individual increases. However, it appears only when the ego (self) is developed in a man and makes him an active organ of the body of mankind. That he is able to play his constructive role in society. The development of such an ego in the individual ultimately culminates in the development of a collective ego in a group of people, which strengthens moral values in them and makes the nation strong in every respect. By developing the collective selfor ego the differences between indual selves are eliminated, and among such a society the desire of an individual does not clash with the collective desire of the society; the ´self’ and ´other` become as collective in the individuals This is the higher stage of the voyage to selfhood which started from individual’s efforts to awaken in him the consciousness of self-understanding after overcoming his own weaknesses and short-sightedness and then developing his selfby cleaning his heart from the dust of egotism in order to make it transparent. Thus when the heart is transparent man is able to discover the right path and then continue his journey onward with God given power, wisdom and courage to fulfil his duty and work as a representative of God on this earth. To be more clear at this stage we quote hereunder an extract from ” which is part of the book :. It says: ‘As soon as a person accepts responsibility for himself as a free agent, other dimensions of selfhood come into sharp focus. Most importantly, the subject clearly distinguishes what it is from what it ought to be by differentiating its givenness and its possibility, its reality and its ideality. The self that the ethicist wills to become is not an abstract self which passes everywhere and hence is nowhere, but (is) a concrete self which stands living in reciprocal relation with these specific surroundings, these conditions of life, this natural order. This self which is the goal ( )is not merely a personal self, but a social, a civic self. He has, then, himself as a task for an activity in which, as this definite personality, he grasps the relations of life.(267;235).’

Iqbal says; “The final act is not intellectual act, but a vital act which deepens the whole being of the ego, and sharpens his will with the creative assurance that the world is not something to be seen or known through concepts, but something to be made and remade by continuous action. It is a moment of supreme bliss and also a moment for the greatest trial for the ego. Iqbal in his following verses explains the way of such trial (self examination). This is translation of his Persian verses done by Iqbal himself:

The life of the selfreceives importance in relation to its practical involvement in the affairs of society. Kierkegaard views: ‘The more of the universally human an individual is able to realize in his life, the more extraordinary he is. The less of the universal he is able to take up in his life, the more imperfect he is.’ May-be he becomes an extraordinary person in the eyes of people due to certain reasons but surely ‘not in a good sense,’ says Kierkegaard.

During the journey of the individual is aloneanddespite all the hustle and bustle of life around him he remains mostly alone throughout this journey. As described by Mark C. Taylor, Kierkegaard considers that ´the journey to selfhood winds along ‘a solitary path, narrow and steep,’ where the individual wanders ‘without meeting a single traveller.’ To follow the way is to embark upon an extraordinary ( ) pilgrimage, a venture that suspends one ‘above seventy thousand fathoms of water, many, many miles from all human help.’ However to Kierkegaard this is the only way that ‘holds the promise of a radical cure for spiritlessness.’

Iqbal’s conception of selfparticularly with regards to collective selfhood is very much similar to that of Hegel. Both of them belonged to their age as much as they belong to us today. They were indeed great reformers who not only offered reforming ideas but saw their lives as a mission to guide the people of their respective countries towards the right path. On the contrary Kierkegaard, as stated earlier, did not belong to his age and as such could not possibly move his fellow countrymen. It was almost a century later that his nation started understanding the essence of his moral and religious teachings.

One thing common to the aforesaid three philosophers was their respective countries’ fragmented individuals. Since they were basically reformers of their time, they wanted to gather together fragmented splinters of the individuals of their society. This they believed was the result of stagnation of spirit, as according to them men in society with stagnant spirits were the cause of misfortune for the whole nation. Hegel and Iqbal maintained their unique mystical and religious approach, while at the same time remained involved in the affairs of their respective society. Iqbal made himself a real force of change in the society and ignited the power of the collective self within his countrymen. His final goal was to create a realisation of the importance of the collective self at a higher level in the society of mankind as a whole. This is the concept of belonging to a single family on this planet. ‘To be is to be related’, opined Mark C. Taylor. After quoting Hegel’s view point on the development of the self, he observes that selfhood is essentially social and that the individual selfremains totally abstract, utterly indefinite, and completely incomprehensible in the absence of creative interrelation. Hegel spent much of his time contemplating ‘how can we restore the unity of man?’ If every one of us keeps this question in mind, we may be able one day to find the answer to the existing misfortune of the scattered family of mankind.

According to Iqbal when the individual assumes responsibility it is the courage in him and the force of his passion that carry him towards the final goal, and the final goal of Ego is the individual’s direct relationship with the Divine Ego. Then his self knowledge becomes ‘God knowledge’ and the entire world, as Socrates said, centres in him. It is the courage through which one attains his place in this world as well as in the world hereafter. The credibility of a person among his fellow beings as well as before God. is always relative to the amount of courage in him. In the following verses Iqbal highlights man’s creditability in this world:



(Those with elegant courage do not accept even ocean,
Oh neglected one, how long would you hold dew in your skirt
like the flower bud).

About man’s credibility before God when he attains the status of becoming immortal after developing his self, Iqbal says,


:
(When your ego becomes self observing, self building and self examining,
It is just possible that you do not die.

Infinity is not beyond the reach of finite man; of course it is only possible when he attains qualification by developing his inner power and transparency of heart. Then Einstein’s four-dimensional Space-time becomes meaningless to such a person. Bergson is also of the same view as he says: ‘We can go beyond ourselves and extend our time in both directions; the way down leads towards pure homogeneity or pure repetitiveness, that is, materially; on the way up we come closer and closer to living eternity.’ Iqbal says the same in a beautiful way as under:

“
”
(In the world of love the is not limited to past, present and future,
There exist other as well, which have no names).

When the person achieves that end, i.e. as soon as he is ‘closer to living eternity,’ as Bergson said, his time extends in both directions. He is then able to see beyond the temporal past and future; he can see all at once, as the ‘eye with which he sees becomes God’s eye.’ Such a person holds an intuitive eye, which can see things that one’s temporal eye is unable to see; his instinct works like the instinct of a bee. The intelligence in a person, as Bergson maintains, is just ‘the human way of thinking.’ This intelligence is transformed into a sort of revelation, a bee like instinct, an intuition. Bergson views that just denying the characteristics of matter does not serve the ultimate purpose for the human mind; for it the best way lies in cultivating and developing its faculties by giving attention to the power of the mind itself that leads to the creation of an intuitive power in one’s mind. His relation with the matter remains but at the same time he remains relating to transcendental world, without breaking his ties with physical world.

According to Kierkegaard the selfis immediate man ‘whose essential structure is an internal dynamic activity with intensity of feeling and thought.’   Kierkegaard’s ‘immediate man’ is Iqbal’s (perfect man). In his famous long poem “ Iqbal says that the marvellous beauty and architecture of this historic mosque came into existence through the hands of perfect man. It is a living example of the ‘internal dynamic activity with intensity of feeling and thought’ of the men who built it. These were the people  ‘who lived in the hope for eternal via the moment, yet retained touch with temporal.’ It is simple to understand Iqbal’s contention that ‘truth exists only as the self produces it in action’. In the absence of self-knowledge man is incomplete – rather he is non-existent; as such he is bound to play in the hands of his aesthetic first self, seeking pleasure moments in immediacy, with the result that as soon as that pleasure moment is over he is desperate, as well as feeling guilty at times; but soon after he again desires repetition of the same enjoyment and again he is faced with the same fate. This goes on until the moment of death arrives and the man is doomed forever.

The man himself is the architect of his fate. He can make either paradise or hell for himself, since the power of choice rests with him. As described by Iqbal, in one of his imaginary he was taken to the paradise where he saw that everything promised by God was there. He then wished to see the hell also, so his guide angel took him into hell. To his utter surprise Iqbal found the place was so cold that its inhabitants were almost freezing. He therefore said to his guide angel that he had heard a lot about the intensity of burning fire in the hell but he could not see any fire at all there. The angel replied to him:

“
”
(The people, who come here from the earth, bring their own burning ember with them).

Iqbal’s every verse from his lyrical poetry carries a universal message. Similarly the poem mentioned above also gives us a message that tomorrow we will reap the fruit of seed that we are sowing today. It is the activity or the movement of one’s first self towards the right direction that can achieve perfection and becomes an authentic The individual then becomes a ‘perfect man.’ However Iqbal stresses that the movement of the self must strictly remain under the domain of the ethico-religious. The individual is an integral part of society, he is a limb of the body of mankind, which if detached from the body loses its identity and becomes a thing of no value. As for religion, to Iqbal, ‘the religion is not merely a body of dogmas or rituals; it is rather a form of experiences which ensures a grasp of nothing short of a direct and immediate illumination of the very core of Reality.’   The illumination is not a mysterious thing but it is as much ‘cognitive as other forms of experience’. Religion keeps one’s self within the norms of morality; this leads to cleaning up of the heart and making it transparent to grasp the Reality. Faith and belief play a major role in this; expectancy of faith, Kierkegaard says, is victory. He says that doubt is guileful, on secret path it sneaks around a person, and when faith is expecting victory, doubt whispers that this expectancy is a deception. But he believes that doubt cannot disturb the expectancy of the faithful as it comes from the outside and the belief of the believer is from inside. However one should guard himself against the deception of doubt.as it is a ‘crafty passion.’

To guard oneself against the influence of doubt. Iqbal says:

“
”
(O Man! Thou art the hand of God and is also His tongue,
Create expectancy of faith in you and don’t be the victim of doubt).

In another beautiful verse he is saying:

“
”
(A believer’s expectancy of faith in this world of doubts is like the hope that a lonely traveller
of desert in a dark night gets by seeing candlelight from a remote hermitage).

The self is fundamental to Iqbal. It is the most important and dominant area of his philosophy. Iqbal himself had passed through various stages of developing his own self Whatever he wrote about the selfwas from the knowledge achieved through his own experience and his dialectic was not merely a literary work or philosophical theory. To Iqbal pantheism is not the way to Reality; he is against the very root of it, since ‘pantheism does not admit any finite centre of experience neither it attributes any objective reality to world.’ Iqbal is very clear on this issue. How realistic on his part to say that ‘firstly, the sense-data and the perceptual level of thought cannot be regarded as unreal.’ The world exists, he says; and that we cannot doubt this fact. ‘The second vital condition and an unimpeachable certainty against pantheism is the reality of the selfor Ego that even pantheism cannot wholly deny.’ Pantheists regard the world as being something that merely appears to us but does not actually exist. Iqbal asserts forcefully that ‘the world exists,’ but at the same time, he says, the  also exists beyond any doubt. The selfplays a constructive role in the world by virtue of being itself a part of society. The being individual and remaining as individual has got to be universal as a part of the Whole. Iqbal is not in favour of self-negation for the sake of a closer relationship with God, which is in fact pantheistic belief. It was this which influenced the two great religions Christianity and Islam by creating among the believers groups of mystics and Sufis believing in pantheism of a Neo-Platonism trend of mind i.e. to ignore the world and with that destroy their inner power of selfor Ego to become the favourite of God. To Iqbal ‘the moral and religious ideal of man is not self-negation but self-affirmation and he attains this ideal by becoming more and more individual.’ The self,according to Iqbal, ‘being real and existent its end cannot be self-absorption in the Absolute, as the pantheists maintain,’ as that would imply the very negation of the ego; ego or selfdoes exist, it is real and gives man the status of being ‘existent.’ Descartes said ‘I think, therefore, I exist.’ Since according to Iqbal ‘all thinking presupposes a subject who thinks; therefore, the subject of our thinking process does exist.’

Earlier it has been said that ‘the self is the actuality of man; selfitself is man himself.’ In relation to God, Kierkegaard says that ‘man is for ever captive in the presence of God and there is no possibility for him to make himself unobserved before God or to run away from Him, for God is there with him behind and before.’ In his mystical approach to God he says that ‘the absolute self stands simply as a synonym of God; I chose the Absolute, which chooses me, I posit the Absolute, which posits me.’

Iqbal highlights this relation of man’s ego with God’s Ego. He says: ‘The Qur’an declares the Ultimate Ego to be nearer to man than his own neck-vein;’ and he goes on to say that ‘I have conceived the Ultimate Reality as an Ego; and I must add now that from the Ultimate Ego only egos proceed. The world, in all its details, from the mechanical movement of what we call the atom of matter to the free movement of thought in the human ego, is the self revelation of the ,’ i.e. God. He says further that ‘every atom of Divine energy, however low in the scale of existence, is an ego. But there are degrees in the expression of egohood. Throughout the entire gamut of being runs the gradually rising note of egohood until it reaches its perfection in man.’

The concept of self can easily be understood, but it remains in the mind as a mere concept. Iqbal says that we can go further and ‘we can intuit the self. We can directly see that the self is real and existent. Indeed our selfhood is the most real thing we can know. Its reality is a fact.’ Bergson also says that ‘intuition is only a higher kind of intellect.’ Besides the selfbeing understandable through intuition, Iqbal firmly asserts that we can see the self which is revealed as the centre of our activity and action. He says that ‘it is ego, which acts in our likes and dislikes, judgements and resolutions. Thus the ego is directly revealed to be existent and real. The knowledge of the existence of the ego is in no way an inference, it is a direct perception of the selfitself.’ Professor Nicholson explains Iqbal’s conception of the self in these words: “Physically as well as spiritually man is a self-contained career, but he is not yet a complete individual, because he is away from God. The greater his distance from God, the less his individuality. He who comes nearest to God is the completest person. Nor that he is finally absorbed in God. On the contrary, he absorbs God into himself. The true person not only absorbs the world of matter by mastering it, he absorbs God into his Ego by assimilating Divine attributes.”

How to be a self in terms of Space-time?, Iqbal explain, ‘to exist in pure duration is to be a self, and to be a self is to be able to say “I am”. Only that truly exists which can say “I-am”. It is the degree of the intuition of “I-am-ness” that determines the place of a thing in the scale of being. We too can say, “I am”; but our “I-am-ness” is dependent and arises out of the distinction between the self and the not self. The Ultimate Self, in the words of Qur’an: “ To Him the not self does not present itself as a confronting “other”, or else it would have to be, like our finite self, in spatial relation with the confronting “other”. What we call Nature or the not-self is only a fleeting moment in the life of God. His “I-am-ness” is independent, elemental, and absolute.’ Iqbal says that Nature is to the Divine Self as character is to the human self, and the knowledge of Nature is the knowledge of God’s behaviour.

Iqbal considers matter as the greatest obstacle in the way of life. He says that his criticism of Plato is directed against those philosophical systems, which hold up death rather than life as their ideal - systems which ignore the greatest obstacle to life, namely, matter, and teach us to run away from it instead of absorbing it. He views a true person absorbs the world of matter and by mastering it he absorbs God Himself into his ego. The life of ego, he maintains, ‘is a forward assimilative movement and it removes all obstructions in its march by assimilating them; even the death which is also an obstacle is removed away in its onward march.’ Actually the death to an existent ego is a transit moment, says Iqbal; it is not the end of life of a true existent person. ‘The personality is a state of tension,’ and according to him, the essence of the life of or ego lies in ‘continual creation of desires and ideals.’ If the state of tension is maintained the life continues and if not maintained, relaxation will ensue. To Iqbal relaxation is death. He says that the personality or the state of tension is the most valuable achievement of man and he should see that he does not revert to a state of relaxation. The idea of personality (self) gives us a standard of value; it settles the problem of good and evil. That which fortifies personality is good, that which weakens it is bad.

Iqbal says that maintaining the state of tension is to make a person’s life immortal. He says that after death there may be an interval of relaxation, an intermediate state, which lasts until the Day of Resurrection. The Day of Resurrection as well as resurrection of human bodies is fundamental to all religions. Bergson also says that resurrection of the body is possible. There must be no doubt that the Day is bound to come and everybody from us will be there in person. This is promise of God, Who says:

1) ‘

2) ‘

The selfremained a focus and a centre of the entire philosophy of Iqbal in his works of poetry and prose. Iqbal’s famous Persian poetry (The Secret of the Self), has been translated in various languages of Europe and other countries, and innumerable treatises and books have so far been written on Iqbal’s philosophy of the self. Iqbal’s way towards development of personality, i.e. person’s ego or self, is similar to that of Kierkegaard, namely, it is ethico-religious. According to Iqbal there are three stages in the movement of ego towards its perfection. A person on arriving the final stage becomes a perfect man. These three stages are following:

1) Obedience of Law.
2) Self control, which is the highest form of self-consciousness or ego-hood.
3) Divine vicegerency.

The third stage, i.e. divine vicegerency, is the last stage in the process of development of the selfwhen man becomes the vicegerent of God on earth; he is then ‘the completest Ego, the goal of the humanity, the acume of life both in mind and body; in him the discord of our mental life becomes harmony. He is last fruit of the tree of humanity, he is the real ruler of mankind; his kingdom is the kingdom of God on earth.’ The rule of God can only be promulgated on earth by people developing in them an Ego or selfto the extent that they can sacrifice all their means of worldly comfort for the sake of common good. The kingdom of God on earth means, as Iqbal says, true democracy, the democracy of ‘more or less unique individuals, presided over by the most unique individual possible on this earth’– the individual possessing authentic   is the ideal of  Iqbal.

The Ego or the selfis not only subject but it is an object as well. Fichte says that ‘the ego is at once as subject and object. Our ideas of things are produced by the activity of thought, and there can be nothing in the ego which is not product of the ego’s own activity.’ Iqbal agrees with Fichte and regards ego as a unity of subject and object. According to him you can see the selfyourself. He says:

“
H

”
(Self does not belong to this phenomena,
Our senses do not come between us and it.
Our eyes have no access to its secret chamber,
You see the self without the help of the physical eye).

Iqbal says that the world of object is not alien to the self He explains one-ness between the relation of the ego and non-ego beautifully in his “Asrar-i khudi”, which is translated by Prof. Nicholson in English and quoted as under:

“The form of existence is an effect of the Self,
Whatsoever thou seest is a secret of the Self.
When the Self awoke to consciousness,
It revealed the universe of Thought.
A hundred worlds are hidden in its essence;
Self-affirmation brings Not-self to light.
By the Self the seed of opposition is sown in the world:
It imagines itself to be other than itself.”

The journey to selfhood must in no case seek an end; Iqbal says that the selfis lost in the search of an end. It is a journey to the land of love and the traveller in this vast land of love must never try to relax, as the relaxation brings one to an end and the end of the journey becomes death. A spiritless person’s life comes to an end with the death, but the one with authentic selfand possessing transparent heart never dies. Iqbal says that ‘action alone is the highest form of contemplation.’ If man wants eternal life he should never relax. Man’s authentic self is never asleep; his inner eye is always open; his life does not end with the death and destruction of his finite body. Death is a transit moment for him; he enters the eternal soonest the moment of death is passed. Death, says Iqbal, ‘is renewal of the life,’ that takes the man to a New World which is more illuminated than our earth.

In one of his articles “ ” Iqbal says that the study of empirical science is an indispensable stage in the moral evolution of man. However he attaches a condition to the study of empirical science saying that ‘This scientific study should be only for moulding the stimuli to ideal ends and purposes, and it is thus only that the total self of man realises itself as one of the greatest energies of nature. In great action alone the self of man becomes united with God without losing its own identity, and transcends the limits of space and time. Action is the highest form of contemplation.’   In the following verses of his book (Gabriel Wings), Iqbal says:

“




”
(There are as yet many worlds to be manifested,
For the womb of Being is not empty.
Every world is waiting to be attacked by you,
To feel the sharpness of your thought and deed.
This is the object of the revolutions of day and night.
That your self may reveal itself to you.)

Transparency of the heart is first and foremost step towards journey into selfhood. As said earlier love is the tool to clean your heart. Kierkegaard says that ‘love edifies self’ and ‘self edifies love.’ Kierkegaard has also used the term ‘love and love.’ Out of the two kinds of love as specified by Kierkegaard, the love i.e. divine love or pure love has been the focus in our discussion, and the same kind of love relates to Iqbal’s philosophy of the self This love is above our sensuous feelings. ‘It is not love which man feels for the fair sex however spiritualised. It is a cosmic force, which moves heavens and stars. It is operative in all the universe.’ Iqbal in his famous poem “Qortaba Mosque” from his book explains this fact in following two verses:

“
”
(The song from the strings of life is the result of the plectrum of love,
The light and flame of life are all due to love.)

To Iqbal love proves the fact that ‘I am’. He agrees with Kierkegaard that ‘love edifies the self ’ Iqbal, however, believes that the self,life andlove, are not three different things. He says that at the end they become one – , like Nietzsche’s ‘Super Man’, Kierkegaard’s ‘Authentic Person’ and Iqbal’s ‘Perfect Man’. Such a man is ‘God’s vicegerent’. To Iqbal the self is incomplete without love and that love is incomplete without the self Man’s life in general is, therefore, not the life that ought to be and for what God made him superior to all of His creations. He has to build himself; he is his own architect. In a perfect man intellect comes under the governance of love and love edifies intellect. In the absence of love man is lost; without love intellect leads man astray. However, when love accompanies intellect the individual is at once a man and at the same time he is an angel. Preaching such an intellect Iqbal says:

“
”
(What an intellect! that both the worlds are assimilated in it; with it goes the angelic light and it has the company of Adam’s burning heart).

In the West before Bergson (1859-1942) materialism prevailed so much that spiritual love ( ) had no meaning. It had no place in the mind of the so-called modern world. Bergson was among the few persons who were fortunate enough to receive divine inspiration of love, which is the most important part of human life, and without which Man is incomplete. He realised the importance of the force of love for the intellect in man. He believed that the life revolves between the two poles, which are the attachment and detachment of intellect and love. Intellect alone is not the right source to explore secrets of the universe. It is in fact the Love that develops our ego through which man attains power that can even move a mountain. However man must not ignore acquiring knowledge out of empirical sources; but true freedom demands accurate judgement to choose the right path. It is love that directs the intellect to the right path. Therefore, we must widen our intellectual outlook and at the same time delve into the deeper levels of consciousness.Iqbal says: (Plunge into the inner depth of yourself and get the secret of life). God has given proportion and order to the human soul, He is constantly revealing right and wrong to it. Surely he succeeds that purifies it, and he fails that corrupts it. According to Fichte ‘pure ego holds the key to the universe’. Pure ego is the which is ‘authentic,’ an awakened self or inner of the individual. And when the inner or the selfawakens then it becomes a moving force in the practical world; the individual is then fully engaged in playing his role – a role assigned to him by God; he is then His co-worker, since God “assigned man to be lord of creation.” For such an individual the visible world is not the only place; but he can see far ahead to a new world, a wonderful world. The movement of his self does not end anywhere, his journey goes on and he becomes closer to Reality. Even death does not stop its movement. He is then an existent individual and death is no more than a transit moment for him. He is not afraid of death but welcomes it, as, when the death approaches him, he sees the glamour of the other world very clearly through the mirror of his transparent heart. At the time of death the sign of his victorious life is, in the words of Iqbal, “a smile on his lips”. In his letter dated 30th, July, 1913, Iqbal wrote to his beloved German teacher, Emma Wegenast: “You remember what 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.”

ABBREVIATIONS AND BIBLIOGAPHY

SS. p. xxix

IR April 1999, p.108

Qur’an 15:24

KDG P.34-35

KDG  p.121

OCU  p. X (Introduction by Benjamin Nelson).

OPF   p. 26

RRT  p.156

BD    p.281

Ibid.  p.172

JS     p.200

RRT p.81-82

JS   p.216

JS   p.244 

RRT p.157  This is English translation from Iqbal’s poetry ‘Javidnama,’ translated by Iqbal himself and included in this book.

JS  p.245

JS  p.262

JS  p.274

Verses from Zarb-i Kalim p.43 New Kulliyat-i Iqbal Urdu by Iqbal Academy Pakistan.

KIU p.40 (Iqbal’s Persian poetry “Bal-i-Jibreel” p.96).

  Once God reveled to Prophet Muhammad: “My Banda (servant of God) continues to be closer and closer to Me until he becomes My loved one, and when he becomes of My loved ones, then I become his ear with which he hears, and I become his eye with which he sees, and I become his hand with which he catches, and I become his foot with which he walks”.      

IPR I (Introduction)

SS I p.xviii

Also Qur’an 50:16

MPI p.35-36

SS I p.xix (Introduction)

SS I  p.xxii (introduction).

SS I  p.xxi  (introduction).

Qur’an 10:4

QUR’AN   19:66-67

SS I p.xxvii-xxviii (Introduction).

SS I p.16-17

IPV p. 99-100

KIU p.421/97

KIU p.331 (Iqbal’s Bal-i-Jibreel, p.7)

Qur’an 91:7-10 (By the soul and proportion and order given to it, And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right; truly he succeeds that purifies it, And he fails that  corrupts it.)

Allama Iqbal ka Tasawwur e Khudi

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Allama Iqbal’s Vision Of Khudi (The Self) -The Pristine Glory Of Man: A Conceptual Outline – Speech

By Dr. Adfer Shah

Tilismi bood wa adm,naam hai jiska Adam Khuda ka raaz hai,qadir nhi hai jis pe sukhan” .

(The talisman wrought from mud and clay, whom we give the name of man, is mystery known to God Alone, its essence true we cannot scan).

Esteemed Chair Prof. Margoob Banhali, Eminent Iqbalian Scholars-Prof. Ubaid ur Rehman Hashmi, Prof. B.A. Nehvi, Director IICP, Prof. T. Fazil, my teacher in the audience, Dr Pirzada Amin, Scholars and friends… Salam,

The topic of this joint paper with Amir Suhail Wani is “Allama Iqbal’s Vision of Khudi -The Pristine Glory of Man: A Conceptual Outline.

The central argument of the paper is that Iqbal’s man is not an amoral biped, i.e. a two legged creature devoid of values, norms or ethics. The man (Adam) for Iqbal is not merely the centre of universe but the universe itself. Iqbal is obsessed to achieve the man’s lost glory back as Iqbal wants man to regain the original noble heights and for that he gives him a tool. I.e. Khudi (the self).

This work is though not an exclusive look at Iqbal’s concept of Khudi, rather the crux of the matter is to understand how Iqbal envisioned Khudi as an illumination to decorate man for spiritual, conscious and moral heights. The fact is that Iqbal’s being the Quranic poet, glorifies Adam, and treats him a special being and reminding him of his being the plume of the creation as mentioned in the Quranic lexicon.

If we have to understand man in the Iqbalian purview, we have to take the Route of the philosophy of Khudi to understand how Iqbal emancipates and empowers the Juzz(part) to realize the Kull (total). Khudi is what? Simply a combination of three elements, I.e. Irfan-e-zaat(to know one self), Kayinaat ki hakikat ka idraak,(Knowing the reality of universe) Aur Khuda ko pehchanana(Knowing God). It is khudi or the Self that is the root of all existence. The philosophy of self, selfhood or Falsafa-i-Khudi (Philosphy of Self) to be concise is an emblem of Allama’s message and a one word substitute of his entire philosophical discourse. In Iqbalian pristine “Khudi” in simple words symbolizes realization of self, i.e. recognizing one’s ego, one’s self-sufficiency, and the divine strands that connect creation with the creator. Khudi as Allama held “means to realize that man has a particle of divine light within him whose discovery can escort man to the apogees of creation and whose negligence can confine him to the class of amoral bipeds.

What prompted Hazrat Allama to emphasise upon khudi was mainly to overcome the stagnation (Jamood) that had crept into the ummah (the Muslim world) after the collapse of Caliphate. Iqbal in true sense arrived at an important conjecture of self and thus forced conscious beings to ponder over the very goal, reason and cause of the universe and man’s very being. Though his philosophical or sociological dimensions are diverse and debatable however, they all seem to converge at his concept of selfhood, which is the launch pad as well as the hallmark of his message. Allama Iqbal’s conception about the reality of human personality and the pedestal that man occupies in the hierarchy of creation lead him to the realization of macrocosm-microcosm apposition (that is, man is micro-universe and the shadow of external universe) and gave birth to the philosophy of selfhood. This synthesis was largely catalysed by Allama’s approach to the tri-axial nature of man. This is to say in what relation man stands with respect to his outer world (outward axis) his inner-self (inward axis) and his God (upward axis). This analysis trio of mind, body and spirit (as it is termed in philosophy) landed Iqbal into the realization that in this schema of tri-laterality man occupies prior co-ordinate. (That man is bestowed high priority in comparison to universe) where from other two elements, i.e. the universe and God can be assessed and analyzed.

The notion of man’s grandeur is as old as the universe itself as the fact is that angels were asked to pay homage to Adam and the one who refused faced the ultimate wrath. The theme gained so much impetus and attention historically that plethora of opinions took their shape in an attempt to locate the man’s coordinates in the hierarchy of creations.

Some of these views like that of pantheism maintained unity of creation and put the creation and creator on same footings. Still others reduced the status of man to that of a mere biological being. In the entire line of discussion there has been philosophically speaking a rift between different schools of thought and in their methodology when it comes to answering the questions about man. Today consciously or unconsciously, with a relative difference in the East and the West a radical shift of reference from the Divine or ultimate authority to man is being made. Today, largely for all practical purposes, man is the measure of all things. In the modern age, the sense of human autonomy is very deep, without delinking the relevance of God. In the East, the destination of man largely remains spiritual.

In his philosophy Allama resurfaced the pedestal of man and introduced him to his infinite potential. For Allama the man is bestowed with high priority in comparison to universe. It turns out that if understood properly, this philosophy aims at introducing man to his real self and to project him as a vicergent from heavens to earth. Allama’s philosophy is in its right an unbeaten attempt to synthesize a societal set up whose foundations are strictly moral and spiritual as opposed to the mere binding of social interdependence. Man is central to his philosophy as Allama deems man as the crown of creation.

Now who is this Iqbalian man? Definitely The Mard-i-Moomin(The Ideal Man)

If we have to understand Iqbal’s real grandeur of man, we have to go through the path of Mard-i-Moomin(Ideal Man) and its characteristics and then only Iqbal’s conception of man can be understood in true sense.

Mard-i-Moomin, the real picture of, manhood as perceived by Iqbal is essentially spiritual in nature and stands above the physical, biological and psychological confines. “Mard -i-Moomin” despite earning world is least influenced by its glory. He doesn’t turn away from universe as Platonic concept demands but rather conquers it as demanded by Quranic dictions. On qualifying all these strenuous trials “Mard -i-Moomin” is blessed with a throne where his will becomes the will of God and his thoughts and acts reflect the divine plans. He is bestowed upon an authority, the authority of which Hazart Allama Iqbal says:

“Koi andaza kar i sakhta uskay zour-i-bazu ka Nigah-e-mard-i- moomin se badal jaati hain taqdeerain”

(Can anyone even guess at the strength of his arm? By the glance of the man who is a true believer, even destiny is changed).

Iqbal very precisely gauged that in man there is implanted a divine corpuscle (Soul or consciousness that Iqbal pertinently terms Khudi) ,the blue-print of universe and in the depths of man’s inner-self lies encoded all the treasure of wisdom and information about every atom of universe(As maintained in Quran that “Allah bestowed Adam with total knowledge),Whose decoding Allama called as discovery of self or tameer-i-khudi. Allama Iqbal also acknowledged the relation of man with the divine world (Aalmi’ Arwah is the closest word to describe that hyper sensual universe) and also estimated the infinitude of potential, man is endowed with. In view of all these superfluous traits of man Iqbal thus wrote in closing poem “Hazrat Insaan” of his collection “Armugani Hijaz”,

“Agar maqsoodi qul mai hu tou muj se mawara kya hai Meri hungama haaye nobanu ki Intihaa kya hai”.

(If i am the plume and purpose of all creation, then what lies beyond me? Is there any bound to my ever perpetual and evolving tendencies).

This couplet glibly encompasses and depicts the Allama’s picture of man and his insight regarding the potential of human nature besides it provides a tangible answer to all affiliated questions related to the purpose, destiny and reality of man.

Hamsaaya-e- jibreel-i-ameen, banda-e- khaki Hai iska nashayman na Bukhara na badakhshan”

(This clay born man has kinship close to Jibreal-the trusted.His dwelling place is never a land or a clime).

The distinction of Iqbal lies in not only presenting a sketch of Mard-i-Moomin but also specifying the weltanschauung (“touch stone”) for such a canonical embodiment. Iqbal identifies Mard-i-Moomin as one who realizes, acknowledges and develops his “Khudi”. This khudi is the corner stone of Iqbalian philosophy and the minimum qualification demanded by Iqbal’s Mard-i-Moomin.

Iqbal’s Mard-i- Moomin is the ultimate manifestation of manhood and is pertinently seen as the ambassador of Allah. Secondly, this Mard-i-Moomin is a pragmatic equivalent of Quranic lexicon. Iqbalian concept of man is much comprehensive and multidimensional. Iqbal, when speaking on human existence and the “philosophy of self” maintains equipoise or equilibrium between endogenous and exogenous dimensions of human personality. In Iqbalian pristine man is seen as the cause of creation. Chronologically man was created at the conclusion of creation but teleologically it is man who directed the course of evolution. A microcosm in form, man is a macrocosm encompassing the entire cosmos in his bosom. Man is biological by nature but metaphysical by origin, chemical in composition but spiritual in essence. The man whom Allama talks of is one who successfully undertakes the construction of self and makes himself accordant with the divine scheme of creation. By the realization of self what is meant is that the man may realize his origin, his essence, his pedestal and the infinite capabilities he is endowed with. This realization of self Allama terms as ‘taemeer-i-khudi’ (construction of self). Allama’s Khudi, if translated in psychological language is an advanced form of ego. This ego, as Allama deemed, is not identical to soul in the trivial sense. Nor is it a rigid substance occupying space like a physical object, rather it lies beyond the realm of space-time fabric. Iqbal maintains that the reality of ego (self or consciousness) is too profound to be intellectualized and the present day psychology in beset with a number of hurdles to put the concept of khudi (The self) on experimental footing. Despite that, practical side of this philosophy is of such productive and pragmatic value that it compels us to accept it in its totality and pragmatic spirit.

It is worth to mind that the use of the word khudi or equivalently translated as ego as used by Iqbal is not, in any way related to the issue of pride, superiority complex or any other negative tendency and does not convey any other prevalent meaning of the word. Rather “Khudi” is a process of self-construction strictly according to Quranic prescriptions and the one who succeeds in this process of construction is deemed as ‘Mard-i-Moomin’. This ‘Mard-i-Moomin’ is Iqbal’s ideal man which is well symbolized by ‘Shaheen’ (Eagle) and is characterized by distinct spiritual and moral values. He is the trustee of universe and a treasure of secrets. Every corpuscle of human creation holds a secret in it and as such man is himself the biggest secret of universe.

Besides his spiritual, metaphysical, ontological and intellectual aspects the Iqbal’s message of self-discovery also attains prominence in an attempt to scrabble man’s own purpose and position in the arena of creatures. Iqbal does not regard self-discovery or the selfhood as a mere theoretical discourse but rather sees self (ego-hood) as actuality, which when developed, brings revolutionary changes and endows tremendous power to man. This selfhood not only enables man to develop his own ego by adopting different measures but also assists him in shaping the destiny of the universe and establishing the kingdom of God on earth in accordance with the special status of vicergency that man occupies in the plethora of creatures and for which he has been placed on the pedestal of “khalifatul Arz”(To govern the Land).It thus becomes obligatory and mandatory for man to discover his “self” so as to execute the expected commandments in desired format. Another prominent aspect of “self-discovery” as can be gauged by the following passage that Dr. Ali Shariati (Ali Shariati (1933-1977) was an Iranian revolutionary and sociologist) puts it in preface of his masterpiece work ‘Ma wa Iqbal’ (Dr. Shariati’s Masterpiece on Allama Iqbal), where he narrates the dialogue between Maulana Rumi and his master Shams Tabrezi, he writes, “we must first find our self. Jallaludin Rumi once said, “I put forth fourteen reasons to prove the existence of God to a group of people. Shams Tabriz responded me on behalf of God and adding that i should prove my own existence as God needs no proof. Shariati in this preview thus infers that “Shams’ advice is a general and lasting rule for understanding our “self” and who we are? And what we seek? Before speaking about God, religion, civilization, culture, etc”

Since man forms the prelude, interlude and conclusion of Iqbalian thought. Thus Allama by edification of his chosen theme of the self… proved his take on man’s glorification by not by him but by Allaha Himself. The ultimate aim of Khudi is love for humanity and khudi is the crux of allama, i.e. Azmat-e-Adam is Iqbal’s choicest and main theme.

Allama gives a spiritual call to the man to develop ‘‘The Self’’ at least through his beautiful Couplet in Bangi Dara:

Apne Mann Main doob kar paja surag-e-zindagi Tu agar mera nhi banta ,na ban apna tou bann (Delve into your soul and there seek our life’s buried tracks. Will you not be mine? Then be not mine, be your own right).

Lastly,I would like to say one thing,that it is not necessary to be urdu knowing or speaking always in urdu to pay true or loved tribute to Allama for Allama himself has transcended such linguistic boundaries,he belongs to us all irrespective of urdu or farsi or English speaking.We need to find and conceptualise Iqbal within us.The anchoring question remains do we really love the Hakim-ul-ummat?

Do we Really Love Iqbal?

It is heart touching when I notice even young Turkish Students in Delhi so obsessed and working so genuinely to glorify Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (a legendry Muslim theologian-1878-1960) and his mission and message, what they generally call Nursi Movement. I witness even Muslim Turkish youth organizing literary events like young Academicians conferences/debates or student meets in Turkey and fund Indian and other students to study, read and write on Nursi, even they raise funds from rich Turkish people to afford big conferences on Nursi and fund academics and students to read and speak on Nursi in literary functions simply to adore, pay tribute, run the mission, disseminate the Nursi’s literature free and propagate the Nursi movement even when out of their homeland. This obsession of such young Turks with Nursi makes me to compare our obsession, passion and love for Iqbal, who always felt proud to call himself the son of this soil.

Contrarily, I feel ashamed what as Kashmiris we have returned to Allama Iqbal-the legend whose heart not only palpitated for the valley, but who always aired and acted his concerns for the oppressed people of Kashmir and always took pride in saying:

‘Tanam Gilay Zi Khayabaan-e-Jannate Kashmir’

Today, what we have in turn produced is a plethora of “Iqbal readers” and plenty of “Hufaaz-e-Iqbal” who despite remembering and reciting his poetry, understand very little of it in real sense. We also have a majority of “Iqbal orators” who can eloquently speak on Iqbal. As a mark of tribute these people not only misinterpret Iqbal by adjusting his magnificent urging as per the demands of time and space, but also make use of derogatory rhetoric to beat their drum. We also have gradually developed an ideology better to be termed as Iqbalism, wherein Allama has been compared to every damn theme, even animals and sometimes even to police and CRPF (I read a long time ago). In an attempt to substantiate our arguments with Iqbalian thoughts, a very negative direction has been rendered to Iqbal Studies. A plethora of papers have been jotted down without any practical Iqbalian Vision, true interest, objective utility, original credibility and research orientation. The heartrending question is, are we especially as Kashmiris doing justice with Iqbal and shall Iqbal be happy with the pace of work done and progress made in his mission in Kashmir?

Further, are we really concerned about Iqbal and his thought and if yes, what have we done to spread what he called ‘His Noor-e-Baseerat’ even in our families not to talk of society. The message of Quran and Islam to which Allama devoted his whole life are rare in our lives. Our dichotomy reaches its heights when we simultaneously claim to love Iqbal but instead, do averse to his teachings. The practical void therefore leaves enough space for a prickly criticism and calls for a serious introspection especially for the Kashmiri youth.

We keep on reciting the poetry of Iqbal-e-Lahori but have we ever tried to explore Iqbal of Kashmir-the son of soil and is such a legendry Hakim-ul-Ummat known to every Kashmiri? If not who is accountable? In this context, it must be borne in mind that our aim in revisiting Iqbal should never be an attempt to canonize him. No matter how elegant his intellectual legacy stands, his word can never overtake the word of God. Nor is it aimed to present Iqbal in the preview of “hero worshipping”. Some people generally now a days put forth their bold blames that Iqbal is misconceived as a parallel to prophet hood, but as my mentor Prof. (Dr) Nehvi, an eminent Iqbalian scholar always laments and refutes such baseless claims as an emanation of ignorant minds thereby, reflecting the dearth of a realistic, full sprit and true Iqbal Shinasi.

We have deviated from his mission and forgotten the legend, who worked so tirelessly for the change and dreamt of the social and intellectual empowerment of the oppressed. Iqbal’s passion for weaving out the Unitarian ethos among all Muslims has been tarnished by us all in the politics of sectism, sectarian hatred, violence, intellectual backwardness and bankruptcy, identity and personality crisis, moral and spiritual corruption and what not. No doubt we have transformed and drawn our societies on material patterns, but having done so, we have also invited an argument as to what Iqbal aspired from us? Today, on Youm-e-Iqbal (135th birth anniversary), we have to really introspect about our Love for Iqbal. Today we may have attained individual economic autonomy, but we have registered a worst failure in surrendering our rich collective and cultural ethos grounded in high values and morality simply to secure in economic privileges.

The irony rather the remorse is, should we still treat Iqbal a proud Kashmiri or does our material drives and spiritual and intellectual decline with futile achievements tantamount to dishonor his unforgettable and towering persona because the truth is that we have failed Iqbal, turned so apathetic to him and ignored his path. By turning apathetic to such a charismatic figure we have been apathetic to Kashmir and to whole humanity.

Thank you….

(This speech in the form of presentation was delivered in the last session of Iqbal aur Azmat-e-Adam Conference, organized by Iqbal Institute of Culture & Philosophy, University of Kashmir ,Jammu and Kashmir State (India) on 9-10 November, 2012).

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Dr. Adfer Shah

Dr. Adfer Shah, (Adfer Rashid Shah, PhD) is a New Delhi-based Sociologist and Social and Political analyst.He writes his columns for various reputed international and national media groups. He has been writing on South Asia's Socio-political realities especially on Kashmir sociology and Conflict Situation at Eurasia Review since 2012, where he is a Special Correspondent for South Asia Affairs and Associate Editor since January 2014. His recent publications include his three books (1)"Kashmir-Yearning for Peace: A Socio-Political history of Uncertainty and Chaos,2016" (ISSN: 978-3-659-55971-6), (2)'Social Science Research in Conflict Zones,2017' (ISBN: 978-620-2-47937- 0) and (3)'Tibetan Refugees in India: Struggle to Survive,2018' ( ISBN 81-8324-919-1)]..

2 thoughts on “ Allama Iqbal’s Vision Of Khudi (The Self) -The Pristine Glory Of Man: A Conceptual Outline – Speech ”

Its an amazing explanation for Iqbal’s conception on self or “khudi”.

Excellent article. Very thought provoking. As someone who grew up in Pakistan listening to Iqbal and yet never appreciating the relevance, beauty and power of his message in transforming individuals and societies, I regret the decades of my life wasted in pointless pursuits. Now having lived in the West for a better part of life, I have been awakened to Iqbal’s message and am trying desperately to understand and construct my “Khudi”. I wish the author would suggest further resources (reading and online) for people like myself to help them understand the true Iqbal and his message.

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Iqbal day speech in urdu /علامہ اقبال پر تقریر

Welcome to our blog “ Iqbal Day Speech in Urdu” , where we celebrate the life and legacy of Allama  Muhammad Iqbal , one of the greatest poets and philosophers of the East. As Iqbal Day approaches, we find ourselves immersed in the profound thoughts and visionary ideas of this remarkable poet-philosopher. Iqbal Day is not just a date on the calendar; it’s an opportunity to pay homage to the man who ignited the flames of inspiration and change through his poetry and philosophy. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of Iqbal Day and how to prepare and deliver a powerful and impactful speech in Urdu that pays tribute to the ‘Spiritual Father of Pakistan.’ Join us on this journey as we delve into the essence of Iqbal’s teachings and the art of delivering an Iqbal Day speech in Urdu that resonates with the hearts and minds of the audience.”

“ ہمارے بلاگ” علامہ اقبال پر تقریر “میں خوش آمدید، جہاں ہم مشرق کے عظیم شاعروں اور فلسفیوں میں سے ایک علامہ اقبال کی زندگی اور میراث کا جشن مناتے ہیں۔ یوم اقبال قریب آتے ہی ہم اپنے آپ کو اس قابل ذکر شاعر فلسفی کے گہرے خیالات اور بصیرت افکار میں ڈوبے ہوئے پاتے ہیں۔ یوم اقبال صرف کیلنڈر کی ایک تاریخ نہیں ہے؛ یہ اس شخص کو خراج عقیدت پیش کرنے کا موقع ہے جس نے اپنی شاعری اور فلسفے کے ذریعے تحریک اور تبدیلی کے شعلے جلائے۔ اردو میں ایک طاقتور اور اثر انگیز تقریر تیار کرنے اور پیش کرنے کے لیے جو ‘پاکستان کے روحانی باپ’ کو خراج تحسین پیش کرتی ہے۔ اس سفر میں ہمارے ساتھ شامل ہوں کیونکہ ہم اقبال کی تعلیمات کے نچوڑ اور اردو میں اقبال ڈے پر تقریر کرنے کے فن کو تلاش کر رہے ہیں جو سامعین کے دل و دماغ سے گونجتی ہے۔”

صدر محترم  اور حاضرین ِ محفل ! آج مجھے جس عظیم شخصیت کو سلام عقیدت پیش کرنا ہے  وہ ہے  :

علامہ محمد اقبال

جناب والا! علامہ محمد اقبال بلا شبہ ہماری دعاؤں کا جواب تھے۔ بزم ہستی کا انتخاب تھے۔ آپ عظیم مرد مومن تھے اور قدرت ان جیسے عظیم انسانوں کو تاریخ ساز کارناموں کیلئے تخلیق کرتی ہے۔ برصغیر  پاک و ہند میں چاروں طرف غلامی کے اندھیرے چھائے ہوئے تھے۔ فرزندان اسلام غفلت کی نیند سورہے تھے۔ ایسے عالم میں اقبال کی آواز آزادی کا ترانہ بن کر  گونجی  ۔ آپ کا پیغام قدرت کا انعام بن کر گونجا۔ اسی احساس سے آپ فرماتے ہیں:

میں بندۂ ناداں ہوں، مگر شُکر ہے تیرا رکھتا ہوں نہاں خانۂ لاہُوت سے پیوند اک ولولۂ تازہ دیا مَیں نے دلوں کو لاہور سے تا خاکِ بخارا و سمرقند تاثیر ہے یہ میرے نفَس کی کہ خزاں میں مُرغانِ سحَر خواں مری صحبت میں ہیں خورسند

جناب  صدر ! علامہ محمد اقبال مردِ مومن تھے علامہ محمد اقبال شاعرِ مشرق  تھے اور حکیم الامت تھے  آپ مردِ مومن تھے اور چاہتے تھے کہ  برصغیر کا ہر مسلمان ایمان کی تفسیر بن جائے ۔ آپ نے مردہ دلوں کو حیات نو کا  نغمہ  سنایا  ؛ گرتے ہوؤں کو اٹھایا ؛  غلامی میں بھٹکنے والوں کو صبح آزادی کا جلوہ دکھایا۔ اس مقصد کی خاطر آپ نے ایمان ویقین کے چراغ روشن کئے اور مسلمانوں کو سمجھایا کہ :

جب اس انگارۂ خاکی میں ہوتا ہے یقیں پیدا تو کر لیتا ہے یہ بال و پرِ رُوح الامیں پیدا غلامی میں نہ کام آتی ہیں شمشیریں نہ تدبیریں جو ہو ذوقِ یقیں پیدا تو کٹ جاتی ہیں زنجیریں کوئی اندازہ کر سکتا ہے اُس کے زور بازو کا ! نگاہِ مردِ مومن سے بدل جاتی ہیں تقدیریں

جناب صدر! علامہ محمد اقبال محسن اسلام تھے۔ آپ نے اپنی قوم کو ماضی کے نغمے سنائے ۔ اپنے عظیم اسلاف کی شان دکھلائی۔ آپ کی پوری شاعری ہمارے روشن ماضی کے جلوؤں سے آباد ہے۔ آپ چاہتے تھے کہ آج کے مسلمان اپنے عظیم بزرگوں کے کارناموں پر ایک نظر ڈالیں تا کہ انہیں آزادی کی قدر و قیمت کااحساس ہو سکے۔ اسی لئے کہتے ہیں۔

کبھی اے نوجواں مسلم !تدبر بھی کیا تو نے وہ کیا گردوں تھا جس کا ہے تو اک ٹوٹا ہوا تارا تجھے اس قوم نے پالا ہے آغوش محبت میں کچل ڈالا تھا جس نے پاؤں میں تاج سردارا

 جناب صدر! اقبال نے مشرق کو دیکھا۔ تعلیم کیلئے یورپ کی درس گاہوں میں گئے۔ وہاں کی تہذیب و تمدن کی چکا چوند دیکھی۔ انہیں احساس ہوا کہ یورپ کی چمک دمک عارضی ہے جبکہ اسلام کا تہذیبی جمال حقیقت میں لازوال ہے۔ آپ   کی نظروں میں عشق مصطفٰی ﷺ    کا نور بسا ہوا تھا اس لئے یورپ کی تہذیب آپ کو متاثر کرنے میں ناکام ہو گئی۔ چنانچہ بڑے فخر سے محبت رسول ﷺ  کا اظہار کرتے ہوئے  فرماتے ہیں۔

خیرہ نہ کرسکا مجھے جلوۂ دانش فرنگ سرمہ ہے میری آنکھ کا خاک مدینہ و نجف

جناب والا! علامہ اقبال بڑوں کے شاعر بھی تھے اور بچوں کے بھی۔ آپ کا پیغام مسلمانوں کیلئے بھی تھا اور عالم انسانیت کیلئے بھی۔ آپ کو ملت کے نوجوانوں سے خصوصی پیار تھا۔ آپ ان نوجوانوں کو شاہین کے روپ میں دیکھنا چاہتے تھے۔ وہ شاہین جو ہمیشہ محو پرواز رہتا ہے۔ آسمانوں کی بلندیوں کو چھوتا ہے۔ اسی لئے آپ مسلمان نوجوانوں کو شاہین بننے کا پیغام دیتے ہوئے شاہین کے حوالے سے کہتے ہیں۔

کِیا میں نے اُس خاک داں سے کنارا جہاں رزق کا نام ہے آب و دانہ بیاباں کی خلوت خوش آتی ہے مجھ کو ازل سے ہے فطرت مری راہبانہ نہ باد بہاری، نہ گُلچیں، نہ بُلبل نہ بیماریِ نغمۂ عاشقانہ خیابانیوں سے ہے پرہیز لازم ادائیں ہیں ان کی بہت دلبرانہ ہوائے بیاباں سے ہوتی ہے کاری جواں مرد کی ضربتِ غازیانہ حمام و کبوتر کا بھُوکا نہیں مَیں کہ ہے زندگی باز کی زاہدانہ جھپٹنا، پلٹنا، پلٹ کر جھپٹنا لہُو گرم رکھنے کا ہے اک بہانہ یہ پورب، یہ پچھم چکوروں کی دنیا مِرا نیلگوں آسماں بیکرانہ پرندوں کی دُنیا کا درویش ہوں مَیں کہ شاہیں بناتا نہیں آشیانہ

صدر محترم! اقبال کی آواز دلوں میں اتر گئی اور فرزندان اسلام شاہین اسلام بن گئے۔ اقبال ماضی حال اور مستقبل کے شاعر تھے۔ سب سے بڑھ کر آپ کی خواہش تھی کہ مسلمان حضور نبی کریم ﷺ  کے سچے غلام بن جائیں۔ محبت رسول  ﷺ میں وہ قوت ہے جو بندوں کو خدائی کے آداب بخشتی ہے۔ غلاموں کو آقائی سکھاتی ہے۔ جو نبی کریم ﷺ  کا غلام بن جاتا ہے زمانہ ہی اس کے سامنے نہیں جھکتا بلکہ لوح و قلم بھی اس کے بن جاتے ہیں۔ میں اپنی تقریر کا اختتام اقبال کے اس پیغام پر کرنا چاہتا ہوں :

نگہ الجھی ہوئی رنگ و بو میں خرد کھوئی گئی ہے چار سو میں نہ چھوڑ اے دل فغان صبح گاہی اماں شاید ملے اللہ ہو میں

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aaj ik aur baras biit gayā us ke baġhair

jis ke hote hue hote the zamāne mere

by Allama Iqbal

Speeches writings and statements of iqbal.

• READ NOW See Book Index

Author : Allama Iqbal

Editor : lateef ahmad sharvani, publisher : iqbal academy pakistan, lahore, year of publication : 1977, language : english, categories : lectures, pages : 273, contributor : haider ali.

About The Author

Mohammad Iqbal (1877-1938), a descendant of a Kashmiri Brahmin family that had embraced Islam in the seventeenth century, was born and settled in Sialkot. After a traditional education in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu, he was exposed to a liberal education that defined the contours of his thought and his poetry during the entire period of his life. Beginning his educational career at the Scottish Mission School, he went on to acquire his M. A. in Philosophy, before joining Trinity College, and later earning the degree of Bar-at-Law. He furthered his education by getting the degree of doctorate from Germany on The Development of Metaphysics in Persia. He worked in different capacities at different points of time; he taught philosophy, practised law, got involved in politics, and also attended the second Round Table Conference. Even while he favoured the idea of the creation of Pakistan and is venerated there as the national poet, he wrote the famous patriotic song that celebrates the greatness of India.  King George V decorated him with knighthood and he was called Sir Mohammad Iqbal thereafter. Iqbal wrote both in Persian and Urdu, and is often regarded as the poet-philosopher of the East who addressed the Muslim ummah, believed in the philosophy of wahdatul wujood, and propounded the philosohy of khudi, or selfhood, which called for self-realisation and the discovery of the hidden talent with love and perseverance. Beyond that lay the stages of complete submission and forgetfulness which, he thought, was the ultimate stage of khudi. Iqbal dreamt of the ‘complete man’ and also entered into a metaphoric dialogue with the divine. His poetry emerged as a remarkable site where message and art coalesced, as he re-configured major poetic devices like metaphor, myth, and symbol to re-visit history, philosophy and the Islamic faith to develop his individual vision. He has left behind his collections of poems, Asraar-e Khudi, Rumooz-e Bekhudi, Baang-e Daraa, Baal-e Jibreel, Payaam-e Mashriq, Zaboor-e ‘Ajm, Javed Naama, Zarb-e Kaleem, and Armaghaan-e Hijaz, apart from his lectures collected in English as The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, and other works on the Eastern worldview.

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Read the author's other books here.

A Message From The East

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Aasan Kulliyat-e-Iqbal Urdu Ma Farang

Aks Lala-e-Toor

Aks-e-Asrar-e-Khudi

Aks-e-Rumuz-e-Khudi

Allama Iqbal : Taqreerein, Tahreerein Aur Bayanat

Allama Iqbal Ke Ashaar

Anwar-e-Iqbal

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5 features of Allama Iqbal’s Shaheen, the Mascot of Khudi

by TheSufi · Published 18th June 2016 · Updated 24th July 2016

The concept of Khudi or self discovery was never fully novel, but the way Iqbal portrayed it in a simple and elegant vein through his Urdu and Persian verse was unprecedented. South Asian poets rarely went beyond verses of love and deprivation, and Iqbal shattered such barriers.

Iqbal’s Khudi takes its ingredients from both Khud Shinaasi (self discovery) but at the same time some from Khudari. If I run a bibliographical analysis, I will say Khudi is 80% Khud Shinaasi [self awareness] and 20% Khudari [self-respect].

Shaheen was the perfect mascot of Khudi and Iqbal chose it an exceptionally elegant way to promulgate his message.

Dr. Javid Iqbal explained the 5 distinct features of Shaheen in one of lectures, which follow:

1. Shaheen is born with far sight, hence the verbatim eagle-eyed is known. He has the vision to see beyond superficial and read between events as they happen. As Iqbal says in Baal-e-Jibreel. Kho Naa Jaa Iss Seher-o-Sham Main Ae Sahib-e-Hosh Aik Jahan Aur Bhi Hai, Jis Main Na Farda Hai Naa Dosh

Oh! Self Aware Man! Don’t get lost in this series of morning and evening There is another world, where there is no future, nor past.

2. Shaheen is the most fearless of all bird specifies, who flies at high altitudes. He does not gather Rizq like sparrows and crows, but flies and lives on a different and higher level. As Iqbal’s famous verse says:

Tund-e-Baad-e-Mukhalif se na Ghabra ae Uqaab Yeh to chaltee hai tujhay oonchaa uranay Ke liye!

O’ Falcon, dont be scared of the headwinds They just blow to keep your flying to greater hights.

3. Shaheed eats what it’s preys itself. Unlike vultures, which are the largest birds, they don’t eat left overs of other animals. It’s a symbol of Khudari, the ability to toil hard for your Rizq as well as avoid haraam (corpses of other animal as eaten by vultures).

Jiphatna, Palatna, Palat Kar Jhapatna Lahoo Garam Rakhney Ka Hai Ik Bahaana

4. Shaheen seeks solitude. It’s not a social bird like sparrows and gulls who live in groups. Solitude or khalwat pasandi is a key part of self discovery as explained.

Bayaabann Ki Khalwat Khush Aati Hai Mujhko Azall Say Hai Fitrat Meri Rahbanaa

Solitude of wilderness goes along with me well Since from creation, I am hermit by nature.

5. Shaheen does not makes a home or sticks to a station. It lives, eats and breeds in

Nahin tera Nasheman Kasr-e-Saltani ke Gumbad par Tu Shaheen hai Basera Kar, Paharon ki Chitanon mai

Your abode is not the dome of emperor For you are Hawk, you live on the rocks of great mountains.

Download Kalam-e-Iqbal by various artists below in MP3 format, including:

Tags: Allama Iqbal

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3rd March 2017

 by TheSufi · Published 3rd March 2017

Sanam Marvi sings Kalam e Iqbal – Khudi ka Sarre Nihan

11th March 2017

 by TheSufi · Published 11th March 2017

The Final verses by Hazrat Shams-e-Tabrizi R.A. and Maulana Rumi

15th August 2020

 by TheSufi · Published 15th August 2020 · Last modified 18th May 2023

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History of Islam

An encyclopedia of Islamic history

Unveiling the Secrets of Allama Iqbal’s Khudi

Professor Nazeer Ahmed

Khudi ka sirr e nihaN la ilaha il Allah (The hidden secret of Khudi is la ilaha il Allah)

So wrote Allama Iqbal, the poet, philosopher, thinker, mujaddid, mujtahid and one of the most influential personages of Asia in the twentieth century.  In spite of the volumes written about him, the Allama remains a mystery within an enigma within a riddle. He is quoted and misquoted, understood and misunderstood. Like Shakespeare in an earlier era, his very greatness has stood in the way of how he is understood. Let me offer some instances from my own experience.

Some thirty years ago, a certain shaikh asked me to give the juma’ khutba at a Masjid in New Jersey. In my youthful enthusiasm I chose the subject of khudi. The khutba was well attended and the audience listened in silence. After the prayers, the shaikh called me aside. “What you said in the khutba is not correct. There is no such thing as khudi in Islam.”

Two years ago I had lunch with a well known Professor in Berkeley. The conversation was free-wheeling and it turned to Iqbal’s poetry. “Iqbal was confused about khudi”, said the professor, “I realize that is a dangerous thing to say to someone from the subcontinent”.

Muslim saints and Muslim scholars have been roasted for their views which were at variance with the common understanding of those around them. Mansur al-Hallaj was tortured and killed (922 CE) for saying, “ Ana al Haq ” (I am the Truth).  Five hundred years later, in post-Timurid India circa 1450 CE, there was a certain Wali near Gulbarga in the Deccan who went into retreat in a hut. When he emerged from the hut after 40 days, he cried out, “ Ana al Haq ”. People thought the wali had gone crazy. They caught him and put him back in the hut and told him to remain in seclusion for 40 more days. By nightfall, the wali made a hole in the back of the hut and ran away into the forest.  Iqbal was more fortunate when he pierced the glass ceiling of orthodoxy. When he wrote Shikwa , some mullas called him a kafir , only to turn around and call him a mujtahid when he published Jawab e Shikwa .

Hazrath Ali said: Speak to people at their level of understanding, or else they could lose their faith. The concept of khudi requires a deep understanding of the Self. The Prophet said: One who knows his Self knows his Rabb (Man ‘Arafa nafsahu faqad ‘arafa Rabbahu) . This is not a quest for the faint hearted or the uninitiated. It requires a deep knowledge of science, history, philosophy and tasawwuf and the assumptions underlying each.  Most important of all, it requires a deep understanding of the Qur’an because while Iqbal often speaks the language of the philosophers of the West, his ideas are firmly rooted in his own spiritual inheritance from the Qur’an and the tasawwuf of the Awliyah.

Iqbal lived in an age when his homeland was under the heel of foreigners. Pax Brittania held the vast subcontinent of Hindustan in its juggernaut. As such Iqbal had to come to terms with the ideas of the imperial West. He received his early training in Sialkot and Lahore and went on to study philosophy, first in England and then in Germany. Western thought was always a distraction for Iqbal; he had to constantly look over his shoulder to unhinge his ideas from those of the west. The ghosts of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer haunted his legacy so much so that many writers not just in the West but also in the Urdu speaking East consider his idea of khudi to be an echo of the Ego advanced by Nietzsche. Iqbal himself did not help his case when he devoted a major part of his Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam to examining and repudiating the philosophers of the West. The effort was perhaps unnecessary except for didactic purposes. Iqbal comes through in the fullness of his thinking when he expresses himself in his own languages, Urdu and Farsi.

This essay was written at the request of my good friend Dr. Agha Saeed, who has done so much to establish and keep alive the tradition of Urdu literature in North America. When I sat down to write a brief note after delivering a talk on Iqbal, the pen took over. The result has been a deep study not only of Iqbal and of the secrets of khud i as articulated by him, but a study of the interdependence of science, history, philosophy and faith from the Qur’anic perspective. It evolved into a study of the Unity of Knowledge. One must necessarily sift though these disciplines and their processes to fathom the mysteries of khudi which I have translated in the past not as Ego but as Essence. It manifests itself through its attributes. Its secret, paradoxically, lies in its self-effacement.  When it is effaced, it becomes the mirror into which is reflected its magnificent sirr (secret) from the Spirit. The Ego is a ghost from the west and it must be sent packing to where it came from. Essence is a child of the East and it needs to be nourished and cultivated.

Secular man abandoned the soul and went off looking for Truth in atoms, protons and chemical reactions. How does one discuss the idea of khudi with one whose world is bereft of the Grace of the spirit or the joy and vibrancy of the soul? This was the dilemma faced by Iqbal too. He waged a valiant battle, borrowing the terminology of philosophy, engaging in a dialectic with secular man, incurring in the process the risk of being misunderstood. The attempt was consistent with Iqbal’s character. He was not only a great poet but a risk taker, injecting himself into the process of history, in politics, sociology, science and philosophy.

Iqbal enriched us with his thoughts and his actions. His vision was our horizon, his failures our teacher. He embellished the Urdu language with a new dimension of social and political activism, taking it to heights never seen before. Generations who come after him would be the poorer were it not for this great mujtahid .

The Renewal of Civilizations

A great civilization renews itself from within.  The vicissitudes of time test the mettle of a civilization with new ideas, alien challenges, internal dissension, invasion, conquest, subjugation, triumphs and tragedies. A great civilization reaches into the oceans of its spirituality and rises to the occasion, renewing itself after every test. This process is continuous, unceasing. This was the gist of a Theory of Renewal that I advanced in my book Islam in Global History . It stands in contrast with the Theory of Asabiya advanced by Ibn Khaldun, the father of history, or the plethora of theories advanced by Western historians.

If you scan the history of Islam on the global stage you discern at least seven major turns when Islamic civilization demonstrated its resilience and renewed itself, each time diving into its spiritual reservoir and showing the world a new dimension of its timeless endurance and its universal appeal: The Hijra of the Prophet (622 CE); the triumph of the principle of Shura at the death of the Prophet (632 CE); the Mutazalite Revolution (765-746 CE); the triumph of the Awliyah following the Mongol Devastations (1219-1301 CE); the consolidation of Ottoman, Safavid and Mogul empires (1453-1600 CE); the appearance of great mujtahids with the onset of the colonial age (1750-1850 CE); and the reformers of the twentieth century. Iqbal belonged to this last category of thinkers and doers. The effort is still ongoing and the last page of this chapter is yet to be written. Islam has yet to throw off its intellectual complex vis a vis the West, overcome its inertia, amalgamate new ideas that have emerged with the technological age, absorb the blows that hammer at it from the east and the west, and renew itself to find its rightful place in the comity of civilizations.

This paper integrates faith, science and history. It presents a unified vision of knowledge. While explaining the idea of Iqbal’s khudi , it integrates the physical and the spiritual and renews the foundation of Islamic knowledge. Such an integrated view helps humankind understand its place and its purpose in the cosmos; gives a spiritual character to science and history; fosters their study in a spiritual paradigm; removes the tensions between religious and secular education; and, shows the historical errors that philosophers, scientists and men of religion alike have fallen into. It unveils the lofty vistas that are the destiny of humankind and removes the layers of ignorance, heedlessness, skepticism and apathy that have overtaken the civilization of man. It is a comprehensive attempt in which the body, mind the soul are complementary and each play their essential part.

There is a Light in every heart. It is bestowed upon every man and woman at birth. It shines by the Grace of God and comprehends the physical and spiritual. It is the seat of all knowledge and through it the physical and the spiritual are united. The goal of every soul is to find that Light. That is the quintessential struggle of man, from the cradle to the grave.

Several questions are addressed in this paper: Is science compatible with religion? How is history related to faith? Is there a common thread that binds science, history and faith? In a broad sense, is there a classification of knowledge that integrates science, history and faith? If there is, then what is the basis for such classification?  Does it offer a consistent, coherent and comprehensive vision of the cosmos that we are a part of?

These questions are important.  Modern man has gone off on a tangent, separating faith from science and history. In this fragmented worldview, faith is confined to the walls of “the church”, while the world outside is abandoned to secular scrutiny. Modern science and history are thus bereft of the Grace of God. In this soulless world, humankind finds itself isolated and alone, dangling between the heavens and the earth, existing in the cosmos without purpose, without joy, without love, without anchor and without roots.

Truth is one and indivisible.  It is a search for the truth that unites all human endeavor. The truth that faith discovers cannot be different from the truth discovered by science or by history. Man is a part of nature, not separate from it. The laws of history may be qualitative and descriptive as compared to the laws of nature which are more quantitative but they are not contradictory. For instance, a dynamic balance governs nature. Man is subject to a dynamic balance in his personal and communal life; if you violate balance (justice), you ultimately destroy yourself. But alas! The secular worldview separates man from nature. It divides up the truth into fragments and as a consequence makes it impossible to discover it. It is like the proverbial elephant: the legs and the trunk and the tail do not make an elephant whole. Only an integrated perspective shows the entire elephant.

Our Approach

The approach taken in this paper is distinguished in that: (1) It bases all knowledge on experience (2) It includes all sources of experience, the body, mind, heart and the soul (3) It relates experience to the spirit, which is the life source for all existence (4) it shows the interconnectivity of different disciplines (5) it presents a knowledge-based vision for the renewal of Islamic civilization.

The basis for this work is the Qur’an. The inexhaustible wisdom of its verses is used to offer insights into the questions raised and make things clear.

A comprehensive attempt to integrate faith, science and history has not been made in the Islamic world in modern times.  It was a recurrent effort in the classical age (765-1219 CE).  Islamic scholars in the classical age produced the al Hakims, the integrators, who combined in themselves knowledge of the religious sciences as well as the empirical and mathematical sciences. This integrated worldview shriveled with time under the successive impact of the Crusades, the Mongol devastations, foreign invasions, occupation and colonialism. Internal schisms as well as extremism took their toll so that Islamic sciences which at one time served as a beacon of light for the world became a caricature of what they once were.

In the last two hundred years, as Europe gained its ascendancy, Muslims absorbed many of the assumptions made by the secular west and accepted the separation of the sacred from the secular. Today, the mullahs who are trained in religious schools are ignorant about science, philosophy and history. They suspect what they do not comprehend and trap themselves more and more into an isolationist corner in a world of pre-scientific reductionism. What they do not understand, they denounce. In turn, the world of science abandons them and history walks away from them. Those educated in secular schools fare no better. They have no knowledge of the religious sciences and become alienated from their ethical roots and their faith. The tensions between the sacred and the secular tear Muslim societies apart and are a major source of instability in Muslim lands.

The Terminology

The basis of knowledge is experience. There are four sources of human experience: the body, the mind, the heart and the Nafs. The terms body, mind and heart must not be confused with the physical body, mind and heart. Each of these is a composite of attributes. The body is a composite of the attributes of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. We will show that these are not in fact attributes of the physical body but are attributes of the Nafs (the Self). The mind includes the attributes of reasoning, reflection, logic, extension and deduction. It is the repository of Aql and Fikr . The body and mind cannot be separated; they act as an integral whole, supporting and complementing each other. The heart has multiple stations: an outer station called the Sadr ; a second, higher station called the Qalb ; a third, higher yet station called the Fu’ad ; and a fourth station, the highest one, called Birr. Each station has its own attributes and its capabilities. The Nafs is a composite term which includes the body, mind and the heart. Sometimes, it is translated, simply, as the Self.

A great deal of confusion in understanding Qur’anic ideas occurs because of the lack of correspondence between Arabic and English terms.  Translation is a process of Dynamic Perception Mapping. It is dynamic because it is time bound; what a person understands from a term today may not be the same as what he understands from the same term twenty years from now as he gains in knowledge and experience. It is perceptual because it is constrained by the capability of the person. It is especially so when it comes to the Qur’an. Its self-sustained eloquence, subtle nuances and the grandeur of its locution challenge and defy translation. Mapping refers to the act of translation from one language to another. As each language is culture bound, oftentimes there are no equivalent words to convey an idea. So, the term Nafs which is a compendium of the body, mind and heart cannot be appropriately translated as soul. The word soul in English is separate and distinct from the body whereas the term Nafs includes the body. Certainly, its rendering as Ego is incorrect except to explain certain of the attributes or the Nafs. The Ego is the “I” in the English language. The Ego can be conquered, suppressed and even annihilated. By contrast, as the Ego is conquered, the Nafs merely undergoes a series of transformations, and in stages evolves from Nafs e Ammara to Nafs e Mutma-inna .

The Origin, Nature, Methods and Limits of Knowledge (The Epistemology of Knowledge)

The Origin of Knowledge

Read! In the Name of you Rabb, Who created,

Created the human from that which clings.

Read! By your Rabb, the most bountiful,    

Who taught by the Pen,

Taught humankind what it knew not.

No! The human does indeed transgress,

When he looks upon himself as autonomous.  (The Qur’an 96:1-5)

Knowledge is a treasure. It has its origin in the Spirit which is the source of life. This basic truth, obvious as it is, is overlooked by modern man.  Whether one is a saint or a scientist one must concede that with birth come life, knowledge and power. A dead man has no life, no power and no knowledge.  It stands to reason that knowledge is a Divine gift that accompanies the Spirit which is infused into a person between conception and birth. It is the Spirit that is the life source. Without the Spirit, there is no life and no knowledge.

Ilm ul Ibara and Ilm ul Ishara

The Qur’an uses parables and similes to convey transcendent ideas that are difficult or impossible to communicate through discursive language. Transcendental ideas such as love, grace, beauty, wisdom and peace are best felt, not expressed.  Accordingly, knowledge can be divided into two categories: ilm ul ishara (knowledge that is allusory and cannot be expressed through language), and ilm ul ibara (knowledge that is descriptive and can be expressed through language). Ilm ul Ibara can be measured and taught in a school. Ilm ul Ishara cannot; it is a Divine gift, a moment of Grace.

Consider, for instance, love which animates creation. Love is the cement that binds the world of man. Human love is but a simile to Divine Love that sustains all creation, like the light of an oil lamp is a simile to the light of the sun. The difference is that while the sun and its light are finite, Divine Love is infinite, boundless, beyond description.  Such is the language of love, the language of the heart, the language of allusion.

The word Ibara has its roots in the trilateral Arabic word A-B-R ( a-ba-ra ) which means to wade, as wading a river from one shore to the other. In prose, it means a line or a description. Accordingly, any thought or idea that can be described through prose, poetry or mathematical symbols can be classified as ilm-ul-ibara .  Such is the language of the body and the mind.

The Nafs or the Self straddles ilm ul ibara and ilm ul ishara . It receives its inputs from the senses, mind and heart. It is molded and transformed by these inputs. Like the senses, the Nafs measures in time-space. Like the mind it extrapolates. Like the heart it perceives. But it has its own unique characteristic which is not shared with other parts, and that is its free will.

We illustrate in the diagram below our classification of knowledge.

A CLASSIFICATION OF KNOWLEDGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE QUR’AN

“Soon shall We show them Our Signs on the horizon and within themselves until it is clear to them that it is the Truth)”- (The Qur’an 41:53)

KNOWLEDGE  (A TREASURE THAT IS A DIVINE GIFT )

• KNOWLEDGE ACCESSIBLE TO THE SADR
• KNOWLEDGE ACCESSIBLE TO THE QALB
• KNOWLEDGE ACCESSIBLE TO FUAD
• KNOWLEDGE ACCESSIBLE TO BIRR
• NAFS E AMMARA
• NAFS E MULHAMA
• NAFS E LAWWAMA
• NAFS E MUTMAENNA
• MATHEMATICS
• THE LANGUAGES
• CIVICS AND GOVERNANCE

AN ALIM IS ONE WHO IS GIVEN THE GIFT OF BOTH ILM UL ISHARA AND ILM UL IBARA

Empirical Knowledge as a Sign

The created world becomes but a simile before the grandeur and majesty of God. This simple truth provides a basis for the integration of the physical and the spiritual. The physical becomes “a Sign” and points the way to Divine presence. So does history. So do the Signs in the heart.

The approach of the Qur’an is inductive.  It builds the awareness of Divine omnipresence through Signs in nature and in history. The quest for the Divine is through the struggle of man on earth; the path lies through science and history. It is a limitless, unceasing effort until man meets God. By contrast, the philosophical approach is deductive. It starts with axioms and theses and deduces inferences from it. If the axiom is flawed, so is the deduction.  In addition, reasoning and the process of deduction itself have inherent limits.

God reveals His majesty and His bounty every moment through nature and through history. Nature is a great teacher. It offers an infinite variety of vistas. Humans try to understand nature and use it for their benefit. The question is: how can the physical and the natural be integrated into a holistic picture which includes not just the inputs from the body and the mind but also the perceptions of the heart?

The Qur’anic perspective integrates the physical, rational and emotional by asserting their common origin and their common functionality. Each of these modes of knowing springs from the spiritual and is a Divine gift. Each of these assists humankind in discharging its responsibility to know, serve and worship Him. We will briefly outline here how the senses, the mind and the heart facilitate the perception of Signs for Divine presence and serve to augment faith.

In the secular view there is no interconnectivity between the worldviews of body, mind and heart. The interconnectivity is established when these worldviews are taken as Signs from a Single Source so that man may perceive the presence of the Divine and attain certainty of faith.

Consider the physical. The senses act as windows to the physical in time-space and facilitate the construction of an empirical worldview which forms the basis of science.  This worldview, based on the assumptions of before and after, subject and object, is flawed, deceptive and imperfect. Consider a rainbow. A physical description of the rainbow would take us in the direction of wavelengths, dispersion, wave propagation, optic nerves, and neurons in the brain. Consider this worldview of wavelengths, dispersion and neurons. Where is the enchanting beauty of the rainbow as it vaults the sky from horizon to horizon? It is not there. Yet, even the most unlettered human can relate to the beauty of the rainbow and be awed by it. The beauty of the rainbow is not in the physical description because beauty is not in wavelengths, cells and atoms. It is in the Self, the Nafs which is hidden from the physical, but makes its presence felt through interaction with it.

The secular man is constantly at war with himself. He cannot circumscribe the heart with his logic. Secular thought would have us believe that there is nothing more to the cosmos than the physical. The materialists go even one step further; they reduce all experience to the physical. In the process they negate the essence of being human which lies in the perceptions of the heart and the Self.

This dichotomy between the physical and the Self is removed when the physical is presented as a Divine Sign. Such a perspective does not negate the scientific approach which demands its validation in observation and measurement. It merely imparts a transcendent vision to the physical so that the scientist can use the experience of the senses, not as an end itself but as an occasion for Divine intervention so that humankind may perceive the presence of the Divine and witness the grand panorama of creation from a platform of faith.  Such a view does not negate the processes of science. But it changes the perspective in a profound way.

Every moment Divine grace displays itself in nature, and it does so with majesty. In it there are Signs for the perceptive minds. The study of nature thus becomes mandatory on humans to witness these Signs, use them as an occasion to celebrate Divine grace and create Divine patterns in the world.

Whatever is in the heavens and the earth ask of Him,

Every moment He (reveals His Signs) with grandeur. (The Qur’an 55:23 )

The physical sciences are a part of ilm ul ibara . They can be described and taught.

History as a Sign and a Teacher

History offers a fascinating panorama of human struggle on earth. The rise and fall of civilizations, the making and unmaking of dynasties, the formation and breakup of societies offer endless lessons for the discerning mind. The question is: Is history a part of a grand Divine scheme or is it merely a collection of dates, events, conflicts, triumphs and tragedies?

In the secular paradigm, history has no Grand Purpose. It is like a meandering stream, without a known origin and without a known destiny. It may reveal its secrets to philosophical scrutiny but such scrutiny yields answers that are partial, incomplete and change with the vagaries of time-space.

In the Qur’anic paradigm, history has a beginning and an end. It has a meaning and a purpose. It begins with creation and ends with judgment. Its meaning is to be sought in the perpetual struggle of man to find God:

Verily! You are toiling on toward your Lord! Painfully toiling! And you shall meet Him! (84:6)

The purpose of creation is to know God:

I was a Treasure unknown. I willed that I be known. So I created a creation (that would know Me) (Hadith e Qudsi)

Man is not separate from nature, or antagonistic to it, as he is in the secular perspective.  The Divine laws that govern the universe govern humankind also:

The Most Compassionate,

Taught the Qur’an,

Created Humankind,

Taught him speech,

The sun and the moon, (rotate in accordance) with mathematics,

And the stars and the trees submit (to his heavenly Laws),

The heavens has He raised high and established dynamic equilibrium therein,

So that you do not violate that equilibrium in your own lives (The Qur’an 55: 1-7)

In the Qur’anic view, history is another Sign, like nature. It is like a mirror that teaches humankind something about itself so that humankind may learn and work towards its ethical journey to find God.

The Noble Station ( Maqam ) of the Mind

In all of God’s creation, there is nothing as noble as the Mind, except the heart. The Mind is that collection of attributes that sifts through, analyzes, integrates and creates that enormous ocean of knowledge that distinguishes man from the beast. The distinguishing characteristic of the Mind is that it conceives of the possibility of things. It even admits of the possibility of heaven, of the Tablet and the Pen. Logic is its companion, reason its queen. Questioning is its lance. It plays with the concrete and processes what is abstract. When it is set free, it seeks to conquer the heavens and the earth.

Mathematics and Symbols

The Mind is the master of the abstract. Symbols and concepts are its vocabulary. This ability to grasp symbols and concepts, work with them, transform them, integrate them and bring forth new symbols and concepts is a divine gift. It is one of the distinguishing capabilities of the human genre that sets it apart from the beast.  This ability is what has enabled humankind to build the edifice of knowledge. It is a natural ability, inherited at birth by every human.

Mathematics and symbols can be taught just as language, history, sociology, civics, politics and governance can be taught. Hence the study of symbols also falls under ilm ul ibara .

The Mutuality of the Body and Mind

Sublime as it is, the Mind is helpless without the body. It draws upon the inputs from the senses to validate its perceptions. It is for this reason that sometimes one says that the Body and the Mind are one: the Body is an extension of the Mind while the Mind is an extension of the Body. Let us elaborate this subtle idea by an example.

Our knowledge of the cosmos is space-time bound. The senses, i.e., the eyes, the ears, touch, taste and smell, take inputs from this space-time bound world which are then processed by the mind so that we “know” what it is that we have seen, heard, tasted or touched. The mind is like the processor of a computer into which inputs are provided by the senses. For example, a child touches a hot stove. The input from his touch is processed by the mind which tells him that it is hot. Even if we devise a sensor to measure the temperature, the sensor must be read before we know that the stove is hot. Neither the body nor the mind would know anything of the condition of the stove without the help each of the other.

The sublime character of the mind is that it is space-time bound but it can conceive of the possibility of a world that is not bound by space-time and has many more dimensions than space-time. Indeed, it can conceive of the possibility of heaven.

The Position of Philosophy

Philosophy supported by empirical evidence becomes science. Philosophy unsupported by empirical evidence becomes speculation.  Logic and rational thought are its tools. Reason is its companion. Philosophy is deductive science. It starts with a premise and draws conclusions from it.  The limitations of philosophy are in the very assumptions that form its foundation. The errors of the philosophers arise when they forget the assumptions on which their philosophy is based and proceed to apply their methods to issues and concepts that are beyond the domain of philosophy. Let us offer an example.

In the eighth century CE, the Mu’tazalites (Muslim philosophers) adopted Greek philosophy as their own and rose to a position of political dominance. They were enamored of the precision, the logic and apparent cohesiveness of rational thought. In their enthusiasm they proceeded to apply their rational scrutiny to matters of faith forgetting that faith has a transcendental dimension beyond time-space whereas logic and philosophy are space-time bound.  In the process, they fell flat on their faces. Their positions were rejected following an intellectual revolution led by Imam Hanbali and the Usuli ulema (846 CE) and they were expelled from their position of power and influence.

In summary, ilm ul ibara is knowledge that can be expressed and taught. It includes the knowledge that is acquired through the body and the mind. The disciplines that are a domain of the body include science, history, sociology, economics, politics and governance. Knowledge acquired through the body (the senses) depends on observation and measurement and is called inductive knowledge.

The body and the mind work together to form a worldview. They are intertwined with each other to such an extent that oftentimes it is said that the Body and the Mind are one. The mind is a noble faculty. It is the master of logic and reason. It is distinguished by its ability to read symbols and conceive of the possibility of things. Knowledge acquired by the mind can also be taught and hence it is also a part of ilm ul ibara . It includes mathematics, geometry, logic and philosophy.

What is Ilm ul Ishara

Ilm ul Ishara is knowledge that can be alluded to but not expressed through language. It includes the language of the heart and the language of the hidden Self (the soul).  Examples are: love, hate, compassion, mercy, generosity.

The secular worldview recognizes only the empirical and the rational (the Body and the Mind) as sources of knowledge. The secular world is cold, rational, devoid of feelings and emotions. Secular man finds himself alone in this cold world. He does not speak to this world; the world does not speak to him.

What makes us human is not just our Body and our Mind. It is also our heart and our soul.  Feelings and emotions are valid sources of experience. And experience is the basis of knowledge.

How can we deny that we love? Or that we have compassion and mercy? Why does a man want to climb a mountain? Why does a woman sing or write poetry? Joy and sorrow cannot be measured by instruments nor comprehended by the mind. They are attributes of the heart and of the soul.

The Flawed Worldview of the Body and the Mind

Secular man who believes only in the material and the rational overlooks the flaws in his worldview. As an illustration, consider the red color of a beautiful rose. Ask a materialists to tell you where the redness in the rose comes from. His description will be something along the following lines: Electromagnetic waves from the sun hit the rose. All waves except those around .63 micrometers are absorbed by the rose. When reflected, they travel through the air and are received by the eye. They hit the retina, travel along the optic nerve and are recorded in brain cells. Ask yourself: where in this picture is the red color of the rose? It is not there. The red color is neither in the rose nor in the eye. It is somewhere else.  It is in the Self (soul).

The attributes of color, beauty, joy and sorrow that make our world rich and meaningful are absent from a materialist worldview drawn purely on the basis of the empirical and the rational. Such a worldview is flawed and incomplete. It is also deceptive, erroneous and misleading.

The Exalted Station ( Maqam ) of the Heart

Iqbal wrote:

Mahroom e tamasha ko woh deedaye beena de

Dekha hai jo kuch maiN ne, awroN ko bhi dikhla de

(Grant the vision (O Lord!) to one who has not witnessed the show,

What I have witnessed (with the eye of my heart), show it to others too.)

In all of God’s creation, there is nothing as noble, as sublime as the human heart, for it alone is capable of knowing the Name of God. Nothing, not the body, not the mind, measures up to heart in its nobility, its expanse and its heavenly character. Mohammed ibn Ali al Hakim al Tirmidhi, that great Sufi shaikh of the tenth century, in his treatise Bayan al Sadr wa al Qalb wa al Fuad wa al Lubb , compared the heart to the throne of God.  He wrote: “The heart has a nobler position even with respect to the Throne ( arsh ), for the Throne receives the Grace of God and merely reflects it, whereas the heart receives the Grace of God, reflects it and is aware of it.”  The sublime attribute of the heart is that it is aware of the Name of God; it knows what the angels do not know.

A Hadith e Qudsi (divinely inspired saying of Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)) says: The heavens and the mountains and the earth were not large enough to contain Me. But the heart of the believer was large enough to contain Me.”

The heart as it is used here should not be confused with the physical heart. It should be understood as a collection of attributes. Based upon the terminology of the Qur’an, Imam Tarmidhi, ascribes four ascending stations to the heart, each with its own distinct characteristics.

The Sadr. This is the outmost station of the heart.  It is open to the goodness that comes from the spirit as well as the distractions of the world. It expands with the light of the spirit and contracts with the darkness of evil whisperings. In this sense it is like the aperture of a camera. The more it opens, the more it admits of light.

The Qalb. This is the heart proper. The word Qalb in Arabic means that which turns. It is like a gimbal in a spacecraft. One face of the heart turns towards the Light of the spirit. The other face turns towards the distractions of the world. The heart that turns towards the spirit receives the light that comes from Divine presence. A heart that turns towards the deceptive appearance of the material world is sealed off from that light.

The Fu’ad. The word Fu’ad comes from the word Fayida which in Arabic means that which is of benefit. It is the kernel of the heart. It is that attribute which enables the heart not only to be aware of the Divine Name but to see the presence of God around it. Hence it is the eye of the heart.

The Birr. This is the essence of the heart. It is like the oil in the lamp, that which gives off light. It is the station wherein are manifest the beauty and majesty of Divine presence. It is the inner sanctum of the heart that gazes in its rapture at the ruh or the spirit and receives the infinite Grace that comes from God’s presence. The word Birr has two letters, b and r. The “b” stands for Baraka. The “r” stands for ra’a , that is to see. The Birr is a perpetual witness to the blessings that accrue from the presence of the Divine. This is the highest station of the heart, the one that is attained by the sages, the awliya .

The Kashaf (curtain) of the Body and the Mind

There is a divine light in every man, woman and child. It is bestowed upon a human at birth. However, it remains hidden by the curtains that man himself erects. Some sages say there are seven layers of curtains between the spirit and the Self, some say there are seventy thousand layers of curtains. The struggle of man is to remove these curtains so that the pristine essence of man gazes in its fullness at the spirit and partakes of the beauty and the majesty of Divine presence. That is the essence of knowledge.

The curtains that man erects between himself and the Divine light are called kashaf . The body, mind and the outer heart each erect curtains or veils between the light that comes from the ruh and its perception by the Self.

The Kashaf (Curtain/Veil) of the Body

The kashaf of the body is its deception. The materialist worldview confuses reality with the images gathered by the senses. It is like confusing the image in a mirror with the object. We will offer examples to illustrate this observation. Consider the song of a bird. A physical description of a bird singing at dawn on a beautiful morning would go something like this: P-waves generated by the bird travel through the air. They are picked up by the ear drum which generates impulses for the audio nerves and is then heard. Where in this description of P-waves, transmission through the air, eardrums and audio nerves is the sound? Nowhere. The act of hearing is neither in the P-waves nor in the ear drum. It is somewhere else. It is in the Self (the soul), which remains hidden but acts as the seat of cognition and knowledge.

The Kashaf (Curtain/Veil) of the Mind

The kashaf of the mind lies in its limitations. Noble as it is, the mind is dependent on logic, structure and reason. It is the king of ilm ul hujjah (the science of argumentation and disputation). But it cannot explain that  which is beyond reason. What is the reason to love? Or, for that matter, what is the reason to hate? What is the reason to climb a mountain or to conquer space? Why does a man sacrifice himself for a cause like a moth striking a lamp and burning itself up in the process. Love, honor and sacrifice are attributes of the heart. They are not accessible to the mind. The rationalist who assumes that reason is the limit of man’s knowledge erects a curtain between himself and reality and cannot comprehend the mysteries that transcend rational thought.

What is the Nafs

The Nafs is a composite term which includes the body, the mind and the heart. Like the heart, it is a collection of attributes and is not to be confused with a specific part of the body. Depending on the context it is translated as “person”, “soul”, or the Self. It is the “I” that remains hidden and yet makes itself felt through the body, the mind and the heart. In the English language it is sometimes incorrectly translated as “the Ego”. The Ego is only one aspect of the Nafs; it does not capture the full, comprehensive meaning of the Nafs.

The secular perspective denies the existence of the Nafs. In its materialist outlook, it confines itself to the concrete and the rational. “What is material is real and what is real is material” is its perspective. Consequently, secular man cannot come to terms with the emotions and the passions that govern the world of man.  In the secular perspective there is no color, only wavelengths. There is no joy and no sorrow only chemical changes in the body. The secular world is cold, rational, devoid of the higher impulses that make us human.

Attributes of the Nafs

The Nafs is distinguished by its attributes, just as are its individual elements, the heart, the mind and the body. Some of the most important attributes of the Nafs are:

• The Nafs is the seat of cognition and knowledge. The sounds that we hear are “heard” not by the ear but by the Nafs. The sights that we see are “seen” not by the eye but by the Nafs. The “heat” and “cold” that we experience are not experienced by the skin but by the Nafs. The Nafs (soul or the Self) is the cognitive element in a human being.
• The Nafs is the fountain of speech. The faculty of “ bayan ” as it is called in Arabic, is not merely the ability to speak a particular language such as English, Urdu or Zulu, but it is that human ability to transform sounds and signs into ideas, to dissect, combine and integrate them and build the tree of knowledge that distinguishes the world of man from the world of the beast. Speech is not in the tongue; it is in the Nafs or the soul.

God, Most Gracious,

Created the human,

Taught him speech.” (The Qur’an 55:1-4)

• The Nafs is the owner of free will.

Humankind is distinguished by its free will. “I will, therefore I am”, is the succinct way to state this. Man has the free will to choose and realize his existential potential.  It is this same free will that makes a man climb a mountain, conquer the oceans, ride the waves, and send a rocket to the moon.

• The Nafs is the knower of beauty, of order and proportion.

And the Nafs

And the sense of order and proportion bestowed upon it. (The Quran 91:7)

The Nafs has a sense of order, proportion and beauty. Every human, man, woman and child is endowed with these attributes. That is how even the most unlettered person can relate to the enchanting beauty of the rainbow or the serene majesty of a mountain.  The Nafs recognizes beauty, order and proportion in the external world and relates to it because the external is a reflection of what is already in the Nafs.   It is like looking in the mirror; the beauty of the image is a reflection of the beauty of that which causes the image.

• The Nafs is the seat of the Ego.

The Nafs is sometimes mistranslated into English as the Ego. In Arabic, the corresponding term for the Ego would be “Anaya”.  The term “Ego” is a Freudian term used in Western psychology and has its own specific connotations. The Nafs is a broader term than the Ego inasmuch as it includes the hidden attributes of the body, the mind and the heart, and hence connotes the total human being, or simply, the Person.

It is the Ego that incites the human to self-aggrandizement, rebel against the commandments of God and set himself up as an open adversary to Divine Will and in the process lays the groundwork for his self-destruction:

Nay! But humankind does rebel

In that it considers itself autonomous (self-sufficient);

We will drag him by his forelock,

A lying, sinful forelock! (96: 6-7)

• The Nafs has a conscience and is the differentiator of good and evil.

Perhaps the most important characteristic of the Nafs is its ability to know right from wrong, good from evil (…And its guidance as to what is wrong and what is right… Qur’an 91:8). The propensity towards evil and its ability to say “no” to that tendency is a uniquely human ability. Humankind is born with “deen ul fitra”, in the natural state with closeness to Divine presence, but through its own actions gets away from the Divine presence and has to be reminded again and again to return to the Divine fold.

The Kashaf of the Nafs

The susceptibility of the Nafs to evil makes the Nafs the biggest barrier between the Light that comes with the Ruh and its perception. Properly trained, this barrier can be removed and the Nafs can become the carrier of that Light. The progression of the Nafs from an obstructer of Light to a carrier of Light is a continuous process. Four stations of the Nafs are identified in the Qur’an:

Nafs e Ammara : This is the dark side of man, prone to whisperings from the evil one. Nafs e Ammara stands steeped in darkness, cut off from the light emanating from the Spirit.

Nafs e Mulhama : This is the aspiring Nafs, the state when a person starts questioning the evil tendencies of his own Self and tries to rectify them.

Nafs e Lawwama : This is the blaming Nafs, the station from where the Self, having overcome the evil inclinations of the Self, reaches out to a higher station, to find the Light that comes from Divine presence.

Nafs e Mutmainna : This is the highest station of the Nafs and the closest to Divine presence. At this station, the Nafs has overcome its Ego and has shunned whisperings of the evil one and has turned with complete surrender to Divine presence. It is the station of satisfaction, tranquility and peace.

Tarmidhi tabulates the stations of the Nafs with respect to the stations of the heart: Nafs e Ammara corresponds to Sadr; Nafs e Mulhama corresponds to the Qalb; Nafs e Lawwamma corresponds to the Fu’ad , and Nafs e Mutmainna corresponds to Birr .

Translation, Conceptual Mapping and Cultural Constraints

Translation from one language to another often introduces inaccuracies and misconceptions. Language is culture bound. What is expressed in one language cannot exactly be mapped onto another language because words are colored by the historical and cultural experience of a people and they have a semantic connotation. It is important to keep in mind the differences in terminology and their semantic nuances when we approach the nature of knowledge and its classification in the Qur’anic paradigm.

The Interconnectivity of Knowledge

Truth is one. Its origin is the Light from the ruh (the Spirit). It is the spirit that suffuses the heart, the mind and the body to acquire knowledge. It follows that the various categories of knowledge are interconnected.  

The primal origin of knowledge from a divine source establishes the interconnectivity between different forms of knowledge. Ilm ul ibara and ilm ul ishara both have Divine origin. What is learned through the senses springs from the same Source as what is learned through the mind and what is perceived by the heart.  And all of them point like arrows (symbols) towards that divine purpose in creation, namely, to serve and worship Him. Unlike the secular framework where the body and mind stand as antagonists to the heart and to each other, in the Qur’anic paradigm, the body, mind and the heart are partners, each contributing its share to the acquisition of knowledge that enables humankind to discharge its divinely established responsibility to serve and worship.

There is interconnectivity in nature. There is interconnectivity between the perceived world that the world beyond perception. This interconnectivity is through the Creator, who creates everything, every moment, with sublime beauty, complete perfection and supreme majesty.

The Purpose of Creation

The various categories of knowledge are also interconnected through their shared functionality.

Does the universe have a purpose? As opposed to the secular view of a purposeless world, the Qur’anic view holds that there is a moral purpose to creation, that is, to serve and worship God:

I created not the Jinns and Humankind except to serve (worship). The Qur’an (51:56)

The word that is used in the Qur’an to describe this purpose is “’ abd ” which may mean worship or unqualified servitude.  Thus humankind and jinns (another forms of intelligent creation made of formless energy) are enjoined to acquire knowledge so that they may know God and serve and worship Him.

The fossilization of knowledge

Knowledge is fossilized because of the assumptions made by man about the secular nation of the cosmos. By dissociating the material and the rational from the heart and the soul, secular man ends up in a blind alley where the heart and the Nafs (soul) are absent from his worldview. History, science, philosophy, mathematics, good and evil, passion and emotion each are pigeon holed into separate compartments with no interconnectivity. Secular man sees no grand purpose in creation and hence he sees no purpose in his own creation.

What is Iqbal’s Khudi?

We are now in a position to understand Allama Iqbal’s Khudi. It is the essence of the Self. It is not seen but it makes itself felt through the body, the mind and the heart. It increases in its brightness the more the Self is effaced, until when the Self is completely effaced, Khudi becomes a mirror that reflects, like a brilliant star, the Light of its essence from its Life Source, the Spirit. Khudi is not the Ego of the psychologists. It is more than the Self of the philosophers. Indeed, Khudi becomes stronger as the Self becomes weaker. It is the Se Murgh of Fareeduddin Attar. It is the rapture of Rumi when he writes: “Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu, Buddhist, Sufi, or Zen. Not of any religion or culture, I am not from the East or the West, not out of the ocean or brought forth from the ground. Not natural or ethereal; not of elements. I do not exist, am not an entity in this world or in the next, did not descend from Adam and Eve or any story of origin. My place is placeless; I am a trace of the traceless. Neither body or soul, I belong to the Beloved, have seen the two worlds as one, and the One who calls you to, the first, last, outer, inner. (I am) only that breath-breathing human.”

Allama Iqbal captures this sublime thought with the simile ( ilm ul ishara ) of the mirror (a’eena):

Tu bacha bacha ke na rakh ise

Tera a’eena hai woh a’eena

Ke shikasta ho to ‘azeez tar

Hai nigahe a’eena saz meiN.

Conserve it not and keep (Your Nafs, O seeker!),

Your mirror is that mirror,

The more it is disabled (and disarmed),

The more it is loved

By He who made the mirror.

Iqbal rode on the wings of angels and dared to wish to speak to God. Paying tribute to this audacity, Shakeel Badaiwani pays homage to Iqbal:

Allah to sab ki sunta hai, jur’at hai Shakeel apni apni,

Hali ne zubaN se “uf” na kaha, Iqbal shikayat kar baithe.

(God listens to every voice,

It is up to one’s courage, O Shakeel!

Hali uttered not ugh! with his tongue,

Iqbal went ahead and submitted a complaint.)

This audacity was uncommon in Urdu literature and indeed in Islamic literature. Those who pierced the walls of orthodoxy paid a heavy price. It was the genius of Iqbal that he pushed the envelope and negotiated his terms with the orthodoxy of his times. Indeed, he won acclaim for what he achieved.

Iqbal could do this because he speaks to us not as Iqbal the poet, but from his Essence, his Khudi, much as Rumi speaks to us from the spaceless, timeless station of his rapture. In this, Iqbal shares the station of a wali, except that whereas a wali may be satisfied with his station of rapture, Iqbal looks further beyond to the example of the Prophets and returns to inspire and guide his people. Examine this verse:

Wahi lan tarani suna chahta hooN,

Meri saadgi dekh meiN kya chayta hooN.

(I long to hear that lan taranee – thou canst ever see Me!

See! How simple is my longing!).

This is a deep ocean. I will share with our readers a drop or two of this boundless ocean. In the Qur’an, Surah An Naml, Ayah 7 (27:7), there is a sublime description of the encounter of Moses with Divine energy on the mountain: “When Moses said to his family: Verily! I perceive a Fire! Soon shall I bring for you some information from it, or bring for you (a Fire) from the burning shoals (shoals that are inclined to part of their energy) so that you may warm yourselves”.  The wisdom in this Ayah defies translation. In 2009, when I was in Jerusalem for an interfaith meeting, I related this Ayah to a rabbi and there were tears in his eyes. Following the example of Moses the great Prophet, Iqbal goes “up on the mountain” and like Moses he wants to bring back “some information” for his people. He is not a wali who may be satisfied with a heady drink from Wahdat al Wajud . He has gone further to stations of higher ecstasy and has become a Shaheed (a witness) as in Wahdat ash Shahada of Shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi (d 1624 CE) of his native Punjab. This aspect of Iqbal needs further elaboration.

Iqbal does not spare the self-content Wali from his pen. He takes him to task for abandoning the struggle which is the distinguishing attribute of humankind and accepting instead a contemplative relationship with God and satiation with the ecstasy of Divine presence. The static accretions that held down the forward march of Islamic civilization were his target. Iqbal, himself a product of tasawwuf, wants to remove the static weights that held down tasawwuf and impart to it the dynamism that is inherent in it.

The objective of tasawwuf is to find Divine presence. Tasawwuf has been in existence since the time of the Prophet and derives its inspiration from the life of the Prophet. There are many tareeqas or methodologies for removing the veils of the Nafs and taking the Self from distractions (kashaf) of duniya (the created world) to the presence of God. All of them trace their knowledge to the inner knowledge imparted by the Prophet himself to the Sahaba. All of them start with an emphasis on strict observance of the Shariah and then move in graduated discipline to a reinforcement of faith through dhikr (remembrance of God), Ehsan (beautiful deeds), Irfan (recognition and insights), Muhibbah (love), taqwa (awe and fear of God), faqr (poverty) and finally fana (annihilation). The Sufis derive the basis of each of these stations from the Qur’an. The process is continuous, endless, each station leading to another and to a higher state of ecstasy.

The question is: What happens after fana? The Qur’an provides the guidance: Upon everything there is annihilation save the existence of your Rabb, the owner of majesty and bounty (55: 26-27). Historical tasawwuf got away from the profound implication of fana , namely, it is only the beginning of a renewed struggle to find God. Some walis assumed that once they attained fana they were subsumed in Divine existence. This was the station of Wahdat al Wajud (the unity of existence). It is a deeply spiritual concept and only the initiated discuss it with deep reverence in select circles.

The idea of Wahdat al Wajud , accepted by some sufis, was always suspect in orthodox circles. The premise of Wahdat al Wajud , namely, that all existence exists only in God and nothing exists outside of Him, was sacrilegious in the eyes of many ulema.  Those mystics who spoke of it openly paid the price. Thus it was that when Mansur al-Hallaj cried out: Ana al Haq (I am the Truth), he was summarily executed.

It was not until the advent of Shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi (d 1624) that the idea of Wahdat al Wajud went through a major reformation. Sirhindi is considered one of the most influential thinkers of Islamic history. Indeed, some historians take the position that it was the force of his pen that changed the course of Islamic history in the seventeenth century from one that was based on traditional tasawwuf to one based on a more rigorous adherence to the Shariah.

Sirhindi reasserted the proper relationship between man and God, between the created and the Creator. Tawhid (the Unity and Uniqueness of God) dictates that the Creator and the created are not the same. The unity that is apparent at the moment of fana (annihilation), argued Sirhindi, is not the Unity of Existence but the Unity of Witness. After the station of fana (annihilation) comes the station of shaheed (witness). When a man advances to the lofty station of Wahdat us Shahada he becomes a shaheed (a witness) and beholds with his Essence the sublime majesty and bounty of the Creator. This is the inner meaning of Hadith e Qudsi: I was an unknown Treasure; I willed that I be known; so I created (a creation that would know Me).”

Iqbal stood on the shoulders of Shaikh Ahmed Sirhindi and took the idea of Wahdat us Shahada one step further. He applied it not just to the station of a witness but to the continuous and unceasing struggle of man to create Divine patterns on earth. In this grand endeavor, he followed not just the example of the Awliya, but also the lessons from the Prophets. Moses (peace be upon him) went up on the mountain and came back with the Ten Commandments. Iqbal the supplicant, a follower of Muhammed (pbuh), humbly presents himself with his Khudi (his Essence) at the feet of the Arsh (throne) and comes back with the dynamism that he wants to impart to his people. It is that dynamism that is the core of tasawwuf . It is that dynamism that is the crux of Islam whose raison d’ etre’ is to guide humankind towards the honor of servanthood as stated in the Qur’an: “I created not the jinns and the humans except to serve (worship) Me”. It is that dynamism of servanthood that animates Iqbal.

That is Iqbal’s “Khudi”, his timeless, spaceless Essence, the lamp in the mirror of his Spirit, the Light which he wants to share with his people. It is this khudi that animates his poetry, his life, his thoughts, his actions. He imparts a new, transcendent dimension to Urdu literature. He dares to push the envelope but always remains within it, a man of deep faith and vision, a mujtahid but always a humble follower of al deen-e-Muhammadi.

Wa Allahu A’lam.

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99+ Iqbal Poetry of , Khudi, and the Ummah In Urdu

Allama Iqbal, known as the national poet of Pakistan, left an indelible mark on Urdu poetry and philosophical thought. His poetry, which is a fusion of profound ideas, spirituality, and an ardent love for his nation, continues to inspire and resonate with people to this day. In this comprehensive article, we will explore the world of Allama Iqbal and his Urdu poetry collection, focusing on various aspects of his work, from his poetry about dreams and self-realization to his influence on modern Urdu literature.

Allama Iqbal Urdu Poetry Collection

Allama Iqbal’s poetry collection is a treasure trove of philosophical, inspirational, and thought-provoking verses. His poetry covers a wide range of themes, including spirituality, self-realization, patriotism, and the quest for a united Muslim Ummah. It’s a collection that has transcended time, and his verses continue to stir the hearts and minds of readers and poets alike.

uqabi rooh jab bedar hoti ha jawano main nazar aati ha un ko apni manzil aasmano main

Sitaron Se aage Jahan aur bhi hain Abhi ishq ke imtihan aur bhi hain

Mana Ke Teri Deed Ke Qabil Nahin Hun Main Tu Mera Shoq Dekh Mera Intezar Dekh

Faqat Nigah Se Hota Hai Faisla Dil Ka,Na Ho Nigah Mein Shokhi Toh Dilbari Kya Hai

Iqbal Shayari in Urdu with Translation

Iqbal’s Shayari, written in the eloquent and lyrical Urdu language, has a timeless quality. It’s not just poetry; it’s a profound philosophical exploration in verse. Translations of his Shayari help bring his thoughts and ideas to a global audience, making his wisdom accessible to those who may not be fluent in Urdu.

Best Iqbal Poems in Urdu

Picking the “best” Iqbal poems is a subjective endeavor, as his entire collection is filled with gems. However, some of his most celebrated works include “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua Ban Ke Tamanna Meri,” “Bang-e-Dra,” and “Asrar-e-Khudi.” These poems encapsulate his vision, ideas, and aspirations.

Iqbal Poetry about Dreams and Self-Realization

Iqbal was a dreamer, and his poetry is often a call to awaken the dreamer within us. His verses emphasize self-realization and the importance of recognizing one’s potential. He encourages individuals to dream big, pursue their passions, and work towards making their dreams a reality.

Iqbal Poetry on Khudi (Selfhood)

The concept of “Khudi” is central to Iqbal’s philosophy. It represents selfhood, self-awareness, and self-discovery. His poetry on Khudi encourages individuals to recognize their inner strength and become self-reliant, both spiritually and personally.

Iqbal’s Inspirational Urdu Poetry

Iqbal’s poetry is a wellspring of inspiration. His words have the power to motivate and instill a sense of purpose in the hearts of his readers. Whether it’s through his verses about self-improvement or his passionate calls for change, his poetry continues to inspire generations.

Iqbal Poetry on Freedom and Independence

Iqbal’s poetry also explores the themes of freedom and independence. His verses reflect his desire for a free and independent nation and his thoughts on the struggle for self-determination.

Iqbal Poetry about Patriotism and Nation

Patriotism runs deep in Iqbal’s poetry. He believed in the importance of a strong, united nation, and his verses reflect his love for his homeland and his desire to see it thrive.

Iqbal Poems on Spiritual Enlightenment

Iqbal’s poetry delves into the realm of spirituality. His verses offer insights into the quest for spiritual enlightenment, emphasizing the importance of a strong connection with the divine.

Iqbal’s Philosophical Poetry in Urdu

Iqbal was not just a poet but also a philosopher. His poetry is imbued with philosophical ideas, touching on subjects like the nature of the self, the human condition, and the role of individuals in society.

Iqbal’s Poetic Contributions to Urdu Literature

Iqbal’s contribution to Urdu literature is immeasurable. He enriched the language with his eloquence and deep philosophical insights. His Poetry best Iqbal Islamic urdu paved the way for future generations of poets and writers.

Iqbal’s Revolutionary Thoughts in His Poetry

Iqbal’s poetry was revolutionary in many ways. His ideas about self-empowerment, freedom, and the reawakening of the Muslim Ummah had a transformative impact on society.

Iqbal’s Influence on Modern Urdu Poetry

Iqbal’s influence on modern Urdu poetry cannot be overstated. His ideas, language, and style have left an enduring mark on subsequent generations of poets.

Iqbal’s Pers pective on Youth and Education

Iqbal had a deep connection with the youth and believed that they were the driving force for societal change. He emphasized the importance of education and character-building in shaping future generations.

Iqbal’s Vision of a United Muslim Ummah

Iqbal was a proponent of Muslim unity. His vision for a united Muslim Ummah, free from colonialism and oppression, remains relevant in the contemporary world.

Iqbal’s Impact on Pakistan’s History and Ideology

Iqbal’s ideas and poetry played a pivotal role in the formation of Pakistan. His concept of a separate homeland for Muslims in the Indian subcontinent became a reality in 1947.

Understanding Iqbal’s Poetic Philosophy in Urdu

Iqbal’s poetic philosophy is multifaceted and requires deep contemplation. It’s a journey of self-discovery, spiritual awakening, and societal reform, all intricately woven into his verses.

Iqbal’s Poetry and the Concept of ‘Shaheen

The concept of ‘Shaheen’ (eagle) is prevalent in Iqbal’s poetry. It symbolizes an individual with vision, high aspirations, and the ability to soar above challenges.

Iqbal’s Poetry and Its Relevance Today

Iqbal’s poetry remains as relevant today as it was in his time. His ideas about self-realization, nation-building, and spirituality continue to guide and inspire individuals worldwide.

Interpreting Iqbal’s Poetry for the Youth

Iqbal’s poetry is a source of guidance and inspiration for the youth. It encourages them to pursue their dreams, work for positive change, and contribute to the betterment of society.

In conclusion, Allama Iqbal’s Urdu poetry collection is a profound and enduring legacy that encompasses a wide range of themes, from self-realization and spiritual enlightenment to patriotism and the dream of a united Muslim Ummah. His poetry continues to inspire and guide individuals, making Iqbal not only a poet but also a philosopher and visionary whose influence remains as potent as ever.

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“Iqbal’s Philosophy of Khudi (Self)”

It is khudi or the Self that is the root of all existence. The philosophy of self, selfhood or Falsafa-i-Khudi (Philosphy of Self) to be concise is an emblem of Allama’s message and a one word substitute of his entire philosophical discourse.

Significance of the “Self” in an individual is the source through which we can bring ourselves closest to the Ultimate. Iqbal went in great depth to understand the concept of Self that a common person cannot dive to that extent of understanding.

Due to this concept of Iqbal, he faced immense criticism from religious people but he didn’t stop himself from sharing his thought to the people of SubContinent. He presented his philosophy in a very unique and creative way with the use of high poetic imaginations but his words cannot be understood by everyone because he was an ocean of knowledge.

To present his view more comprehensively he wrote a book named as Asrar-i-Khudi. Iqbal used Shaheen (Eagle) as a source to motivate the youth. He said that “Shaheen” possesses such Extraordinary attributes which no other bird has. Following are the qualities presented by Iqbal in the form of poetry;

I have turned away from that place on earth, Where sustenance takes the form of grain and water.

Solitude of the wilderness pleases me, by nature i was always a hermit., i am not hungry for pigeon or dove, for renunciation is the mark of an eagle’s life., i am dervish of the kingdom of birds, the eagle doesn’t make nests..

Shaheen is born with far sight, hence the verbatim eagle-eyed is known. He has the vision to see beyond superficial and read between events as they happen. As Iqbal says in Baal-e-Jibreel.

Oh! Self Aware Man! Don’t get lost in this series of morning and evening There is another world, where there is no future, nor past.

Shaheen is the most fearless of all bird species, who flies at high altitudes. He does not get Rizq like sparrows and crows, but flies and lives on a different and higher level. As Iqbal’s famous verse says;

O’ Falcon, dont be scared of the headwinds They just blow to keep your flying to greater hights.

Shaheen eats what it preys itself. Unlike vultures, which are the largest birds, they(Shaheen/Eagle) don’t eat left overs of other animals. It’s a symbol of Khuddari,the ability to toil hard for your Rizq as well as avoid haraam (corpses of other animal as eaten by vultures).

Shaheen seeks solitude. It’s not a social bird like sparrows and gulls who live in groups. Solitude or Khalwat-Pasandi is a key part of self discovery as explained.

Solitude of wilderness goes along with me well Since from creation, I am hermit by nature.

Iqbal believes that in order to understand your purpose of existence one needs to understand his own self. Because Allah says to us:

On Earth and in yourselves, there are signs for firm believers. Can you not see??

Transparency of the heart is first and foremost step towards the journey of self-hood. As said by Iqbal that love is the tool to clean your heart. Iqbal said that if “Selfhood” will be possessed by the youth they can change the face of a county in a highly positive way.

The Secret of Self is Hid, In words “No God but Allah alone” The self is just a dull-edged sword “No God but He” , the grinding stone.

Conclusion:

Iqbal said that the philosophy of “Khudi” is the ultimate way to understand the purpose of one’s existence on earth. He advices the youth to possess the qualities of Shaheen who is the superior in all the birds. He said;

“I have love for those youngsters who pull the stars down.”

https://www.thesufi.com › 5 features of Allama Iqbal’s Shaheen, the Mascot of Khudi | TheSufi.com

www.allamaiqbal.com > Iqbal’s Concept of Khudi (Ego) - Allama Iqbal.

Written by Beenish Razaq

Books are Life❤️

Text to speech

Sir Allama Muhammad Iqbal is the most famous poet of Pakistan. He is the poet of the east. Allama Iqbal Poetry is most famous in Pakistan and all around the world. Most famous topics are: Allama Iqbal Ka Shaheen Poetry, Allama Iqbal Poetry for Students, Allama Iqbal Poetry in Urdu for Pakistan, Poetry of Iqbal with English translation.

Sunday, November 25, 2018

Khudi ko kar buland itna - allama iqbal poem.

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یوں تو سید بھی ہو مرزا بھی ہو افغان بھی ہو

تم سبھی کچھ ہو بتاؤ مسلمان بھی ہو

Mohsin Naqvi

Ahmad Faraz

Habib Jalib

Anwar Masood

Parveen Shakir

Mir Taqi Mir

Rahat Indori

Allama Iqbal

Javed Akhtar

Love Poetry

Funny Poetry

Rain Poetry

Sharabi Poetry

Friends Poetry

علامہ اقبال کی شاعری

رگوں میں وہ لہو باقی نہیں ہے

تجھے یاد کیا نہیں ہے مرے دل کا وہ زمانہ

جمہوریت اک طرز حکومت ہے کہ جس میں (ردیف .. ے)

پریشاں کاروبار آشنائی

نہ تو زمیں کے لیے ہے نہ آسماں کے لیے

امین راز ہے مردان حر کی درویشی

مکانی ہوں کہ آزاد مکاں ہوں؟

مسلماں کے لہو میں ہے سلیقہ دل نوازی کا

چمن میں رخت گل شبنم سے تر ہے

ماں کا خواب

حادثہ وہ جو ابھی پردۂ افلاک میں ہے

Your Thoughts and Comments

Yun To Sayyad Bhi Ho Mirza Bhi Ho Afghan Bhi Ho In Urdu By Famous Poet Allama Iqbal. Yun To Sayyad Bhi Ho Mirza Bhi Ho Afghan Bhi Ho is written by Allama Iqbal. Enjoy reading Yun To Sayyad Bhi Ho Mirza Bhi Ho Afghan Bhi Ho Poem on Inspiration for Students, Youth, Girls and Boys by Allama Iqbal. Free Dowlonad Yun To Sayyad Bhi Ho Mirza Bhi Ho Afghan Bhi Ho by Allama Iqbal in PDF.

Sad Poetry in Urdu , 2 Lines Poetry in Urdu , Ahmad Faraz Poetry in Urdu , Sms Poetry in Urdu , Love Poetry in Urdu , Rahat Indori Poetry , Wasi Shah Poetry in Urdu , Faiz Ahmad Faiz Poetry , Anwar Masood Poetry Funny , Funnu Poetry in Urdu , Ghazal in Urdu , Romantic Poetry in Urdu , Poetry in Urdu for Friends

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Watch as Biden departs for 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago

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Watch as Joe Biden departs for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago .

The president forced by his allies to abandon his reelection bid a month ago, and will be in the spotlight on opening night of the DNC on Monday 19 August, aware that his party has swiftly moved on without him.

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Speech on Iqbal Day In Urdu

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صدر گرامی قدرو حاضرین مکرم!

شاعرِ مشرق حضرت علامہ اقبال رحمتہ اللہ علیہ کی تمام شاعری اوّل تا آخر مسلمانانِ عالم کے لیے ایک پیغام ہے۔ ایک عالمگیر پیغام جس کو سمجھنے کے لیے ضروری ہے کہ دینِ اسلام سے پوری پوری واقفیت حاصل ہو اور کوئی جاہل حضرت اقبال کے پیغام کی گہرائی تک نہیں پہنچ سکتا ہے۔ وہ شخص جو اسلام کے زریں اصول اور تاریخ اسلام کا فہم وادراک حاصل کر سکے۔ وجہ میں بیان کرچکا ہوں کہ حضرت اقبال کا کلام ہمیں نئے جہاں سے متعارف کرواتا ہے۔

جناب صدر! ہم جانتے ہیں کہ حضرت علامہ اقبال پیدا ہی ایک ایسے ذی شان و ذی وقار خاندان میں ہوئے تھے جس میں اسلامی خصوصیات نمایاں طور پر اجاگر تھیں۔ حضرت علامہ اقبال کو شروع ہی سے ایک ایسا جید عالم استاد نصیب ہوا جو صحیح اسلامی دیندار کا قابل تقلید نمونہ تھا۔ میری مراد علامہ سید میر حسن سے ہے جن کا درخشندہ خاندانی خصوصیات اور ابتدائی زدوسیات نے جس اسلامی تخم کی آبیاری کی تھی حضرت اقبال کے وسعت مطالبہ نے اس میں ایسے برگ وبار پیدا کیے کہ ان کے احسانات کا سایہ تادیر قائم رہے گا۔ اور یہ اسی تاثیر کا نتیجہ ہے کہ حضرت اقبال کے نام کے ساتھ رحمتہ اللہ علیہ مستقل طور پر ایک جزو کی حثیت اختیار کرچکا ہے۔

میرے عزیز دوستو! آپ جانتے ہیں کہ شاہیں خوددار ہے اور وہ محض آب و دانہ کے لئے بلندیوں سے نشیب کی طرف نہیں آتا ہے۔ وہ آب و دانہ جو پرواز کو کوتاہ کردے اس کے نزدیک موت ہے۔ حضرت اقبال نے کیا خوب لکھا ہے؀

جناب صدر! حضرت علامہ اقبال کا پیغام اسلام خودداری کا پیغام ہے۔ بندے کو ہزاروں دروازوں سے چھڑا کر ایک ہی چوکھٹ پر جھکاتا ہے۔ جو اس دروازے پر جھک گیا اس کے لئے اور کوئی مقام ایسا نہیں ہے جہاں اس کی کمر خم اور سر نیچا ہو۔ ہرقسم کا جھکاؤ کی خمیدگی صرف ایک ذات کے لیے ہے۔اس کی حکومت حکومت ہے اور اس کی حاکمیت حاکمیت۔حضرت اقبال رحمتہ اللہ علیہ کا شعر عرض ہے؀

صدر ذی وقار! حضرت علامہ اقبال مسلمانانِ عالم کو خودی کا پیغام دیتے ہیں۔ خودی ایک ایسا لفظ ہے جو ان کے کلام میں ایک وسیع المعنی لفظ ہے۔ خودی انسان کی ذات اور شخصیت کو کہتے ہیں۔ انسان اپنی ذات کو پہچانے اپنے حقیقت معلوم کرے اپنے اور خدا کے تعلق کو سمجھنے اگر اپنی اصلیت سمجھ گیا تو خدا کا سراغ پالینا مشکل نہیں۔ وہ مسلمان میں خودی کو بیدار کرنا چاہتے ہیں۔ عجز کمزوری اور بزدلی کو دور کر کے انسان کو اس کے اصل مقام سے آشنا کرانا چاہتے ہیں اور ایسے ہی مسلمان کو جس کی خودی بیدار ہو گئی ہو وہ مردِ مومن کہتے ہیں۔ حضرت اقبال کا فرمانا ہے کہ؀

میرے عزیز ساتھیو! حضرت اقبال کی تعلیمات کو سمجھو اور ان پر پوری طرح عمل پیراں ہوجاؤ کہ اسی میں ہماری ذاتی دقومی بقا کا راز پوشیدہ ہے۔ اگر آج ہماری آنکھیں نہیں کھل سکیں گی تو پھرہمیشہ کے لیے ہمارے سامنے اندھیرا ہی اندھیرا ہوگا۔ وہ اقبال فرماگئے ہیں؀

جناب صدر اسی شعر کے ساتھ اجازت چاہوں گا۔ فی امانِ اللہ

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Doctor’s Rape, Murder in India Sparks Protests

Enforce Laws Against Sexual Abuse, Including in Workplace

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Thousands of Indians have taken to the streets to protest the  rape and murder of a doctor  in a government hospital in Kolkata city last week. They are demanding justice and better security and facilities at medical campuses and hospitals.

The attack has cast a spotlight on how millions of Indian women remain exposed to abuse in the workplace and continue to face severe  barriers to justice for sexual violence .

On August 9, a 31-year-old trainee doctor was found dead in a seminar room.  News report s said she had fallen asleep in the classroom after a grueling 36-hour shift because there was no designated rest area for staff. The  autopsy showed her body bore severe injuries, including fractures, suggesting a brutal assault. A male hospital  volunteer worker has been arrested .

India has laws such as the POSH Act to address  violence against women and protect them from  sexual harassment in the workplace . The laws against rape and sexual abuse were strengthened after a  2012 gang rape and murder in Delhi sparked nationwide protests.

However, the authorities have  failed to effectively enforce the law or ensure complaint committees tackle sexual harassment in both the formal and informal sectors.

While most private sector companies and government offices have set up internal complaint committees, many exist only on paper. Employers do little to improve workplace culture by raising awareness about what constitutes sexual harassment and consequences for such behavior.

Many protesters alleged that the Kolkata hospital’s administrator blamed the victim and  attempted to cover up the crime . A mob attacked the hospital to disrupt protests, renewing concerns over barriers faced by victims and their families in cases of sexual violence. Federal investigators are now investigating the case.

Meanwhile, the West Bengal state chief minister has demanded the “ hanging of the guilty ” by August 18. Imposing the death penalty may have popular appeal after such a horrific crime, but it won’t protect girls and women from abuse and violence. That requires systemic reforms, including better enforcement of laws and protections in public spaces as well as in the workplace and in institutions. Human Rights Watch opposes all use of the death penalty.

Women and girls in India have the right to live and work without fear for their safety and to do so with dignity.

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World Humanitarian Day: What it means to be an aid worker today

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As the aid worker community commemorated fallen colleagues at solemn ceremonies marking World Humanitarian Day on Monday, frontline staff putting their lives on the line today highlighted the risks of providing help to vulnerable communities.

From ongoing emergencies in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine , we’ve compiled a selection of moving personal messages from UN humanitarians who reflect on what it means to be an aid worker, 21 years to the day since a bomb attack at the UN’s headquarters in Baghdad killed 22 humanitarian workers, including Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq:

GAZA: Louise Wateridge, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA): 

On colleagues too scared to leave children at home.

“We have our staff in the north as well, staff in the south, all over; they’re telling us how they take their children to work with them because they don't dare leave them at home . They dare not be apart from their families in case somebody is killed in a strike and they're not together. Colleagues tell me that they would rather die together than die separately.”

Facing constant danger and destruction

“We often wake up to new challenges. Even in Khan Younis. You know, we have just rehabilitated a water well - this is an achievement of the war. [Providing] water to 100,000 people in the Khan Yunis area, amongst all the rubble, amongst all the displacement. And now there are tanks in this area and people are fleeing …It is so challenging to deliver humanitarian response with these forced displacements, with the ongoing bombing and strikes being able to navigate the area safely. It's just impossible to be safe in the Gaza Strip.”

Repeated blows

“If we wake up tomorrow and the well in Khan Younis that is the biggest source of water for the population there has been destroyed again, of course, that's going to come with huge frustration and huge upset to the humanitarian response, to the community here. But I know staff will pick themselves up, they will carry on and they will repair it again, because what else will they do? They're not going to give up. They're going to keep doing everything they possibly can until we reach a ceasefire. Until there is some respite for the population - they will continue to serve their community.”

Sudan: Leni Kinzli, the UN World Food Programme (WFP):

‘this is what i signed up for’.

“So. I've been an aid worker now for six years and being an aid worker in Sudan means basically never giving up. It's an incredibly difficult situation to be working in, especially for our Sudanese colleagues, and it just means never giving up and never giving up the belief and the hope that you are making a difference in people's lives - that the assistance that we're getting through does save lives and supports people in the very darkest of times as we're seeing in Sudan.

This is what I signed up for. This is what we all sign up for   as aid workers there is, you know, no assumption when it comes to this, you dedicate your life in the service of others.”

Unforgettable testimony

“One recent example that has brought home for me what it means to be a humanitarian is a recent encounter I had in Port Sudan with a woman who is in about mid-30s, had escaped and was living in Port Sudan, basically after an 800-kilometre trek to safety. And she was telling me the details of everything that she went through in the war. She really got extremely emotional about it.

But then she also mentioned how receiving assistance from WFP monthly emergency food ration packages helped her to make that journey and then arrive in a place where she was safe and could share her story with me and also let out some of the trauma that she experienced.

She was in my arms crying, But letting that out and having the space to allow people to share the difficulties that they've been through and giving them the empathy and compassion they deserve after such horrific experiences; that's what being a humanitarian is all about.”

The reality of delivering relief

“What humanitarian workers across Sudan, especially Sudanese aid workers, are up against, is the most complex operating environment in the world today. So what that means is, in the areas where people need help the most there is active fighting, there are airstrikes, bombings, shellings in places like Khartoum, the capital (and) the capital of North Darfur.

But then along the roads where we would have to transport food, there are so many checkpoints, so many different actors, armed actors involved across different lines of conflict, so it is a constant negotiation and constant communication with those parties.”

Ukraine: Emanuele Bruni UN World Health Organization (WHO):

Lethal ‘double tap’ threat in odessa.

“Seven months ago after an initial attack, one emergency medical system worker was running quickly to the spot where the attack occurred, not caring (about) the siren, not caring of the warnings - it's the spirit of the workers and of the health workers. The unfortunate story which really breaks my heart is that this health worker, this young emergency medical system worker, was hit by the second tap.

[They were] hit by doing this work for the people, and this is something I will never forget…The attack on the children’s hospital in Kyiv is definitely the most evident of the attacks. But these attacks to emergency medical workers happen every day. I will never forget.”

Healthcare targeted

“Since the beginning of 2024, we have observed a lot of “double tap” hits; basically [there’s data] that health workers are three times more prone to be attacked. This is absolutely hampering the response and also the healthcare status of the population as well as of the health system. It's very important to remind that Ukraine remains a very, very difficult emergency, due to the incredible amount of violence.”