Birth of Allama Iqbal:
Allama Iqbal born on 9th
November 1877 in the city of Sialkot
(Punjab). Allama Iqbal’s ancestors
were Kashmiri Brahmins, Iqbal’s ancestors were very much religious, and effect
of that religious family is can be seen in the life of Allama Iqbal.
Allama Iqbal Earlier Education:
Allama
Iqbal got his early Education in the city of Sialkot. Then Allama Iqbal Joins
the Intermediary College. Mir Hassan (Allama Iqbal teacher), a great oriental
scholar, had a special aptitude for imparting his own literary taste and to
Allama Iqbal. Due to that Allama Iqbal
is influenced towards the Islamic studies.
Allama Iqbal Higher Education:
Allama
Iqbal after passing on to the Government College of Lahore, Allama Iqbal did
his graduation with English Literature, Philosophy and Arabic as his subjects.
At the college he met Prof. Arnold and
Sir Abdul Qadir. Allama Iqbal’s poem, Chand (moon) and other early poems
appeared in the journal (which belonged to Sir Abdul Qadir) in 1901 and were
acclaimed by critics as cutting a new path in Urdu poetry.
It did not take him long to win recognition as a rising star
on the firmament of Urdu literature. In the meantime Allama Iqbal had done his
MA in Philosophy and was appointed as a Lecturer in History, Philosophy and
Political science at Oriental College, Lahore. He then moved to Government
College to teach Philosophy and English Literature.
Allama Iqbal life In Europe:
Allama Iqbal
went to Europe for higher studies in the year 1905 and stayed there for three
years. Allama Iqbal took the Honors Degree in Philosophy and taught Arabic at
the Cambridge University when Prof. Arnold was not present there. From England, Allama Iqbal went to Germany to do his doctorate in
Philosophy from Munich and then
returned to London to qualify for the bar.
Allama Iqbal Back in India:
Allama Iqbal
returned to India in 1908. Allama Iqbal the Great poet had won all these
academic laurels by the time he was 32 or 33. He practiced as a lawyer from
1908 to 1934, when ill health compelled him to give up his practice.
Allama
Iqbal attended the meetings of Anjuman Himayat-I-Islam regularly at city of Lahore.
The epoch making poems, Shikwa and
Jawab-e-Shikwa, which he read out in the annual convention of it one year
after another, sparkled with the glow of his genius and made him immensely
popular. They became the national songs of Millet.
Allam Iqbal’s
other poems Tarana-e-Hind (The
Indian anthem) and Tarana-e-Milli
(the Muslim Anthem) also very very popular masses and used to be sung as
symbols of National or Muslim identity at public meetings.
Allama Iqbal spirit of Change:
Allama
Iqbal in 1910 shocked strongly and caused a deep curled upon his heart. In his
mood of ire and hindrance, he wrote a number of thrilling poems, which together
with portraying the anguish of Muslims were severely critical of the West.
Allama Iqbal’s spirit of change is evident in poems like Bilad-e-Islamia (the lands of Islam), Wataniat (Nationalism), Muslim,
Fatima Bint Abdullah (who was killed in the siege of Cyrainca, Siddiq), Bilal, Tahzib-e-Hazir (Modern
civilization) and Huzoor-e-Risalat Maab
Mein (in the presence of Sacred Prophet). In these poems, Iqbal deplores
the attitude of Muslim leaders.
The turning point of Allama Iqbal’s Life:
Iqbal
was shaken by the tragic events of World War I and the disaster the Muslims had
to face. The genius had passed through the formative period. He had attained
maturity as a poet, thinker, seer and crusader who could read the signs of
tomorrow in the happenings of today, make predictions, present hard facts and
unravel abstruse truths through the medium of poetry and ignite the flame of
faith, Selfhood and courage by his own intensity of feeling and force of
expression. Khizr-e-Raah (The Guide) occupies the place of pride among the
poems he wrote during this period. Bang-e-Dara (The caravan bell) published in
1929 has held a place of honor in Urdu poetry and world poetry.
Iqbal preferred Persian for poetic
expression because its circle was wider than that of Urdu in Muslim India. His
Persian works, Asrar-e-khudi (Secrets of the self), Rumuz-e-Bekhudi (Mysteries
of Selflessness), Payam-e-Mashriq (Message of the East), Javed Nama (The Song
of Eternity) belong to the same period of his life. And so is Reconstruction of
Religious Thoughts in Islam, which was extensively appreciated and translated
into many languages. Academies were set up in Italy and Germany for the study
of Iqbal’s poetry and philosophy
