Urdu literature particularly poetry is very rich in traditions of patriotic and

nationalistic sentiments, which took root and flourished along Indias Struggle
for freedom. The later half of the 19
th
century and early 20
th
century saw an impetus in nationalistic and patriotic activities in the
movement for freedom drawing people from all walks of life into its fold
including men of letters. The strands of progressive movements in Indian
literature specially poetry provided fillip to many modern ideas of patriotism,
freedom, equality, equity and justice that formed the core of this movements
edifice. Young and budding Indian poets enthusiastically took to expressing
their nationalistic ideas in simple and lucid poems. Their writings clearly
demonstrate how nationalist ideologies can instrumentalize literature towards
its lofty ends, turning patriotic feelings and love for the motherland into a
constructive force. Even so many Indian writers such as
Iqbal
were swept away by the nationalist frenzy. Allama Iqbal was a pioneering
poet of Urdu and a fiery poet of patriotism. Iqbal was the founder of a new
school of Urdu poetry, which blossomed, in the first quarter of the 20th
century. Iqbal's poetry evolved from nationalism, and he remained a poet of
patriotism till the end, although, switching his loyalties to different levels from
being a zealous nationalist in early period of his career to pan-Islamism in
later years. This paper examines in detail the above cited and other patriotic
themes in Urdu literature with special reference to Allama Iqbals poetry,
which inspired the sub-continental movement for national awakening and
struggle. Examples of such poetry including the thematic poems and couplets
of Allama Iqbal is cited and illustrated in Roman transliteration and their
translation into English for benefit of English readers.
Allama Iqbal The Great Poet And Philosopher:

Great Poet-Philosopher, Sir Allama Muhammad Iqbal, universally known as

Allama Iqbal, born in November 9, 1877, he is counted as one of the most
basic pillars of the Urdu culture.

Iqbal is widely known as an outstanding classical poet not by just Indians and

Pakistanis but by other International scholars too. He was not only known as a
poet but was much admired as a Muslim philosopher as well. His first poetry
manuscript named Asrar-e-Khudi was published in 1915 and it was in
Persian language. His other famous Persian poetry books are Rumuz-ebekhudi, Payam-e-Mashrique and Zabur-e- Ajam. His Urdu masterpieces
include Bang-e-Dara, Bal-e-Jibril and Zarb-e-Kalim.

Over the years by his poems and philosophy, by his speeches and writings,
his letters and lectures he laid a great influence on cultural, social, political,
and social disputes. He was given the title of Sir by King George V. While his
stay in London for the study of law and philosophy he became a member of
All India Muslim Leagues branch in London. Afterwards in his historical
speech at the place of Allahabad in 1930, he proposed the creation of a
separate homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent. He proved to be the
right hand of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He is known as the Poet of the East, (Urdu: ) , Thinker of Pakistan

(Mufakkir-e-Pakistan) and the Sage of the Ummah (Hakeem-ul-ummat). The
Pakistani Nation officially recognizes Allama Muhammad Iqbal as first and the
greatest national poet. Iqbals poetry is not only valued in the sub continent
but the Afghanis and Iranis too appreciate his Persian work and know him well
by the name of Iqbal Lahori. 9th November, Allama Iqbals birthday is
celebrated warmly in Pakistan and it is a national holiday.

Muhammad Allama Iqbals Biography:

The allama iqbal biography is as follows;

Allama Iqbal, the poet of East was born in Sialkot, a town in Punjab, Pakistan,
on 9th November, 1877. In the reign of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, his
forefathers were converted to Islam, they were Kashmiri Brahmans before.
Iqbal loved his mother very much. She was a nice humble woman who even
solved the problems of the next door neighbors. On her death he was so
grieved that he wrote the following verses.

Who would wait for me anxiously in my native place?

Who would display restlessness if my letter fails to arrive?

I will visit thy grave with this complaint:

Who will now think of me in midnight prayers?

All thy life thy love served me with devotions

When I became fit to serve thee, thou hast departed

Iqbal was sent to a Masjid to learn Quran when he was only four years old.
Later he had the honor to be taught by Syed Mir Hassan, who was a great
teacher and head of Islamic School too. In 1895, Iqbal got the diploma of arts
from Scotch Mission College. Iqbal was married to the daughter of a Gujarat
physician in the same year named, Karim bibi. This was a pure arranged
marriage.

In the meanwhile, he started learning Arabic, English literature and

Philosophy from Government College Lahore. He did his Bachelors in Arts and
was the first student to graduate in his philosophy class.

His Stay In Europe For Higher Education:

Allama Muhammad Iqbal was inclined to Sir Thomas Arnolds teaching, who
was a great philosopher. Iqbal went to England for further studies where he
became very close to Arnold. In 1907 Iqbal qualified for scholarship in
Cambridge from Trinity College. In 1908 he was called to the bar as a
barrister from Lincolns inn.

While his stay in Europe, he realized that his Persian poetry has got the power
to influence the people and this will be an easy way to convey his ideas and
feelings to the common people.

He went to Germany in 1908, where he was taught about Goethes Faust,

Heine and Nietzsche by his German teacher Emma Wegenast. It is heard that
Iqbal had feelings for her but no relationship progressed. In 1907 he got
admission in the faculty of philosophy of the Ludwig Maximilian University at
Munich and sustained with his PhD degree. His doctorate thesis entitled as:
The Development of Metaphysics in Persia was published in 1908 under the
guidance of Freidrich Hummel.

The great Philosopher, Poet of the East and The sage of the Ummah died on
April 21, 1938 in Lahore.

Literary Career In India:

When allama iqbal returned to India he took assistant professorship at

Government College Lahore. But for monetary reasons he started practicing
law within a year. Moreover, he kept on working on his literary work, poetry
and religious subjects. Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam was an organization of
Muslim scholars, writers and poets as well as politicians; Iqbal was a vigorous
member of this organization too. He became the general secretary of this
organization in 1918. The allama iqbal shayari and his other work was based
on his personal experiences while his stay in Europe and the Middle East.
Additionally, his work revolved around the spiritual direction and
advancement of human society. Friedrich Nietzsche, Henri Berg son and
Goethe were the western philosophers Iqbal was inspired with.

Iqbal was deeply influenced with the teaching of Maulana Rumi. Iqbal
embraced Rumi as his spiritual guide. As he was brought up in a pure Islamic
culture from the beginning, he thus laid emphasis on the studying of Islam,
the ethnicity and history of Islamic empire and its political future. The poetry
of allama iqbal focuses on reminding its readers about the past glories and
victories of the Muslims. According to Iqbal, Islam is a religion of sociopolitical freedom and magnitude.

Iqbals poetry was also very famous in European countries in the 20th century
and his writings were translated into many different European languages. R. A
Nicholson and A. J Arberry translated Iqbals Asrar-e-Khudi and Javaid Nama
respectively.

Poetry In Persian Language:

Iqbals work, for the most part is in Persian relatively than Urdu. Out of 12000
poetry verses, 7000 are in Persian language.

Asrar-e-Khudi:

His first manuscript, Asrar-e-khudi was published in 1915 and was in Persian
language. allama iqbal poems in this book give the message of selfconfidence, spiritual values and have religious perspective. Many of the
critics have called this the best of all allama iqbal poetry. The alama iqbal has
widely explained the theme and the concept of the term khudi (self) which
is synonymous with the word Rooh mentioned in Quran, Rooh was that
divine spark present in all human beings which makes them superior to all
other creatures and it was the sacred spark due to which God asked all the
angels to bend in front of Adam. One has to ponder deeply to realize what
Iqbal actually means by the term Khudi.

This same concept was used in Mantaq-ul-Tair by Khwaja Farid-ud-Din Attar.

He proved that every single being has to obey the one and only Self. For
Iqbal, the aim of life is self-realization, self judgment and self-knowledge. He
condemns self-violation. He marks the step which one has to follow to finally
attain the point of perfection of being the true Naib (vice- regent) of God.

Rumuz-E-Bekhudi:

He seeks to prove that Islamic code of conduct and way of life is the only key
of success of a nation and is essential for a nations viability in this iqbal book

Rumuz-e-Bekhudi (Hints of Selflessness). He says that one should keep his

individual characteristics in one piece but when it comes of the entire nation
welfare, he should know how to sacrifice ones personal ambitions for others.
With the theme of ideal community, Islamic ethics, Social principals and the
relation between an individual and society, other poetry books of allama iqbal
were also published in 1917 and were in Persian Language. Though Iqbal is
true to Islam throughout, he also accepts the positive aspects of other
religions. The two manuscripts Rumuz-e-Bekhudi and Asrar-e-Khudi are often
put together as one in a volume entitled as Asrar-e-Rumuz (Hinting Secrets).
The whole Muslim world is addressed in it.

Payam-E-Mashrique:

The 1924 publication of Allama Muhammad Iqbal Payam-e-Mashrique

(Message of the East) is closely related to the famous German poet Goethes
West-stlicher Divan. Goethe condemns the extreme materialistic Weststlicher Divan outlook of the West and expects that the east will provide
some positive message which will give a new breath to the spiritual values.
The allama poetry is considered by himself as a memento to the West about
the significance of moral values, religion and traditions by mentioning the
need of cultivating passion, love and vitality. He believes that until or unless
one knows the importance of spirituality, he cannot aspire to higher
proportions. He always admired the liberal Afghanistani movements against
the British Empire in his book Payam-e-Mashrique and presented it to king
Amanullah Khan in his first visit to Afghanistan.

He was officially invited to attend the meetings of Kabul University in

Afghanistan.

Zabur-E-Ajam:

Zabur-e-Ajam, 1927 master piece of sir allama iqbal includes poems of allama
iqbal: Gulshan-e-Raz-e-Jadeed (Garden of New Secrets) and Bandagi Nama
(Book of Slavery). In this book of poetry allama iqbal asks a question first and
then he answers it himself by using modern and classic insight and its value
in the practical world. He also explains the spirit behind the fine arts of
enslaved societies and thus denounces slavery. In the residual Allama poetry

he emphasis love, enthusiasm and energy along with doing well in the
present and being watchful about the future.

Javaid Nama:

1932 Allama poetry Javaid Nama is addressed to his son Javaid whom he
features in the poems. Through mystical and exaggerated depictions across
time, it is an example of Ibn Arabi and Dantes The Divine Comedy.

Sir iqbal allama through various heavens and spheres, depicts himself as
Zinda Rud (stream full of life) as guided by Rumi The Master and has the
honor of achieving divinity and coming in contact with divine illuminations.
Iqbal condemns the Muslims involved in the defeat and death of Nawab Sirajud-Daula of Bengal and Tipu Sultan to benefit the British and ultimately
leading the nation to the darkness of slavery. In the End, he directly
addresses his son Javaid and generally speaks to the young people and
provides them guidance.

He had great love for the Persian language, as he says in one of the allama
iqbal sher:

garche Urd dar uzbat shekkar ast

Tarz-e goftar-e Dari shirin tar ast

Translation: Even though in sweetness Urdu* is sugar (but) speech method in Dari
(Persian) is sweeter *

Work In Urdu Language:

Bang-e-Dara:

In 1924 Iqbals first poetry volume Bang-e-Dara (The call of the marching
bell) was published in which he showed three discrete phases of life. The time
Iqbal left for England (1905), the poems written by then were completely
absorbed in the passion of patriotism and descriptions of landscape. Poems in
Bang-e-Dara include Taraana-e-Hind (song of India) generally known as
Saarey Jahan Se Aches and Taraana-e-Milli (Anthem of the Muslim
Community). 1905-1908 is the period in which Iqbal wrote the second deposit
of poems in which he says that this western community has lost its all
religious and moral values and is weak. This was the basic thing which urged
Iqbal to write poems not from a Muslim but from a global perspective, to
make the world realize the significance of Muslim heritage and Islamic
culture. Iqbal addresses the whole Muslim community as Ummah and insists
them to define individual, social and political perspective according to the
teachings of Islam.

Shikwa And Jawab-e-Shikwa:

In April 1911, the poem of allama iqbal shikwa (complaint to God) was
published. Shikwa as one of the most famous poems of Iqbal. Iqbal recited
himself at the yearly session of Anjuman Himayat-e- Islamin Lahore at Islamia
College. It was appreciated widely and was published frequently in the
magazines and journals of India. This poem comprises of thirty-one stanzas,
each having six verses. In the poem Iqbal has tinted Islams living mores in
such a way that it leaves a mark on the heart of every listener. It gave new
life, courage and enthusiasm to the whole Muslim Nation. The poem Shikwa is
Iqbals complaint to God in a very distinctive way.

In this poem Allama Iqbal says;

we effaced falsehood from the earths surface

we freed the human race from bonds of slavery

we filled Thy Kaaba with our foreheads

we put Thy Quran to our hearts

Still Thou complaineth that we are lacking fealty

If we are lacking fealty Thou also art not generous.

He also wrote a poem entitled Jawab-e-Shikwa (reply of the complaint) which

became extremely famous too.

He says

Weare inclined to Mercy, but there is no one to implore

Whom can us show the way? There is no wayfarer to the destination

Jewel polishing is common but there is no proper jewel

There is no clay capable of being molded into Adam

We confer the glory of Kaion the deserving

We confer even a whole new world on those who search.

After 1930, he worked mostly in Urdu language, addressing directly the

Muslim masses of India and urging them to wake up for the social and
political progress, in spite of the fact that he preferred working in Persian
language. He chiefly wrote on the topic of Islam.

Baal-e-Jibril:

Iqbal went to Spain where he visited the monuments and legacies of the
Kingdom of The Moors, inspired from that, in 1935 he wrote his famous book
Baal-e-Jibril (wings of Gabriel). It comprises of ghazals, poems, quatrains and
epigrams and promotes the passion and love for religion. According to the
critics this is the finest of dr allama iqbals manuscripts.

His poem Musafir (traveler) is present in Pas Cheh Bayed Kard ai Aqwam-eSharq (What should then be done O people of the East!). The clarification of
mysteries of Islamic Laws and Sufi perceptions is given; he also depicts Rumi
as a character. The disunity between the Muslims as well as Muslim nations is
condemned by Iqbal. Iqbal went to Afghanistan and this poem Musafir is an
account of that journey where he asks the Pashto people to understand the
basic concept of Islam and to believe in the Self.

Armughan-e-Hijaz:

The final work of Iqbal was his book entitled Armughan-e-Hijaz, which consists
of two portions. One has some quatrains in Persian while the second part
comprises of Urdu epigrams. Persian quatrains deliver the feeling that as if
the writer is travelling through the Holy places of Hijaz and spread the feeling
of love in ones heart for those sacred places. While he was in London for the
sake of higher studies, he wrote an Urdu ghazal which shows Iqbals vision of
mystical experience

He says:

At last the silent tongue of Hijaz has

Announced to the ardent ear the tiding

That the covenant which had been given to the

desert-dwells is going to be renewed

vigorously:

The lion who had emerged from the desert and

had toppled the Roman Empire is

As I am told by the angels, about to get up

again (from his slumbers. )

You the dwells of the West should know that

the world of God is not a shop (of yours).

Your imagined pure gold is about to lose it

standard value (as fixed by you).

Your civilization will commit suicide with its

Own dagger.

Work In English:

In addition to his letters in English in which he discussed the Persian ideology

and Islamic Sufism in his opinion that real Islamic Sufism proves as a catalyst
for the uncomfortable soul to higher thought of life, he wrote about the way
of life, God and the sense of plea, human character and Muslim mores,
political, social and religious issues. He also wrote two books in English
entitled as The Development of Metaphysics in Persia and reconstruction of
Muslim thoughts in Islam.

The allama iqbal quotes also have a great importance in history. In 1931, he
was invited to Cambridge to participate in the conference.

Where the iqbal poet said;

I would like to offer a suggestion to the young men who are presently
studying at Cambridge . . . . . . I advise you to guard against incredulity and
avariciousness. The chief error made by Europe was the separation of Church
and State. This deprived their culture of ethical soul and abstracted it to the
atheistic materialism. I had twenty-five years ago seen through the
drawbacks of this civilization and therefore had made some prophecies. They
had been delivered by my tongue although I did not quite understand them.
This happened in 1907. . . . . After six or seven years, my prophecies came
true, word by word. The European war of 1914 was an outcome of the
aforementioned mistakes made by the European nations in the separation of
the Church and the State.

Political Career Of Allama Muhammad Iqbal:

He remained vigorous in Muslim League despite of giving full attention to law

and poetry. He remained close in touch with the Muslim leaders like Maulana
Muhammad Ali Johar and Muhammad Ali Jinnah but did not support the
Muslim involvement in world war-1. He backed The Caliphate Movement. He
was a conventional critic and regarded the Indian National Congress
dominated by Hindus. During the 1920s the Muslim league was factually
divided between the all for British faction, headed by Sir Muhammad Shafi
and the centrist group led by Sir Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

With the encouragement and support of friends and colleagues, Iqbal stood
for a seat in the Punjab governmental Assembly from the Muslim district
Lahore and defeated his opponent by a margin of 3. 177 votes, in November
1926. With the plan to guarantee Muslim political rights and leaving an
influence in a coalition with the Congress, Iqbal supported the constitutional
proposals presented by Mr. Jinnah. He also worked with Sir Agha Khan and
other Muslim leaders to eradicate the disunity between the members of All
India Muslim League.

His Role In The Revival Of Islamic Concepts And The Two Nation Theory:

In 1934, Oxford University published Iqbals The Reconstruction of Religious

thoughts in Islam, which included the six lectures read at Aligarh, Hyderabad
and Madras in 1930. These lectures were based on the role of Islam as a
religion and political and as a social reformer in the present age. Iqbal
condemns the activities of some Muslim politicians in these lectures that
seem as morally and ethically misguided and attached to power. Iqbal
describes his fear in this allama iqbal essay that the crowd of Hindu
population will diminish the Muslim culture, heritage and political and social
values. Moreover secularism will weaken the foundations of Islam and Muslim
society. He promoted ideas of Muslim unity, shedding of national differences
and Islamic political cooperation in his visits to Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey
and Iran. In a dialogue with Dr. B. R Ambekdar, Iqbal said that he wishes to
see Indian provinces as independent units under the direct control of British
and without central any government. He also feared that the Muslims will
have to suffer morally, ethically, religiously, socially, politically and in many
other aspects if they continued to live with the Indians in a common state. In
1930 at Allahabad, Iqbal was elected as the President in the United Provinces
as well as in 1932 at its session in Lahore.

In 1930 at the point of Allahabad, in his presidential speech Iqbal outlined his
vision for a separate homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent

He said;

I would like to see, Punjab, Sind, North West Frontier Province and
Baluchistan, merged into a single state, to me self-government within the
British Empire or outside the British Empire, the creation of a independent
Northwest Indian Muslim state is the fate of the Muslims, at least of North
West India

He said that Islam came with its religious ideals, civic significance and legal
concepts, unlike Christianity, in his speech.

He said;

Thus, the creation of a strategy on national lines, if it means a disarticulation

of the Islamic code of harmony, is plainly ridiculous to a Muslim

He was strictly against the amalgamation of Muslims in a wider state not

based on Islamic ideology. Moreover he laid emphasis on the political unity of
Muslim communities. He was without any doubt the first Muslim politician
who expressed the point which was later called the Two Nation Theory- the
Muslims are a separate nation with distinct beliefs, heroes, and moral values
so they should be allowed to have a separate homeland where they could live
independently according to the Islamic ideology. As he was against
secularism and nationalism therefore he did not clarify that either this
independent state r would interpret theocracy. In the latter period of his life,
he travelled Europe and East Asia to gain monetary and political benefits for
the All India Muslim League. In 1932s Third round table conference, he
disagreed with the proposals of Indian national congress, which demanded
the transference of ruling power from the British to the Indians without any
decision about the independence of Muslim provinces. He wrote letters, took
out rallies for the right of the Muslims to be independent. Iqbal also
condemned the Muslims against to the league and the feudal system in
Punjab. The idea of two nations Theory was opposed by the Muslims across

the sub-continent. He also wanted the people of the sub-continent to believe

that the defeat of Muslim Ummah can be saved in this area by the division of
the sub-continent into two societies.

Iqbal As A Supporter Of Taluoo-E-Islam:

For a quite long time, Iqbal wanted a journal for the Muslims of the subcontinent which can propagate his ideas, aims and the objectives of All India
Muslim League. It was his close friend Syed Nazeer Niazi who took this step
and by the support of Allama mohammad iqbal, the journal Taluoo-e-Islam
was presented, edited by Syed Nazeer Niazi in 1935. This journal was named
so because of a famous poem of Iqbal, Taluoo-e-Islam. This was the first
social, political, cultural, historical and religious journal for the Muslims of
sub-continent. Syed Nazeer Niazi dedicated this first edition of the journal to
allama muhammad iqbal. Syed Nazeer Niazi also translated The
Reconstruction of Muslim Thoughts in Islam in, By Allama muhammad iqbal,
in English.

Millat Islamia Hind (The Muslim Nation of India) was published in the first
monthly journal of Taluoo-e-Islam in October, 1935. Political conditions of the
Indian Muslims and the aims of the Muslim community were described in this
article by Syed Nazeer Niazi. The basic principles of Islam and the aims and
objectives of the Islamic state demanded by allam iqbal were also discussed
by him in this article.