When I met the Chief Minister of Himachal Pardesh, Vir Bhaddar Singh, at Simla he told me that his inspiration is Iqbal and that he has made a course in Urdu compulsory in his state – Photo Pakistan Today

 

Iqbal Today
By Mowahid Hussain Shah

Twenty years before Iqbal’s birth, in 1877, occurred the great uprising of 1857 against the British. In its aftermath, the Muslims were marginalized and targeted in that the British had marked them as the nucleus of anti-British resistance.

The Muslims were in a state of tumult and were discriminated against by the ruling colonial establishment. Iqbal’s genius was to identify two key responses to the challenge. First, he advocated raising the battered self-esteem of the Muslims. Second, he proposed instilling in them the fervor and faith to boldly face the challenges ahead. Iqbal’s message, presciently, was not just for the Muslims of India but indeed for the whole Muslim world.
Today, the occupation of Muslim lands and the pervasive climate of general hostility against Muslims – the appeal of Iqbal is relevant as never before.

While solutions to today’s challenges are sought, the problem is equally of misdiagnosis of the malady. Indeed, the maladies may be deeper than previously imagined. Education is often listed as the key to a solution, but many times the educated are themselves full of anxieties, insecurities and complexes. The issue may be more of how to restore self-esteem. The remedy to restoring self-esteem has been narrowly focused on economic development. Up to a point, that may be the need of the hour but even more crucial is the question of character development. Students may get an ‘A’ in academics, but that achievement can be nullified if they get a ‘C’ in character.

The Muslim bazaar is inundated with talk of a lack of leaders. While there is no shortage of leaders who are presumed to be leaders because of their being office-bearers, what seems in short supply are leadership qualities such as integrity, competence and daring. Negation of servitude is one of the hallmarks of leadership along with the striving for fairness.
Iqbal was a man of many dimensions. He thought conceptually. He understood that the crux of Islam was two-fold:

i. Submission before the sole superpower of the Almighty Allah; and
ii. Defiance against Zulm (tyranny).
By pursuing Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) and Lore/zerooret (goddess of pragmatic need), Muslims may have lost sight of the one and only everlasting Superpower.
Iqbal also had the gift of foresight. In his letter of October 21, 1937, exactly six months before his worldly departure on April 21, 1938, Iqbal warned the world about the perils of Palestine and expressed his desire to agitate and to court arrest for the Palestine cause. He was also swift to pick the Quaid as a harbinger of Muslim hopes after setting out the parameters of the idea of Pakistan during his Allahabad address of December 1930.
His own lifestyle was a classic example of simple living and lofty thinking. He did not even own a car. Today’s social milieu unfortunately provides many examples of lofty living and low thinking.

Iqbal’s dervish-type values have stood the test of time. How many of his wealthy contemporaries/peers are remembered today?
Iqbal exhorted the Muslim youth to emulate the high-flying falcon (shaheen) and to shun the low-flying crow. More significantly, Iqbal recognized that, in order to be a good Muslim, one has to be a good human being.

The present political culture is loaded with schemers but has few serious thinkers. For example, conspiracy theories are often an easy substitute for the hard work involved in serious thinking and for the concentration required in applying the mind. Iqbal pinpointed the need for homework and teamwork.

Iqbal also recognized the dignity of teachers. When he endorsed his esteemed teacher, Maulana Meer Hasan, for the title of ‘Shams-ul-Ulema’, he was asked what were the contributions of the Maulana. Iqbal simply replied: “I am his creation.”
Iqbal’s message can be judged by the fact that he has tremendous international appeal. Iranian personalities Ayatullah Khamenei and Dr Ali Shariati, as well as Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic, were inspired by Iqbal. The great Egyptian diva, Um-e-Kulsum, sang Iqbal’s kalam. India’s distinguished writer, Khushwant Singh, translated Iqbal’s Shikwa-Jawab-Shikwa. When I met the Chief Minister of Himachal Pardesh, Vir Bhaddar Singh, at Simla he told me that his inspiration is Iqbal and that he has made a course in Urdu compulsory in his state.

Meeting today’s challenges requires ilm (knowledge) and teqva (piety). It also requires a minimum consensus among Muslims of what are their common interests. For example, the West has a clear-cut consensus that no Muslim country should become too powerful, no Muslim country should be nuclear-armed, and Israeli interests should not be disturbed. In contrast, Muslims are in a state of disagreement on key issues, thereby opening the doors for infighting and outside incitement and exploitation.
Iqbal’s message of self-empowerment remains the guiding light for the youth for the muqabla (challenge) of tomorrow. Iqbal has left behind a powerful message. The message remains credible today because of the caliber of the messenger.