revisiting iqbal's philosophical thoughts
TRANSCRIPT
Revisiting Iqbal’s Philosophical Thoughts
By:Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak
Department of Fundamental & Inter-Disciplinary StudiesKulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
Presented at: Pakistani Food FestivalOrganized by: The Pakistani Business Community in Kuala Lumpur,
MalaysiaPlace: Kababish Restaurant, Star Point Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Date: 27th March. 2015
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Allama Muhammad Iqbal
1879-1938
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My Journey into Iqbal’s Philosophical Thoughts
At the age of 19 (during my High School)
Later in Aceh, Indonesia (during my Bachelor’s degree)
Later during my Postgraduate Studies at IIUM
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My Research Works1. Konsepsi Pendidikan Akhlaq Menurut Muhammad Iqbal,
1992, Banda Aceh, Indonesia
2. Human Nature: A Comparative Analysis between Western and Islamic Psychology, 1997, IIUM
3. Contribution of Iqbal’s Dynamic Personality Theory to Islamic Psychology: A Contrastive Analysis with Freud and Selected Mainstream Western Psychology, 2011, IIUM
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My Book on Iqbal:Iqbal’s Theory of Personality: A Contrastive Analysis with Freud,
Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany, 2013.
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Personal Information on Iqbal
• Born in Sialkot Punjab• His ancestors were of Kashmiri Brahmins• Pakistan was Iqbal's brainchild• Poet-philosopher, thinker, Sufi-scholar,
statesman, religious- reformer, advocate, educationist
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Personal Information
• He was given titles like Allama Iqbal (Iqbal the learned)
• Shaire-e-Mashriq (Poet of the East) • Hakeem-ul-Ummah (The sage/physician of the Ummah)
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How to Read Iqbal(Personal Experience)
Iqbal’s Ideas are enshrined in his poems and philosophical viewsRead the social and political milieus of India during Iqbal’s timeRead what others have written on Iqbal before reading his own thoughts
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Iqbal’s Magnum Opus
The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam
(Iqbal’s Philosophical Ideas)My personal experience in trying to understand Iqbal’s Philosophical Ideas
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Other Great Works of IqbalPoetic books in Persian
Asrar-i-Khudi (1915)Rumuz-i-Bekhudi (1917)Payam-i-Mashriq (1923)
Zabur-i-Ajam (1927)Javid Nama (1932)
Pas Cheh Bayed Kard ai Aqwam-e-Sharq (1936)Armughan-e-Hijaz (1938) (in Persian and Urdu)
Poetic books in UrduBang-i-Dara (1924)Bal-i-Jibril (1935)
Zarb-i Kalim (1936)Books in English
The Development of Metaphysics in Persia (1908)The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam (1930)
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Poetry and Philosophy
To Iqbal, poetry and philosophy are the two vehicles through which he
conveyed his ideas to the intellectuals as well as the masses in the East and
West
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The Language of his Poems
-In the beginning he wrote in the Persian language and later in the Urdu language
- Former President of Iran Ali Khamenei spoke highly of Iqbal’s skillful usage of the Persian
language in his poems
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Iqbal's Enthusiasm
What can I do? My nature is averse to rest;My heart is impatient like the breeze in the poppy field:When the eye beholds an object of beautyThe heart yearns for something more beautiful still;From the spark to the star, from the star to the sunIs my quest;I have no desire for a goal,For me, rest spells death!With an impatient eye and a hopeful heartI seek for the end of that which is endless! (Iqbal and Saiyidain,1995: 11)
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Professor Nicholson on Iqbal:
“He is a man of his age and a man in advance of his age;
he is also a man in disagreement with his age”
(Nicholson in Iqbal 1983,p.xxxi)
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Stood Firmly on his Principles
I am the voice of the poet of To-morrowMy own age does not understand my deep
meanings,My Yusuf(Joseph) is not for this market
I despair of my old companions (Iqbal,1983)
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Areas of Interest
• Iqbal had keenly studied philosophy of both the East and the West. He was well versed in literature, history and law. A student of science he perhaps never was, yet he kept a keen eye on the latest scientific discoveries and theories. Being thus equipped intellectually he was in a position to pick up good points from different systems of polity, philosophy, economics and what not, and weave them into a new pattern (Munawwar,1985,p.18)
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Learned Man
• Iqbal was deeply interested in the issues that have exercised the best minds of the human race—the issues of the meaning of life, change and constancy, freedom and determinism, survival and progress, the relation between the body and the soul, the conflict between reason and emotion, evil and suffering, the position and role of human beings in the universe—and in his poetry he deals with these and other issues. He had also read widely in history, philosophy, literature, mysticism, and politics, and, again, his catholic interests are reflected in his poetry (Mir, 2009)
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Iqbal's Philosophy (An Eclectic Approach)
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Mohd Abbas,2013,p.227
Relationship between Rumi & Iqbal
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(1207- 1273)(1877–1938)
Rumi wrote the Masnavi (in the poetical expression)Iqbal wrote the Asrar-i-Khudi (Secrets of the Self)(1915)Both Spoke about the KhudiAccording to Iqbal, it was Rumi who inspired him to write the Asrar-i-Khudi (Rumi came in his dream and suggested the idea on Asrar )Iqbal took Rumi to be his Spiritual GuideThe Ego philosophy or Khudi is about the Man and his personality
Similarity between Al-Ghazali and Iqbal
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(18771938)(1058-1111)
During Al-Ghazali’s time, he has to face the philosophers (He wrote Tahafut Al-Falasifa) Iqbal also faced a similar situation with pseudo-mysticism (He wrote Asrar-i-Khudi)
Al-Ghazali & Iqbal highlighted the errors committed by the Muslim philosophers
Iqbal also criticized Socrates , Plato and other Western modern philosophers
Western Philosophers
Nietzsche Henri Bergson
Goethe 21
Iqbal’s Response to Western Philosophers
Nietzsche’s Übermensch (Superman)Iqbal’s Insanul Kamil(Perfect Man)Henri Bergson’s Élan vital (Creative Evolution)Iqbal’s Khudi Philsophy (Ego Philosophy)Goethe’s West-östlicher DiwanIqbal’s Payam-i-Mashriq (Message from the East)
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Iqbal’s Theory of Personality came as a Response to:
Mohd Abbas, 2013, p.315
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Wahdatul Wujud
• Iqbal was against that teachings of wahdatul wujud that says man at his highest level of spirituality will merge with God and attains union with God; like a drop that fall into the ocean. Man becomes one with God. To him, this teaching is not there in the Qur’an and Hadith.
• In Iqbal’s view, man does not disappear at that point of his spirituality but become more refined in his personality. He analogically explained that Man becomes a shining pearl when he falls into the Ocean of God & at the same time he maintains his personality.
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Iqbal’s concept on Ego/Khudi/Self
Efficient Ego
AppreciativeEgo
Mohd Abbas, 2013, p.338
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Iqbal & the Study on Man
• Iqbal said that his forefathers (Brahmins) were interested in God and they were searching for God
• On the contrary, Iqbal was interested in the study on Man as such he came up with his theory on personality(Khudi)
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Iqbal’s Love for the Prophet
Just like Ar-Rumi, Iqbal had a similar pattern of love for the Prophet of Islam, expressed in his poems
He made the prophet to be the role-model in bringing the socio-political change within the Muslim society of
his time
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Poems In Armaghani Hijaz, Jawab-e- Shikwa, Javid
Nama & other poems he referred to the Prophet as:
•Mustafa
•The source of everything good and useful
in human life
•King of both poverty and sovereignty
•He is the good role-model for humanity
•The visible and witness of God’s beauty & power
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Poems (Cont.) • Muslims in the modern world have made
themselves strangers to ways of the prophet
• As a lamp in the darkness
• The ‘slave’ of God
• The mercy of Allah sent to all the worlds
• The self is strengthened by the love for the prophet
• The concept of Insan al- Kamil explained in his theory of personality is the representation of the Prophet’s personality
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Mawlid Celebration
In the year 1922, Iqbal stated his satisfaction in seeing the Mawlid
celebration of Prophet in South India:
In order to bind together the Islamic nations of India the most holy
personality of the honoured Prophet can constitute as our greatest most efficient
power (Iqbal)
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Personality of the Prophet (s.a.w.)
In scrutinizing the Qur’an and Sunnah, Iqbal found out that Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) as a messenger of God had a dynamic personality, which was anchored in
the teachings found in the Qur’an. Iqbal further thought that throughout his life and mission, the
Prophet always showed great vitality in toiling and struggling together with his companions to uphold the
message of Islam (Mohd Abbas, 2013, p.36)
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Mystic & ProphetMuhammad of Arabia ascended the highest Heaven and
returned. I swear by God that if I had reached that point, I should never have returned’
(Abdul Quddus of Gangoh)
The mystic does not wish to return from the repose of ‘unitary experience’; and even when he does return, as he must, his return does not mean much for mankind at large. The prophet’s return is creative. He returns to insert himself into the sweep of time with a view to control the forces of
history, and thereby to create a fresh world of ideals (Iqbal, 1996, p.99)
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A Response to George FoxMuhammad, we are told, was a psychopath. Well, if a psychopath has the power to give a
fresh direction to the course of human history, it is a point of the highest psychological interest
to search his original experience which has turned slaves into leaders of men, and has
inspired the conduct and shaped the career of whole races of mankind
(Iqbal,1996,p.150)33
Against Pseudo-Mysticism
Remember that Islam was born in the broad day light of history. The great democratic Prophet lived and
worked among intelligent men, who have transmitted to posterity every word that dropped from his sacred
lips. There is absolutely nothing esoteric in his teachings. Every word of the Qur’an is brimful of light and joy of existence. Far from justifying any gloomy, pessimistic mysticism, it is an open assault on those
religious teachings, which have for centuries mystified mankind. Accept, then, the reality of the world
cheerfully and grapple with it for the glorification of God and His Prophet (Iqbal, 1992: 151-152)
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Iqbal’s Version of Zuhd
• According to Iqbal, the highest form of Zuhd is to posses the money and power in one’s hand and he is not touched by this material things.
• While others teach that man must keep away form money and power in order to attain the nearest to God
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What to take from the West
The East in imitating the West is deprived of its true self.It should attempt, instead, a critical appraisal!The power of the West springs not from her musicNor from the dance of her unveiled daughters!Her strength comes not from irreligionNor her progress from the adoption of the Latin scriptThe power of the West lies in her Arts and SciencesAt their fire, has it kindled its lamps (Iqbal in Saiyidain, 1977:p. 20)
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Dynamism In the West
To Iqbal, the dynamism of the West is the lost heritage of the Muslims of the past (Mohd Abbas,2011)
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Criticism on the West
The European man of wisdom does not possess a wakeful heart, although he possesses a wakeful eye (Bazm-i-Iqbal, 1969: 510)
Believe me, Europe to-day is the greatest hindrance in the way of man’s ethical advancement (Iqbal, 1953: xii)
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The Difference bt. West & East
The East perceived God and failed to perceive the world
The West lost itself in the World and fled from God!
To open the eyes on God is worship!To see oneself unveiled is life
(Iqbal and Saiyidain, 1995: p. 19)
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The Role of Science
Science is an instrument for the preservation of Life.
Science is a means of invigorating the Self.Science and art are servants of Life (Iqbal, 1983:p26)
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Science
• To Iqbal, the exploration, observation and investigation done by the scientists is a kind of mystic behaviour trying to establish an intimacy with the Creator. Furthermore he believed that the physical sciences provide a sort of spiritual meaning to men who contemplate and ponder over God’s wisdom behind His creations (Mohd Abbas, 2013,p.248)
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The Way Forward
“He (the Muslim) has to rethink the whole system of Islam without completely breaking with the past” (Iqbal, 1996: p.78)
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The Way Forward
• In analyzing Iqbal's ideas and advice for the Islamic Ummah, one would come to recognize that as a religious reformer, all his works in poetry and philosophy were aimed at bringing the Muslims out of their backwardness, superstitious beliefs, conservatism and passivity in life towards a state of preparedness in facing the challenges of the modern world (Mohd Abbas, 2011)
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In his view, the message of the Qur’an is not all rituals (Zikr) but also scientific (Fikr). As Muslims, we should possess both these two aspects mentioned in the Qur’an in order to fulfill our duties in this world as Allah’s vicegerents. In line with Iqbal’s vision for the survival of the Ummah, modern day Muslims should be prepared to learn from others, particularly from the West, the latest development in the areas of science and technology for the betterment of the Ummah and humanity at large (Mohd Abbas,2011)
Zikr & Fikr
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Critique
• The scenario in the Muslim World has not changed very much from the time of Iqbal
• The Ummah is still lagging behind other nations in the areas of Science and Technology
• Many oil rich countries waste huge some of money buying armaments
• Muslim World lacks facilities to conduct scientific research. This caused the Muslim scientists and scholars to migrate
Critique
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Critique• Due to brain drain phenomenon, there is a
poor rate of development and intellectual progress.
• To counter the phenomenon of brain drain, Muslim countries should use ‘brain gain’ and ‘brain retention’ to gain back the good brains and to prevent losing good brains
• Besides the revealed knowledge, Muslims should also give equal emphasis on human and natural sciences.
Critique…..cont.
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Iqbal Criticized for the Partition(1947)
He had a noble intention of getting a separate homeland for the Muslims of India during his time, whereby the Muslims will have the freedom to practice their religion and culture without any intimidation from othersIqbal should not be held responsible for what is happening between India and Pakistan right now and also the act of violence in PakistanA lesson can be learnt on concept of friendly co-existence from Malaysia & Singapore
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CritiqueThe departed melody may or may not come,The zephyr may below again from Hejaz or not!The days of this Faqir have come to an end,Another seer may come or not(Iqbal in Beg,1961, p.50)
Even as I depart from this world,Everyone will say ‘I know him’But the truth is, alas! that none knewWho the stranger was, or what he said, or when he came! (Iqbal in Nadwi,1979,p.i)
His Last Lines of his Poem
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Reference
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Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak. ( 2011). Contribution of Iqbal’s dynamic personality theory to Islamic psychology : A contrastive analysis with freud and selected mainstream western psychology.
Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak. ( 2013). Iqbal’s theory of personality : a contrastive analysis with freud. Iqbal, Muhammad. (1983).The secrets of the self (Asrar-i-Khudi). (Renold A. Nicholson, Trans.).
Lahore: SH. Muhammad Ashraf.
Iqbal, Muhammad, & Saiyidain, K. G. (1995). Iqbal’s poetry. Patna: Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library. Saiyidain, KG. (1977). Iqbal’s educational philosophy. Lahore: SH Muhammad Ashraf. Iqbal, Muhammad. (1996). The reconstruction of religious thought in Islam, Lahore: Institute of
Islamic Culture Munawwar, Muhammad. (1985). Iqbal and Quranic wisdom. (2nd.edn.) Lahore: Iqbal Academy Pakistan. Iqbal, Muhammad, Sir. (1953). The mysteries of selflessness: A philosophical poem (Rumuz-e-Bekhudi). (A.J. Arberry, Trans.). London: John Murray. Beg, Abdulla Anwar. (1961). The poet of the east: Life and work of Dr. Sir Muhammad Iqbal. Lahore: Khawar Pub. Cooperative Society. Nadwi, Syed Abul Hasan Ali. (1979). Glory of Iqbal (Trans. Mohammad Asif Kidwai).Lucknow: Islamic Research and Publications.
Syukran JazilanTerima Kasih
Thank You
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