Sir Mohammad Iqbal a Poet and Philosopher

PROFESSOR. MATOO MEMMORIAL AWARD CEREMONY ADDRESS OF PROF. GHULAM MOHYUDDIN WANI, CHIEF CONSULTANT, NRAA, GOI, NEW DELHI ON 6TH OF OCTOBER, 2009, AT IQBQAL MEMORIAL DAY IN Iqbal memorial institute, Bemina, Srinagar, Kashmir.

It is a great pleasure and honor to speak on Sir Mohammad Iqbal commonly remembered as SIR A lama Iqbal Rahmat-ul-allah. He was one of the few Muslim scholars of the contemporary era to stress for educational revival of Muslims. He allured Muslim community to embrace science and culture to interpret Islam in its true being, Islam means peace and started with the word Iqra which meant READ. Each and every atyat or sura of Holly Quran the religious book of Muslims emphasizes reading, investigation and research, many noble laureates have found the truth much later than 700 AD, when Quran described it. To cite a few examples the Quran Surah Momineen incites its readers to ponder how God created you in the womb of mother, first the meeting of tiny gametes, the bubble of water and blood. This small beginning was crowned with flesh and bone and given a shape, this development completed in three phases in a dark chamber.

One born the womb of mother involutes and there is rate of this involution ,which has many portals for a true Momin - the true Muslim. At another point Quran describes semen as swilling water, which was confirmed by an Italian scientist in 1890. Thus reciting Quran without understanding has brought the decline of Muslims from their golden educational age around 8-9 century to the present unawareness/Unfortunate for us the religion of peace (ISLAM) came to be misquoted as an religion of ignorant and illiterate. The highest illiteracy among so called Muslims does not qualify them to named as Muslims. None of the religions except Islam dictates it followers to travel to far off place even to china to seek knowledge. Llama Iqbal tried to reinvite Muslims of the world to this truth and invited them to science and technology to rediscover and gain their lost literary and spiritual dignity and honor.

On this occasion, may I than the trustees of the institute for inviting and crowning me with an honor on this year’s Iqbal memorial Day, I am sure you know about him much more than I can tell you, but I may use this occasion and moment to pay my gratitude to the great soul by remembering some of his educational achievements, so that my young listeners could derive lessons to gain knowledge of science and technology to interpret Quran in its true form.

Prof. Sir Mohammad IQBAL WAS BORN on 9th of November, 1877 in Sailkot, now in Pakistan. He was a migrant Kashmir Sapru - a Brahmin. His fore fathers had embraced Islam 200 years back, with other Kashmir Brahmin's of Kashmir called then as CASHMERE.A place where money flows as it was a trade route from south to north pole on one side and east and west on the other side. His early schooling in a Muktab won him a scholarship in SIALKOT school. He completed his middle standard examination from Sialkot and passed an entrance examination to own admission in the Scottish Mission School, Sailkot. Here he developed acquiesce with one the noble devotee of Islam and an Arabic scholar in the school, Maulana Syed Mir Hassan of Sailkot. Allama graduated from Lahore and won a medal. Here he developed an intellectual understanding with Sir Thomas Arnold, who used to teach at Aligarh Muslim College. He often came as visiting Professor to college of Lahore, where SIR Mohamed Iqbal was a student. His friendship with these noted scholars made him understand the truth of universe which made him what he is.

Even Sir Arnold once said the teacher has learned many things from his pupil, in his specific words I quote, master was made wiser by his student and considered him as a friend than student. This part of his biography tells us a lot to imbibe true and everlasting relationships with our tutors and teachers, this give a new means to the art of teaching .It is inspiration, friendship, recognition and association. I too remember a man of high caliber who incited in me the love of teaching and research and they were three not two and all of them were Hindus. Let me keep on record their names they were MR. GOPI KRISHAN MOZA at degree college, Sopure, who used to call his pupils by roll numbers and not by name lest he may be biased still remember my roll 95 in TDC PART ONE COURTESY Prof. G. K. Moza. The other two are from Vet college Bikanere, PROF. ALYAN SINGH and Prof. Brama Ram Choudry. Both incited me for higher studies. Yes in Germany I had the honor of having my teacher more as a friend than teacher; his name was Prof. Hermann Geldermann.

Sir Mohammad Iqbal earned medal in MA at Lahore and was appointed as a lecture to teach history and Philosophy at Oriental college, Lahore. He was given assistant professorship at Govt College, Lahore to teach English and Philosophy.

His literary per suites glowed and shines during his stay in England. He got a fellowship in Trinity College, Cambridge and stayed in England from 1906-09. He simultaneously joined evening law classes at famous Lincoln’s Inn and became a Barrister. He later joined London school of economic s and politics. He rose to first fame when his teacher and friend went on 3 month leave and offered him 3 moths professorship in his place in London University. He was SIR Arnold Thomas. A llama Iqbal rose to fame for his literary work like Asrar-khudi, Tarana-i-Hind Sare Jahan Se Acha. Banged era. His works reviled Islam, politics and spirituality. His first book was on the science of economics written in 1903 when he was at Lahore, this was the first original concept of economic growth and analytic patterns. The other books were Reconstruction of religious thoughts in Islam. He earned his PhD from University of Munch, Germany. The university has created chair in his honor which is still being regarded as a center of excellence.

He was criticized for his pioneering work named ISSAR-E KHUDI. The critics drew similes with the German Scholar NEITZSCHE’S WORKS. It was later cleared by Annemarie Schimmel and laid foundation to Iqbals CHAIR IN MUNICH, GERMANY, and WHICH SILENCED THE CRITICS OF the scholarly work.

To be continued