Iqbal’s Popularity in Iran
English Essay on "Iqbal’s Popularity in Iran"
An international conference on Iqbal was held at Tehran University in 1985. It was jointly organised by the Iranian Ministry of Islamic Guidance and Tehran University. The, President of Iran Dr Khatami was then Minister for Islamic Guidance and present Supreme Spiritual leader Ayatullah Syed All Khamenei was then President of Iran. He inaugurated the conference. His extempore speech on Iqbal spread over ninety-live minutes, covered the philosophy and message of Allama Iqbal as Poet-Philosopher of East and revolutionary thinker. He discussed in detail Iqbal’s love for rran and quoted extensively from his works. The text of speech was later published in a monthly magazine ‘Saheefa” which is part of Iran’s Persian national daily “Jamhouri-Islami”. The speech was perhaps the richest one in content and showed the depth and extensive study of Iqbal by Ayatollah Khamenei. None in Pakistan has said or written about Iqbal with so much reverence and eloquence as was discussed by Ayatollah Khamenai. He had earlier in 1967 written a book on the role of Muslims in the freedom movement of India in which he had paid rich tributes to Iqbal. These facts indicate the widespread popularity of Iqbal in Iran at the highest level.
Some more facts. There is a Pakistan Chair in Tehran University where Iqbal is studied. Iqbal figures prominently in the textbooks or Iran. There is an Iqbal High School in Sanandaj, a city in western Iran A large number of books have been written in Iran on Allama Iqbal and he is often quoted by Iranian leaders and scholars in conversations, speeches and writings. Ayatollah Khaz Ali, top Qari of Izan and Hafez-e-Quran in one Juma Prayer started his sermon by mentioning Iqbal, his role and place in history and explained his philosophy. educationsight.blogspot.com It was the month of April 1985. A former Education Minister of Iran Mi Akbar Parveish was almost a ‘hafiz’ of Iqbal. In 1985 Deputy Minister of Education of Iran Dr Ghulam Mi Haddad Adl praised Iqbal in his poems. In one of his poems he said that as long as Persian is alive, Iqbal will live and Pakistan is deserve congratulations because they have a spring of thought in their national poet Iqbai whose philosophy is life giving and a revolutionary one.
A renowned religious scholar Ayatollah Murtaza Motahhari in his book “Islamic movements in the last century” has praised Iqbal, his thought and philosophy and paid richest ever tributes to “the poet philosopher of the Orient”. It is a fact that Iqbal never visited Iran during his lifetime. One reason was that he was revolutionary and royal family then ruling Iran did not like his views on certain, issues. Iqbal was so enamored by Iran, its history, culture and literature that he wrote a lot about Iran. His PhD thesis was on ‘Development; of metaphysics in Iran’. He considered Maulana Rumi as his mentor. As he was deeply inclined towards meta physics, he often mentions Fareedudin Attar, Nisai and other mystics of Iran. He talks of Tabrez, Isfehan and other cities of Iran in his works.
Iqbal is considered as poet — philosopher of East (Fail-soo-fe-Sharq) in Iran. About ninety per cent of his works are in Persian. Having been influenced by Mahmood Shabisteri, the author of Philosophical ‘Masanvi’ ‘Guishane Raz’ he himself wrote Masnavi Guishne Raz Jadeed. Some Iranians think that Iqbal, had to some extent, and influenced the thinking of revolutionaries of Islamic revolution of Iran. They often quote from his poem “Address to the Iranian Youth” specially the last couplet of the same. It reads, “There comes a man who would break the chains of slavery of the Iranians arid he (Iqbal) had seen him through the smail hole of their prison cell”. His verses about Ahle-Bait-e-Karam and martyrs of Karbela are often quoted by Iranians. He is lovingly called “Iqbal Lahori” in Iran. In one of his verses Iqbal has said that the fate of Islamic world would change if Tehran becomes Geneva of the Muslim world. Iqbal is identified with Pakistan in Iran. He is in fact a household name in the ‘cultuia1 and educated circles. In one of the cultural and educational centres of Tehran known as Hussainia-e-Irshad” large number of verses of Iqbal engraved on marble plates can be seen in the main conference hail. The roof and rostrum of this hail are also decorated with his verses. All these facts show the wide popularity Allama Iqbal enjoys in the brotherly country of Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iqbal is the strongest link, after Islam, between Iran and Pakistan. His verses and writings would always serve as a stimulant of contact between Iranian and Pakistani intellectuals. One of Iqbal’s ideals among Iranian poets was Muhammad Hussain Nazeeri Nishapuri who lived during the rule of Aurangzeb Alamgir. This Mughal Emperor exiled him to Gujarat (India) where he died. Iqbal’s mystic thought is significantly influenced also by mystics of Iran such as Abu Saeed Abu-Khair of Nishapur.
In the preface of works of Iqbal (Kuliat-e-Ashrare-e-Farsi of Maulana Iqbal Lahoori by Ahmad Saroush) a complete survey of Iqbal’s thought is included. The most significant point made is that he wanted to see the Muslim world united on one platform and make progress in knowledge and learning. (The Kuliat of Iqbal was published in Iran long time ago by Senai Publishers, Tehran).
Iqbal’s thought suggests that Iran, Pakistain and Afghanistan should first take initiative to prepare a base for Ummah’s solidarity and the rest of the Muslim world may follow. Iqbal’s thought is a constant strand in modern Iranian literature. He is considered as Rumi of contemporary age and present “age has been termed as age of Iqbal” by Iranian intellect uals. Iqbal’s audience is not only Muslims of the subcontinent but all those who live in Iran, Afghanistan and Centi al Asia. His works exhort Muslims the world over to wake up, and act, and in order to revive the glory of Islam and unity of Muslim Ummah. His verses worked like magic and led to the widespread awakening among the Muslims and infused new spirit for struggle. Before his death he wrote a quatrain in Persian. “The melodies of bygone may come again or never. The zephyr from Hejaz may come again or not. The age of this ‘foreigner’ has ended and another seer may come or not”. But his message lives and will be carried forward by Pakistan and Iran as well as by Muslims living in the world.
Some more facts. There is a Pakistan Chair in Tehran University where Iqbal is studied. Iqbal figures prominently in the textbooks or Iran. There is an Iqbal High School in Sanandaj, a city in western Iran A large number of books have been written in Iran on Allama Iqbal and he is often quoted by Iranian leaders and scholars in conversations, speeches and writings. Ayatollah Khaz Ali, top Qari of Izan and Hafez-e-Quran in one Juma Prayer started his sermon by mentioning Iqbal, his role and place in history and explained his philosophy. educationsight.blogspot.com It was the month of April 1985. A former Education Minister of Iran Mi Akbar Parveish was almost a ‘hafiz’ of Iqbal. In 1985 Deputy Minister of Education of Iran Dr Ghulam Mi Haddad Adl praised Iqbal in his poems. In one of his poems he said that as long as Persian is alive, Iqbal will live and Pakistan is deserve congratulations because they have a spring of thought in their national poet Iqbai whose philosophy is life giving and a revolutionary one.
A renowned religious scholar Ayatollah Murtaza Motahhari in his book “Islamic movements in the last century” has praised Iqbal, his thought and philosophy and paid richest ever tributes to “the poet philosopher of the Orient”. It is a fact that Iqbal never visited Iran during his lifetime. One reason was that he was revolutionary and royal family then ruling Iran did not like his views on certain, issues. Iqbal was so enamored by Iran, its history, culture and literature that he wrote a lot about Iran. His PhD thesis was on ‘Development; of metaphysics in Iran’. He considered Maulana Rumi as his mentor. As he was deeply inclined towards meta physics, he often mentions Fareedudin Attar, Nisai and other mystics of Iran. He talks of Tabrez, Isfehan and other cities of Iran in his works.
Iqbal is considered as poet — philosopher of East (Fail-soo-fe-Sharq) in Iran. About ninety per cent of his works are in Persian. Having been influenced by Mahmood Shabisteri, the author of Philosophical ‘Masanvi’ ‘Guishane Raz’ he himself wrote Masnavi Guishne Raz Jadeed. Some Iranians think that Iqbal, had to some extent, and influenced the thinking of revolutionaries of Islamic revolution of Iran. They often quote from his poem “Address to the Iranian Youth” specially the last couplet of the same. It reads, “There comes a man who would break the chains of slavery of the Iranians arid he (Iqbal) had seen him through the smail hole of their prison cell”. His verses about Ahle-Bait-e-Karam and martyrs of Karbela are often quoted by Iranians. He is lovingly called “Iqbal Lahori” in Iran. In one of his verses Iqbal has said that the fate of Islamic world would change if Tehran becomes Geneva of the Muslim world. Iqbal is identified with Pakistan in Iran. He is in fact a household name in the ‘cultuia1 and educated circles. In one of the cultural and educational centres of Tehran known as Hussainia-e-Irshad” large number of verses of Iqbal engraved on marble plates can be seen in the main conference hail. The roof and rostrum of this hail are also decorated with his verses. All these facts show the wide popularity Allama Iqbal enjoys in the brotherly country of Islamic Republic of Iran.
Iqbal is the strongest link, after Islam, between Iran and Pakistan. His verses and writings would always serve as a stimulant of contact between Iranian and Pakistani intellectuals. One of Iqbal’s ideals among Iranian poets was Muhammad Hussain Nazeeri Nishapuri who lived during the rule of Aurangzeb Alamgir. This Mughal Emperor exiled him to Gujarat (India) where he died. Iqbal’s mystic thought is significantly influenced also by mystics of Iran such as Abu Saeed Abu-Khair of Nishapur.
In the preface of works of Iqbal (Kuliat-e-Ashrare-e-Farsi of Maulana Iqbal Lahoori by Ahmad Saroush) a complete survey of Iqbal’s thought is included. The most significant point made is that he wanted to see the Muslim world united on one platform and make progress in knowledge and learning. (The Kuliat of Iqbal was published in Iran long time ago by Senai Publishers, Tehran).
Iqbal’s thought suggests that Iran, Pakistain and Afghanistan should first take initiative to prepare a base for Ummah’s solidarity and the rest of the Muslim world may follow. Iqbal’s thought is a constant strand in modern Iranian literature. He is considered as Rumi of contemporary age and present “age has been termed as age of Iqbal” by Iranian intellect uals. Iqbal’s audience is not only Muslims of the subcontinent but all those who live in Iran, Afghanistan and Centi al Asia. His works exhort Muslims the world over to wake up, and act, and in order to revive the glory of Islam and unity of Muslim Ummah. His verses worked like magic and led to the widespread awakening among the Muslims and infused new spirit for struggle. Before his death he wrote a quatrain in Persian. “The melodies of bygone may come again or never. The zephyr from Hejaz may come again or not. The age of this ‘foreigner’ has ended and another seer may come or not”. But his message lives and will be carried forward by Pakistan and Iran as well as by Muslims living in the world.
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