Muhammad Iqbal

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Lore & Background

Iqbal was born and raised in Sialkot, Punjab, British India, and studied at Scotch Mission College and Government College University in Lahore. He taught Arabic at Oriental College, Lahore, from 1899 until 1903, writing prolifically during that period. Notable among his Urdu poems from this time are "Parinde Ki Faryad" ("A Bird's Prayer"), an early contemplation on animal rights, and "Tarana-e-Hindi" ("Anthem of the Indians"), a patriotic poem—both composed for children. In 1905 he departed for Europe, earning a second BA at Trinity College, Cambridge, qualifying as a barrister at Lincoln's Inn, and obtaining a PhD in philosophy at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in 1908, with a thesis on "The Development of Metaphysics in Persia." Upon returning to Lahore, he established a law practice but focused on scholarly works on politics, economics, history, philosophy, and religion. He is most renowned for his poetic compositions, including "Asrar-e-Khudi", "Rumuz-e-Bekhudi", and "Bang-e-Dara." His literary works in Persian garnered him recognition in Iran. Iqbal married four times under different circumstances. His first marriage in 1895 to Karim Bibi produced two children: a daughter, Miraj Begum (1895–1915), and a son, Aftab Iqbal (1899–1979), who became a barrister. They separated between 1910 and 1913, though he supported her until his death. His second marriage took place on 26 August 1910 with the niece of Hakim Noor-ud-Din. His third marriage was with Mukhtar Begum in December 1914; they had a son, but both mother and son died shortly after birth in 1924. Later, he married Sardar Begum, with whom he had a son, Javed Iqbal (1924–2015), who became Senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, and a daughter, Muneera Bano (born 1930). He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Council in 1927 and held several positions in the All-India Muslim League. In his Allahabad Address, delivered at the League's annual assembly in 1930, he formulated a political framework for the Muslim-majority regions spanning northwestern India, spurring the League's pursuit of the two-nation theory.

Reader's Guide

Iqbal's significance lies in his dual role as a poet and political thinker. His Urdu poetry is ranked among the greatest of the 20th century, and his Persian works earned him recognition in Iran. His series of lectures, published as The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam in 1930, advocated for the political and spiritual revival of the Muslim world, particularly of the Muslims in the Indian subcontinent. The Allahabad Address in 1930 provided a political framework for Muslim-majority northwestern India, which animated the Pakistan Movement. Nine years after his death, the partition of India in August 1947 established Pakistan, where Iqbal is honored as the national poet. He is also known in Pakistani society as Hakim ul-Ummat (lit. 'The Wise Man of the Ummah') and as Mufakkir-e-Pakistan (lit. 'The Thinker of Pakistan'). His birthday, 9 November, is observed as a public holiday in Pakistan.

Did You Know?

• Iqbal's mother-tongue was Punjabi, and he conversed mostly in Punjabi and Urdu in his daily life.
• He earned a PhD in philosophy from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in 1908 with a thesis on 'The Development of Metaphysics in Persia.'
• Iqbal's first marriage was arranged in 1895 when he was 18; he and his wife Karim Bibi separated between 1910 and 1913, but he continued to financially support her until his death.
• He mastered German in three months while studying in Heidelberg in 1907, and a street there is named 'Iqbal Ufer' in his memory.
• His son Javed Iqbal (1924–2015) became Senior Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.