Sir Alama Mohammad Iqbal (1877 . 1938)

Poet, philosopher, and political leader

Alama Mohammad Iqbal was born at Sialkot on November 9, 1877 and studied at Government College, Lahore, Cambridge, and the Univ. of Munich, and then he taught philosophy at Government College and practiced law. He was elected (1927) to the Punjab provincial legislature and served (1930) as president of the Muslim League. A staunch advocate of Indian nationalism, he became a supporter of an independent homeland for India's Muslims and he is regarded as the spiritual founder of Pakistan. Iqbal was the foremost Muslim thinker of his period, and in his many volumes of poetry (written in Urdu and Persian) and essays, he urged a regeneration of Islam through the love of God and the active development of the self.
He was a firm believer in freedom and the creative force that freedom can exert on men. He was knighted in 1922. His works include The Secrets of the Self (1915, tr. 1940), and Javid-nama (1934, tr. 1966).

Timeline

• 1877: Born at Sialkot (present Pakistan) on Friday, November 9, 1877.
• 1893-95: High School and Intermediate - Scotch Mission College, Sialkot.
• 1897: B. A. (Arabic and Philosophy) - Government College, Lahore. Awarded Jamaluddin Gold Medal for securing highest marks in Arabic, and another Gold Medal in English.
• 1899: M.A. (Philosophy) - Government College, Lahore. Secured first rank in Punjab state and awarded Gold Medal. Reader in Arabic, Oriental College, Lahore.
• 1900: Read his poem "Nala-e-Yateem," (Wails of an Orphan) at the annual function of Anjuman-e-Himayat-e-Islam at Lahore.
• 1901: Poem 'Himala' published in Makhzan.
  Assistant Commissioner's Examination (didn't qualify due to medical reasons).
• 1903: Assistant Professor, Government College, Lahore. Published his first book, "Ilmul-Iqtasad" (Study of Economics), Lahore.
• 1905: Traveled to England for higher studies.
• 1907: Ph.D., Munich University, Germany (Thesis: Development of Metaphysics in Persia).
• 1907-08: Professor of Arabic, London University.
• 1908: Bar-at-Law, London. Returned to India.
  Started law practice on October 22, 1908.
  Part-time Professor of Philosophy and English Literature.
• 1911: Wrote and read famous poem "Shikwa" (Complaint) at Lahore.
  Professor of Philosophy, Government College, Lahore.
• 1912: Wrote the epoch-making "Jawab-e-Shikwa" (Reply to Complaint).
• 1913: Wrote "History of India" for middle school students, Lahore (now out of print).
• 1915: Published a long Persian poem "Asrar-e-Khudi" (Secrets of Self). Resigned from professorship to spread the message of Islam.
• 1918: In counterpart to "Asrar-e-Khudi", published "Rumuz-e-Bekhudi" (Mysteries of Selflessness) in Persian.
• 1920: English translation of "Asrar-e-Khudi" by Prof. R.A. Nicholson of Cambridge University entitled "Secrets of Self."
  Visited Kashmir and presented his famous poem "Saqi Nama" at Srinagar.
• 1923: Awarded knighthood "Sir" at Lahore on January 1, 1923. Published "Pay am-e-Mashriq" (The Message of the East) in Persian. It was written in response to Goethe's West-Ostlicher Divan.
• 1924: Prepared an Urdu course material for Grade 6,7 students at Lahore. Published "Bang-e-Dara" (Call of the Caravan) in Urdu in March 1924.
• 1926: Elected to Punjab Legislative Council, Lahore (1926-1929).
• 1927: Published "Zaboor-e-A'jam" in Persian.
• 1929: Delivered his famous six lectures at Madras, Osmania University at Hyderabad, and Aligarh. He made very thought provoking comments on the latest scientific and philosophical developments of the 1920s in the light of Islamic teachings.
• 1930: President, All India Muslim League. Elaborated on the idea of an independent Muslim state in his presidential speech at Allahabad. [Refer to 1924-28 events in particular and 1912-29 in general in the Muslims in the Indian Subcontinent - V 1800 - 1950 CE].
• 1931: Published "Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam," - a collection of six lectures, Lahore; it was also published by Oxford University.
  Participated in Mo'tamar-A'lam-e-Islami (World Muslim Conference) in Palestine.
  Participated in the Second Round Table Conference, London, September 7 - December 31, 1931.
• 1932: Visited Paris and met French philosophers Bergson and Massignon. Bergson was astonished to hear his remark on the Islamic concept of time. Published "Javed Namah" in Persian. It was a reply to Dante's 'Divine Comedy'. Participated in the Third Round Table Conference, London, November 17 - December 24, 1932.
• 1933: Allama Iqbal met Mussolini in Rome after Mussolini expressed his interest to meet him. Visited Qurtuba, Spain and wrote the poems "Dua" (Supplication) "Masjid-e-Qurtuba." (The Mosque of Cordoba). Served as Advisor to the Government of Afghanistan on higher education (October 1933). Awarded Honorary D. Litt degree by Punjab University on Dec. 4,1933.
• 1934: Musafir (Traveler) in Persian.
• 1935: Published "Bal-e-Jibril" in Urdu.
• 1936: Published "Zarab-e-Kalim" in April 1936, "Pas Che Bayad Kard" in Persian, and "Payam-e-Mashriq" in September 1936.
• 1937: Ulema from Al-Azhar University visited Allama Iqbal at Lahore.
• 1938: Jawahar Lal Nehru visited Allama Iqbal at Lahore in January 1938.

Allama Iqbal died at Lahore on April 21,1938. He was a versatile genius-poet, philosopher, lawyer, educationist, politician, and a reformer. "Armughan-e-Hijaz" published posthumously. It was a collection of Urdu and Persian poems.

Prominent Books By Allama Iqbal

• Title: Bang -e- Dra
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 544
  ICBN: 969-416-202-001
  
• Title: Bal -e- Jibreel
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 314
  ICBN: 969-416-202-002
  
• Title: Zarb -e- Kaleem
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 340
  ICBN: 969-416-202-003
  
• Title: Armaghan -e- Hijaz (Urdu)
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 112
  ICBN: 969-416-202-004
  
• Title: Asrar -o- Ramooz
  Language: Persian (Farsi)
  Pages: 308
  ICBN: 969-416-202-005
  
• Title: Payam -e- Mashriq
  Language: Persian (Farsi)
  Pages: 276
  ICBN: 969-416-202-006
  
• Title: Zaboor -e- Ajam
  Language: Persian (Farsi)
  Pages: 232
  ICBN: 969-416-202-007
  
• Title: Javed Nama
  Language: Persian (Farsi)
  Pages: 370
  ICBN: 969-416-202-008
  
• Title: Pas Chaih Bayad Kard
  Language: Persian (Farsi)
  Pages: 140
  ICBN: 969-416-202-009
  
• Title: Armaghan -e- Hijaz
  Language: Persian (Farsi)
  Pages: 178
  ICBN: 969-416-202-010
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 1)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 140
  ICBN: 969-416-204-011
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 2)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 48
  ICBN: 969-416-204-012
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 3)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 276
  ICBN: 969-416-204-013
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 4)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 240
  ICBN: 969-416-204-014
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 5)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 72
  ICBN: 969-416-204-015
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 6)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 294
  ICBN: 969-416-204-016
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 7)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 242
  ICBN: 969-416-204-017
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 8)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 404
  ICBN: 969-416-204-018
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 9)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 144
  ICBN: 969-416-204-019
  
• Title: Deewan -e- Muhammad Iqbal (Arabic) (Volume - 10)
  Language: Arabic
  Pages: 276
  ICBN: 969-416-204-020
  
• Title: Bang -e- Dra (Volume - 1) (Ma Farhang :: With Meanings of Difficult words)
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 494
  ICBN: 969-416-208-021
  
• Title: Bang -e- Dra (Volume - 2) (Ma Farhang :: With Meanings of Difficult words)
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 554
  ICBN: 969-416-208-022
  
• Title: Bal -e- Jibreel (Ma Farhang :: With Meanings of Difficult words)
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 592
  ICBN: 969-416-208-023
  
• Title: Zarb -e- Kaleem (Ma Farhang :: With Meanings of Difficult words)
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 506
  ICBN: 969-416-208-024
  
• Title: Armaghan -e- Hijaz (Urdu) (Ma Farhang :: With Meanings of Difficult words)
  Language: Urdu
  Pages: 140
  ICBN: 969-416-208-025