Iqbal's Works:
His first book Ilm ul Iqtisad/The knowledge of Economics was written in Urdu
in 1903 . His first poetic work Asrar-i Khudi (1915) was followed by Rumuz-I
Bekhudi (1917). Payam-i Mashriq appeared in 1923, Zabur-i Ajam in 1927, Javid
Nama in 1932, Pas cheh bayed kard ai Aqwam-i Sharq in 1936, and Armughan-i Hijaz
in 1938. All these books were in Persian. The last one, published posthumously
is mainly in Persian: only a small portion comprises Urdu poems and ghazals.
His first book of poetry in Urdu, Bang-i Dara (1924) was followed by Bal-i
Jibril in 1935 and Zarb-i Kalim in 1936.
Bang-i Dara consist of selected poems belonging to the three preliminary phases
of Iqbal's poetic career. Bal-i Jibril is the peak of Iqbal's Urdu poetry. It
consists of ghazals, poems, quatrains, epigrams and displays the vision and
intellect necessary to foster sincerity and firm belief in the heart of the
ummah and turn its members into true believers. Zarb-i Kalim was described by
the poet himself "as a declaration of war against the present era".
The main subjects of the book are Islam and the Muslims, education and
upbringing, woman, literature and fine arts, politics of the East and the West.
In Asrar-i Khudi, Iqbal has explained his philosohy of "Self". He
proves by various means that the whole universe obeys the will of the
"Self". Iqbal condemns self-destruction. For him the aim of life is
self-relization and self-knowledge. He charts the stages through which the
"Self" has to pass before finally arriving at its point of perfection,
enabling the knower of the "Self" to become the viceregent of Allah on
earth/Khalifat ullah fi'l ard. In Rumuz-i Bekhudi, Iqbal proves that Islamic way
of life is the best code of conduct for a nation's viability. A person must keep
his individual characteristics intact but once this is achieved he should
sacrifice his personal ambitions for the needs of the nation. Man cannot realize
the "Self" out of society. Payam-i Mashriq is an answer to West-Istlicher
Divan by Goethe, the famous German peot. Goethe bemoaned that the West had
become too materialistic in outlook and expected that the East would provide a
message of hope that would resuscitate spiritual values. A hundred years went by
and then Iqbal reminded the West of the importance of morality, religion and
civilization by underlining the need for cultivating feeling, ardour and
dynamism. He explained that life could, never aspire for higher dimensions
unless it learnt of the nature of spirituality.
Zabur-i Ajam includes the Mathnavi Gulshan-i Raz-i Jadid and Bandagi Nama. In
Gulshan-i Raz-i Jadid, he follows the famous Mathnavi Gulshan-i Raz by Sayyid
Mahmud Shabistri. Here like Shabistri, Iqbal first poses questions, then answers
them with the help of ancient and modern insight and shows how it effects and
concerns the world of action. Bandagi Nama is in fact a vigorous campaign
against slavery and subjugation. He explains the spirit behind the fine arts of
enslaved societies. In Zabur-i Ajam, Iqbal's Persian ghazal is at its best as
his Urdu ghazal is in Bal-i Jibril. Here as in other books, Iqbal insists on
remembering the past, doing well in the present and preparing for the future.
His lesson is that one should be dynamic, full of zest for action and full of
love and life. Implicitly, he proves that there is no form of poetry which can
equal the ghazal in vigour and liveliness. In Javid Nama, Iqbal follows
Ibn-Arabi, Marri and Dante. Iqbal depicts himself as Zinda Rud (a stream, full
of life) guided by Rumi the master, through various heavens and spheres and has
the honour of approaching Divinity and coming in contact with divine
illuminations. Several problems of life are discussed and answers are provided
to them. It is an exceedingly enlivening study. His hand falls heavily on the
traitors to their nation like Mir Jafar from Bengal and Mir Sadiq from the
Deccan, who were instrumental in the defeat and death of Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula of
Bengal and Sultan Tipu of Mysore respectively by betraying them for the benefit
of the British. Thus, they delivered their country to the shackles of slavery.
At the end, by addressing his son Javid, he speaks to the young people at large
and provides guidance to the "new generation".
Pas Cheh Bay ed Kard ai Aqwam-i Sharq includes the mathnavi Musafir. Iqbal's
Rumi, the master, utters this glad tiding "East awakes from its
slumbers" "Khwab-i ghaflat". Inspiring detailed commentary on
voluntary poverty and free man, followed by an exposition of the mysteries of
Islamic laws and sufic perceptions is given. He laments the dissention among the
Indian as well as Muslim nations. Mathnavi Musafir, is an account of a journey
to Afghanistan. In the mathnavi the people of the Frontier (Pathans) are
counseled to learn the "secret of Islam" and to "build up the
self" within themselves.
Armughan-i Hijaz consists of two parts. The first contains quatrains in Persian;
the second contains some poems and epigrams in Urdu. The Persian quatrains
convey the impression as though the poet is travelling through Hijaz in his
imaginatin. Profundity of ideas and intensity of passion are the salient
features of these short poems. The Urdu portion of the book contains some
categorical criticism of the intellectual movements and social and political
revolutions of the modern age.
BIOGRAPHY - IQBAL WORKS - IQBAL'S ENGLISH WORKS - IQBAL LETTERS -
IQBAL THE VISIONARY - IQBAL AND POLITICS - IQBAL AND THE QUAID i AZAM
IQBAL IN YEARS - IJTIHAD AND ISLAMIC MOVEMENT BY IQBAL
ETHNIC, RACIAL ISLAMIC REVOLUTION