Yesterday was the birthday of Allama Mohammed Iqbal, the great poet and philosopher. Iqbal is much admired and respected in Pakistan, considered by many as the intellectual force behind the idea of Pakistan. Iqbal was an intellectual giant, a free thinker, indeed an innovator.
For Iqbal, khudi, or the cultivated self, was central. This 'self' should not be confused with selfishness. Khudi is about the cultivation of the spiritual and moral self, such that Iqbal says:
Elevate your khudi to such heights that before every decree,
God Himself asks you: "Tell me, what is your wish?"
It is difficult not to note the German influence on Iqbal, particularly about his ideas on the spiritual self and its role in history.
Thinkers of Iqbal's calibre are much needed today in Pakistan, though one wonders how much they would be appreciated. One also wonders to what extent it is that the real Iqbal, Iqbal the philosopher and free thinker, indeed the sceptic, is currently respected and appreciated, rather than the mythical Iqbal?
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