Speakers for Ijtehad, social reforms: Tributes paid to Allama Iqbal
By Jonaid Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Nov 9: Paying tributes to poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal, speakers at separate functions stressed the need for following his thoughts and promoting enlightenment
, Ijtihad and love for humanity to get rid of the Muslim society of monarchy, theocracy, poverty and other social ills.
They asked the Muslim world to acquire scientific knowledge and technology to fight poverty, illiteracy and terrorism.
Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal, son of the great poet, said that God Almighty had chosen the right man in the great leader Muhammad Ali Jinnah to carve out a Muslim homeland, he observed while speaking at an Iqbal Day function, jointly organized by the Allama Iqbal Open University and the Pakistan Academy of Letters on the occasion of the 127th birth anniversary of Allama Iqbal, here on Tuesday.
He said Iqbal's political thought was contained in his prose work "Reconstruction of religious thought in Islam", that should be regarded as the most proper vehicle for understanding his ideas about statecraft and its relevance to religion.
Iqbal placed great emphasis on research and Ijtihad as separate prayer obligations and mundane affairs of the world.
In Dr Javed's view we must eschew the spell cast upon the Muslim world through notions of monarchy, theocracy and pseudo Sufism. "Iqbal asks us to absolve ourselves of these notions", he maintained.
Justice Javed said all great personalities such as Syed Jamiluddin Afghani, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Quaid-i-Azam had laid emphasis on grasping proper knowledge for which we needed Ijtihad specially in the field of law because many old customs such as the cutting of hand needed new interpretation.
Chairman Higher Education Commission Prof (Dr) Attaur Rahman, who was chief guest on the occasion, stressed on the acquisition of knowledge. He lamented the Muslim world had become oblivious of the spirit of Iqra advocated by Iqbal.
The HEC chief lamented that despite representing one-fifth of world population and rich in natural resources, Muslims are a non-factor in global affairs.
He exhorted the Muslim countries to grasp the transformation occurring in the world, join hands and benefit from each others experiences to get rid of poverty, illiteracy and backwardness.
Eminent critic Dr Mohammad Ali Siddiqui also advanced these thoughts. He said Iqbal had realized that big powers had a hand in exploiting the Muslim world.
To bring about a fundamental change in our present status Iqbal changed his Indian orientation in the direction of Hijaz, Dr Siddiqui said.
Pakistan Academy of Letters Chairman Iftikhar Arif, one of the co-sponsors of the event, urged proper understanding of Iqbal in the whole range of his work.
BOOK LAUNCH: At a book launch ceremony Cabinet Secretary Ejaz Rahim said the West considered Iqbal as the one who had circumscribed himself by choosing to be a Muslim poet rather gaining a universal stature.
The book titled Iqbal ka Urdu Kalam, written by Prof (Dr) Ayub Sabir, forms a trilogy of Iqbal studies and replies to a number of criticism made about language and diction in Iqbal's poetry.
But this was a mistaken view, Ejaz Rahim said because Iqbal's "Reconstruction of Religious Thoughts in Islam" were knowledge, power and social justice. "Such ideas stand in need of proper synthesis to understand the nature of present world, which is going berserk with new ideas, some of which may not be beneficial".
Noted poet Ahmad Faraz, who was one of the chief guests at the function, said Iqbal understood the holy Quran and its great message properly and immersed himself in love of the prophet of Islam (PBUH). He said Iqbal was the greatest Urdu poet of the 20th century just as Ghalib was the greatest poet of the past 19th century.
Faraz said it was idle to argue that Iqbal had used faulty words or used them in a wrong way because every great poet possessed a new sensibility and used words to advance new thoughts.
He was replying to some of the objections which was advanced by a few detractors of Iqbal about inaccurate and improper diction.
Faraz was sure north India had not produced a mainstream poet of any great stature in the tradition of Iqbal and Faiz.
The author of the book, Ayub Sabir, speaking on the occasion referred to Bal Thakeray's comments that although he was a great poet, Iqbal had divided the people of the sub-continent.
Sabir said Iqbal's collected works was confronted with such profanities but they could be answered with structured and well-research interpretation of Iqbal. With this thought in his mind he had opted for retirement to devote himself to answering charges pressed against the great poet.
Eminent critic Dr Muhammad Ali Siddiqui said it was difficult to discuss Iqbal's work without acknowledging his undoubted greatness. Iqbal's poetry had a constant flow and was steeped in wisdom and Islamic lore.
APP adds: Paying glowing tributes to Iqbal, leaders of Pakistan Muslim League emphasised the need to implement his philosophy and thinking in practical lives for achieving the goals of Pakistan movement.
Chinese Cultural Counsellor Schon, speaking in Urdu, paid rich tributes to Allama Iqbal and said a lot of work of Allama Iqbal has been translated into Chinese language. He said due to this translation and knowledge of Urdu, Allama Iqbal is also alive in the hearts of Chinese.
He said Iqbal's verses are as relevant today as when these were written which reflected the aspirations of not only Muslims but the whole mankind.
