|
|
|
November 9, 2003
REVIEWS: The ardent pilgrim
Milton wrote to justify the ways of God to Man. Iqbal wrote to justify the ways of Man to God. From his work Iqbal emerges as a truly universal poet. His reformist concerns are subsumed under this universality. Just as Dante and Milton have been hailed as universal poets despite their pronounced Christian context, the Islamic context of Iqbal does not make him any less universal, nor does it detract from the essential humanism of his vision.
While the overwhelming majority of Iqbal’s admirers were Muslim, there was a discerning circle of literateurs who were not Muslims but who were admirers, interpreters and translators of Iqbal. Reynold A. Nicholson, Edward, Granville Browne, Arthur John Arberry, Hiral Lal Chopra and Jagan Nath Azad to name a few, who saw the universality of Iqbal’s poetry through the screen of his religious poetry.
Iqbal Singh, author of the Ardent Pilgrim translated as Rahnaward-i-Shauq, stands somewhat apart as his assessment of Iqbal vacillates between praise and censure. It is not a balanced evaluation of Iqbal’s life and work based on a comprehensive view of his merits and demerits. In the case of Iqbal Singh, his praise and censure shift grounds continuously. As such he is unable to come to terms with Iqbal’s vision or his achievements. Nevertheless, this is a very serious effort to study Iqbal holistically, as a poet, as a thinker, as a politician and even as a family man.
In 1951 when it was first published, and fifty years on when it has been rendered into Urdu, Iqbal Singh’s book has held a fascination for the readers because of its unusual interaction with Iqbal. The author emphasizes Iqbal’s sense of loneliness though he was always surrounded by a host of friends and admirers. He also notes Iqbal’s serenity — he was absorbed in a book while a massive earthquake was rocking his city. He took his eyes off the book only to tell Ali Bux not to run in panic but stand under the staircase. However even before we come to a deeper reading of Iqbal’s character, contradictions emerge. Having said that Iqbal never left the certitude of one job for the promise of another, Iqbal Singh writes that Iqbal gave up his secure position and excellent prospects because he felt that he could not freely express his ideas while in government employment.
Iqbal Singh chastises Iqbal for reciting a poem in 1918 in celebration of the Allied victory. Another Sikh writer Ajeet Javed informs us that Mahatma Gandhi himself had participated in the peace celebrations. (Jinnah the Secularist) he joined the Muslim League (and Congress which held its session shortly thereafter) in criticizing the British.
The contradictions become more glaring where Iqbal Singh traces the relations of Iqbal with Sir Fazli Hussain. When Sir Fazli Hussain was trying to have him elevated to the Punjab High Court bench, “Dr Iqbal alienated the sympathies of the officials by unrestrained criticism of the government.”
Iqbal’s membership of the Punjab Legislative Council also comes in for criticism, even though the author concedes that Iqbal achieved this position through votes and not patronage and also that Iqbal did not personally canvass for votes but had left it to those friends who had forced him to take this path because they claimed that membership would enable Iqbal to serve his people better.
Iqbal Singh considers the partition of India a tragedy so his account of Iqbal’s role in the creation of Pakistan is coloured by this opinion. In the first instance he tries to demonstrate that Iqbal was not the author of the Pakistan demand.
About the Allahabad address, Iqbal Singh writes, “There is no mention here of an Eastern Pakistan; and one is justified in assuming that Iqbal did not trouble himself about the Muslims of Eastern Bengal.” However in reality there are references to Bengal in Iqbal’s Allahabad address. He said, “The Simon report does great injustice to the Muslims in not recommending a statutory majority for Punjab and Bengal.”
Similarly, how could Iqbal Singh assert, “All else, including his incidental reference to the Muslims of Bengal in his letter to Jinnah of June 21, 1937, was a passing after thought.” Iqbal’s words were “why should not the Muslims of the North West and Bengal be considered as nations entitled to self determination just as other nations in India and outside India are?”
This book is not primarily a work of literary criticism, but it has flashes of brilliance all the same. Iqbal Singh quotes brilliantly the poem “Huzoor-i-Risalat Maab Mein” in the context of “Shikwa”. The author is correct in saying that these poems extended Iqbal’s reputation far beyond the realm of literature. And even the common, semi-literate Muslims began to look up to Iqbal to give voice to their deepest feelings and sentiments. Iqbal Singh’s observes perceptively that “we make poetry out of quarrels and quarrel with the world in which we live. And we make philosophy out of the same stuff”.
According to the author, the Asrar-i-Khudi (Secrets of the Self) unleashes a storm because lqbal attacked not only the Greek antecedents of Muslim discourse but also the mystic tradition of Islam symbolized by Hafiz. From Hafiz to Rumi was a drastic step which bewildered even those who had been bewitched by Iqbal’s greatness. lqbal Singh points out most pertinently that unless he disavowed the influence of Hafiz, Iqbal would never be able to galvanize the Muslim of his era. This change in Iqbal was shocking even to McTaggart who wrote to Iqbal asking him why he had abjured the concept of ontological monism (Wahdatul wajood).
As Iqbal Singh points out lqbal had to undergo a refinement of his soul. This alone could give him the faith which would serve as the basis of his message. This is a thought provoking analysis of the life and work of Iqbal. It served as an introduction of lqbal, to a Western audience, but primarily Iqbal belongs to Urdu, despite his literary and reflective masterpieces in Persian and English. An Urdu translation of the Ardent Pilgrim was long overdue. This translation leaves room for improvement; still it is worth possessing and is neatly produced.
Iqbal Singh’s conclusion sums up his view of the poet: “Iqbal accelerated the transition of the Muslim mind from a feudal to the modern frame.” This is an immense contribution.
Rahnaward-i-Shauq: Muhammad Iqbal, Hayat aur Karnamay
By Iqbal Singh
Oxford University Press,Plot # 38, Sector 15, Korangi Industrial Area, Karachi
Tel: 111-693-673
Email:
ouppak@theoffice.net
Website:
www.oup.com.pk
ISBN 0-19-579707-8
199pp. Rs325
|
|
|
|
