On the occasion of Muhammad Iqbal’s birth anniversary, Muhammad Siddeeq profiles the spiritual founder of Pakistan and one of the Muslim world’s great 20th century intellectuals.
In the tapestry of modern Islamic thought, few figures shine as brightly as Muhammad Iqbal, the philosopher-poet whose voice echoed far beyond the borders of British India.
To the people of Pakistan, he is the thinker who dreamed the dream of nationhood. To the wider Muslim world, he is a spiritual revolutionary, a poet of awakening who called upon the Muslim Ummah to rediscover its historical unity, pride and divine purpose.
Iqbal (1877–1938) was a poet, philosopher, politician, and visionary thinker widely regarded as the spiritual founder of Pakistan and one of the most influential Muslim intellectuals of the 20th century.
Known as Allama Iqbal (“The Learned Iqbal”) in South Asia, he wrote in Persian and Urdu, blending Islamic mysticism, Western philosophy, and political activism.
Early life
He was born on November 9, 1877 in Sialkot, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan) into a devout Kashmiri Brahmin family that had converted to Islam generations earlier.
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Iqbal excelled in Arabic, Persian and Urdu from childhood and went onto earn a B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy from Government College, Lahore.
From 1905 to 1908, he traveled to Europe. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge; earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, with a thesis titled The Development of Metaphysics in Persia; and was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, London.
The architect of a dream
Elected to the Punjab Legislative Council (1926–1930), he served as President of the Muslim League in 1930. In his famous 1930 Allahabad Address, he proposed a separate Muslim state in northwest India, offering the first intellectual articulation of the Two-Nation Theory. Though he did not use the word “Pakistan,” he laid its ideological foundation.
“I would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sindh and Balochistan amalgamated into a single state.”
The Allahabad Address laid down the philosophical blueprint for a separate homeland for the Muslims of India. But this dream was never meant to be geographical alone – it was rooted in dignity, self-realization and spiritual sovereignty.
“Nations are born in the hearts of poets, they prosper and die in the hands of politicians,” he once wrote — reminding the world that ideas give birth to nations long before borders are drawn on maps.
For Iqbal, the creation of Pakistan was not merely a political objective. It was like a laboratory for Islamic renaissance, a place where Muslims could rediscover the power of Khudi – the self that stands tall before God and history.
In 1932, Muhammad Iqbal visited Cordoba in Spain, where he prayed and penned his famous poem about the lament of the Great Umayyad Mosque in the city. In this poem, Iqbal reminded Muslims that empires fall, dynasties vanish, but the light of Islamic faith that built the Great Mosque of Cordoba lives on beyond time.
A voice for the Muslim Ummah
The power of Iqbal’s message was that it was never confined to one land. Writing in both Urdu and Persian, he reached audiences from Tehran to Istanbul, from Kabul to Cairo.
In Iran, he is revered as “Iqbal-e-Lahori,” placed alongside classical Persian greats. His admiration for Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi, whom he called his spiritual guide, allowed him to enter the hearts of those who cherished Sufi thought.
At a time when the Muslim world was fractured by colonialism and internal divisions, Iqbal spoke of pan-Islamic unity – not as a political alliance alone, but as a spiritual awakening. He envisioned a world where Muslims, regardless of borders and languages, would remember they were part of a single caravan, bound by faith and destiny.
“We are waves of the same sea, leaves of the same tree, the walls between us are illusions – let them fall free.”
Though this verse is a poetic interpretation of his philosophy rather than a literal translation, it captures the essence of Iqbal’s call for unity – a unity of hearts, of purpose, and intellect.
The call for selfhood and action
Through his passionate and eloquent poetry, Iqbal warned against stagnation, urging Muslims to rise above despair and reclaim their forgotten legacy of leadership and learning. His iconic lines remain a rallying cry:
“Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pehle, Khuda bande se khud poochhe — bata teri raza kya hai.”
Here, Iqbal challenges the believer to elevate their character and soul until even destiny seeks their permission. It is a philosophy not of resignation but of empowerment – a bold reminder that faith is not passive submission but an active journey toward excellence.
Today, statues of the revolutionary poet Muhammad Iqbal stand in Tehran. His poetry is recited in Turkey. Roads are named after him in Kabul and Dhaka. Conferences in Central Asia celebrate his thought. And in Pakistan, he is a national icon where his words are etched into textbooks, hearts, and national memory.
Iqbal did not merely write poetry – he ignited movements. He did not merely speak of freedom – he breathed soul into it.
He called upon Muslims to rise not in anger, but in awareness, to build not just empires of land but empires of intellect, morality and Islamic unity.
The poet still speaks
Iqbal never saw the creation of Pakistan. He died of a throat illness on April 21, 1938, in Lahore and was buried near the Badshahi Mosque.
But his legacy outlived him. Recognised as Pakistan’s national poet, his birthday (November 9) is a public holiday known as Iqbal Day. His thought influenced the Pakistan Movement, Iranian Revolution thinkers, and global Muslim reform.
The Iqbal Academy Pakistan preserves his works. Streets, universities, and airports across Pakistan, Iran, and beyond bear his name.
In an age where the Muslim world continues to face strife and fragmentation, Iqbal’s voice remains hauntingly relevant. He reminds us that true liberation begins within, that nations crumble when their spirit fades, and that unity is not born of slogans, but of shared Islamic purpose and moral awakening.
As we look across the modern landscape of the Muslim world, Iqbal’s message returns like a timeless echo:
Lift your gaze, O traveller of faith.
You were not made to walk with your head bowed.
The caravan of the Ummah waits –
Rise, and take your place among the builders of destiny.
In 1922, the British government tried to tame the revolutionary poet by granting him a knighthood and granting him the title “Sir” after being appointed a Knight Bachelor by King George V.
Iqbal nevertheless continued his scathing criticism of colonial rule and continued his calls for an intellectual and political awakening amongst the Muslims of India and far beyond.
Therefore, there is no doubt that in remembering Muhammad Iqbal, we do more than just honour a poet – we revive a vision for the Muslim ummah.
