70th Anniversary of Hz Allama

Those who have visited this blog must have come to know how indebted this scribe is to Hz Allama Muhammad Iqbal (ra). I have never thought of him as a mere poet, as even before I could read Urdu properly, I had heard from reliable sources that there was a mystic hidden behind the intellectual. Accordingly I have always found him to be an inspiration. Here are a few memorable pictures of Allama along with a recital of his poem Ilm O Ishq (Knowledge and Love) in remembrance of him on the 70th anniversary of his passing from the world.

 

Bring forth once more that goblet and wine, o Saki!

A friend who has a knack for finding great renditions of Allama Iqbal’s poetry brought this to my attention recently. I have listened to it a number of times and I have to admit that it is great. If anyone knows of other pieces sung by Shabnam Majeed do let me know.

 

Philosophy and Religion- Allama Iqbal (trans)

Here is a translation of the poem that is recited in the video in the previous post.

What is this sun and what are these starry heavens?

I have yet to understand this continuation of night and day

Am in in my homeland or am I a stranger here?

Seeing this vast and desolate desert fills me with fright

I am unable to attain the secret of this journey of life

From where can I bring the man of true vision?

Avicenna is wondering where he came from and

Rumi is concerned about where he should head for

“With every wayfarer I travel a short while

I do not yet know who my real guide is”.

 

Philosophy and Religion- Allama Iqbal

Here’s a nice little poem from Hz Allama called Falsafa o Mazhab (philosophy and Religion). Its last two verses particularly strike a chord with me these days. Listen, look and enjoy.

 

Iqbal Day

With all the recent events I had forgotten that today was Iqbal day. Happily someone sent me a couple of text messages of Iqbal quotes. As I’ve said before I feel much indebted to Allama and over the years he has been something of a “murshid” for me. He continues to be an inspiration, may God elevate his rank.

 

Masjid-e-Qurtaba

Here’s a truly evocative reading of this great poem by Allama with some beautiful pictures as well.

 

Javed Nama

A classic rendition by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali of Allama’s poem JavedNama.

 

A Tribute to Hz Allama

Allama Muhammad Iqbal has been a major inspiration for many including myself. In fact inn my early teens I was informed by “one of those who know” that Allama was much more than just a poet. I began reading his poetry although I could hardly read or understand Urdu at the time. I read it for the baraka and I believe that it is through this baraka that I was able to learn Urdu quite quickly after that. Since he has been a continuous inspiration and his poetry continues to shed light and reveal new meanings with the passage of years.

I found a nice compilation of pictures of Allama including one depicting the appearance of Mawlana’s spirit to him. This is not just imaginary but a reality. As Allama said himself:

tu bhi hai us kafla-e-shawq mien Iqbal

jis kafla-e-shawq ka salaar hai Rumi.

“You too are part of that caravan of longing O Iqbal

that caravan of longing whose guide is Rumi”.

 

M’iraj

” Cheest M’iraj? inqalaab andar sha’oor.

(What is the M’iraj? A revolution in consciousness.)

The colours of “witnessing” (shahud) of the universe change with our inner and outer development. As we are granted greater gnosis the grosser elemental side of us is left behind and the subtler side is stregthened ; the body is left behind and the universe shrinks, animality decreses and spirituality increases.”

An-Nahl Pg 84

” God does not transport His servant so that he can see Him, but in order to show him some of His Signs, those that have not been seen by him. He has said: ” Glory be to Him who caused His servant to travel by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Distant Mosque, the precincts of which we have blessed, so that We might show him some of Our Signs”…… I have transported him only to see the Signs, not to me, since no place can contain Me and the relation of “places” to me is identical. I am the one who is contained in the heart of My faithful servant, so how can I possibly transport him to Me when I am next to him and with him, wherever he is?

Shaykh al-Akbar*.

* For those unaware this title will always refer to the Shaykh Muhyiddin Abu Abd Allah Muhammad bin Ali bin Muhammad Bin Ahmad Bin Abd Allah bin al-Arabi at-Ta’i al-Hatimi al-Andulusi ( May God be pleased with him).

 

Allama Muhammad Iqbal

Hz Khadim-e-Mohabbat held the poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal in very high regard. Indeed as a devotee of Pir-e-Rumi, Babaji also loved Mureed-e-Hindi ( a titile for Iqbal). He would often quote from Iqbal’s poetry in his majalis and letters especially his Persian poems which are less well known in the Indo-Pakistani sub-continent.

In An-Nahl there is a rather strange entry (on page 157) which suggests a spiritual bond between Babaji and Hz Allama. It states: ” Close to midday two strangers who looked alike, were wearing the similar clothes and turbans on their heads arrived. Before any conversation began or anything ( tea etc) could be presented to them they said: Please read al-Fatiha and proceeded to recite so I joined them. Then before my asking they said: We desired to go to Lahore in order to to read Fatiha for Hz Allama Iqbal at his mazar or at the home of one of his relatives; but we saw that you are here so we decided to read Fatiha with you. Then they left as they had arrived”. The compiler Manzoor-ul-Haq Dar omitted to mention that these guests had arrived through the wall and left in the same manner and this took place on the 21st of April which is the date of Iqbal’s passing.These were obviously no ordinary guests.

Today I came across a wonderful rendition of Allama’s poem Toulu-e-Islam ( The Renaissance of Islam). I’ve uploaded the first part here.