Glimpses of Iqbal's Visions about Prevalent Systems

Iqbal, the greatest Muslim thinker, philosopher and poet of the 20th century, was neither a socialist nor was he under the sway of capitalism. He exposed both of them to be the two sides of same coin, with their unjust and cruel nature. He sees manipulation and exploitation a common thing in both of them. Iqbal was committed only to Islam, an unadulterated Islam, free of both rubbishes of Mullah and ignorance of those who want Islam to reflect traces of western civilization in it.

He thought the Quran incomparable as a true guidance and a source of salvation for mankind. He believed in the Quran to be a perfect manifesto. His mind was clear that Islam is a complete code and pertinent system of life. His evaluative and critical views about the western civilization, their economic, moral and social values are pervasively seen in his Urdu and Persian poetry. Here only some of the glimpses of that.

In one of his poems in ‘Zarb-e-Kalim’ titled ‘Ishterakiyat’ he clearly says:

Quran Mein Ho Ghotah Zan Ae Marde Musalman          Allah Kare Tujh Ko Ata Jiddate Kirdar

            (Go deep in the Quran, O Muslim. May Allah bless you with unspoiled moral character)

‘Iblees Ki Majlis-e-Shura’ is one of Iqbal’s greatest and ingenious imageries. Therein we find how Iblees delineated his evil plans and how he feels dismayed about sabotage of them only when Muslim Ummah get awakened from its deep sleep. In a meeting of his advisory council, he boastfully mentions his achievements how he has made the people satisfied in absolutism of the monarchies of the west and east and how successfully he has matured the natures of the people to repudiate the authority of the religious institutions and how easily the influence of religiosity has been wiped out. The poor have been made contented that their divesting the progress and prosperity was only due to their misfortune, while the rich get captivated by the Capitalism.

The members of the council, one by one give their views how to enhance their evil plans and what could be the impediments for them in moving ahead. The mischievous nature of the Jews and the rising of the socialism as a new and excessively charming slogan could prove obstacles for them reaching their goals. One of the advisors sees the democratic system a blockade for the satanic mission.

Iblees concludes with his remarks: “I fear not from the socialists (Ishteraki) vagabonds. They are themselves perplexed minded and distressed out of their own anxieties. What I am really scared of is this (Muslim) Ummah, which is aware of what is hidden behind the curtains of the times to come. Despite the fact that it is now reduced to the ashes but still I fear some sparks of hope and desire might have remained hidden in the ashes and cause burst of a blaze.”

Expressing his apprehensions, Iblees adds while saying: “The thought that keeps me persistently horrified with each of my breath is that this (Muslim) Ummah, with Islam as its Deen, has a great potential in it to make entire world accountable to it, may one day wake up in future. No other system, including communism has the capability to frustrate my future plans. Only Islam can make all of my designs subject to failure.

Lenin, the founder of the Russian Communist Party, leader of the Bolshevick revolution and architect and builder of the Soviet state, was no doubt an atheist. His struggle proved more fatal for belief in God than the Capitalism, a paralleling economic and social system prevalent in the Western Europe and North America.

In his poem: “Lenin (In the Presence of God)’ Iqbal, imaginatively, sees Lenin in the presence of Allah, SWT. There he admits his mistake of not having belief in Existence of Allah, the Most Exalted. It was because of irresolute changes in the theories. Science, particularly its two major branches, Botany and Astronomy, thought more likely to come up with clear evidence of actuality of the Creator of this universe, failed to do so. But still he expresses his dissatisfaction on the situation.

Lenin says: No doubt, Allah is Alone to be worshiped. But who is there steadfastly adoring Him? In the East, the people show their full submission for their white skinned European Imperialist masters, while in the West, under the capital system, wealth (gold and silver coins) has replaced the Lord of the worlds. Buildings of the banks are much more splendid than the churches. They gamble under the shadows of trade and small interest groups benefit from the money causing death to the millions. All the branches of knowledge, wisdom, reflection and the governments, all preaching the equality of all human beings are actually sucking their blood. Machines have left the subtlety and fineness of the feelings crushed under them.

In the last of the picture drawn by Lenin, he asks Allah, SWT: “You are All-Powerful, All-Just, but in your world the life of the laborer is tough and troublesome. When the ship of the capitalism is going to sink and when the day of the reparation is to come?”

This is the essence of Iqbal’s thoughts about the major theories which were wickedly made rife and the economic, political and social systems manipulated for the Devilish ends. In spite of all their material powerfulness these theories and systems could by no stretch of imagination seen victors and successful.

Iqbal was the banner holder of social justice, equality, human rights and welfare of entire humanity within the framework of the Quran and Sunnah. Pakistan is fulfillment of Iqbal’s dream, though his vision still waits here for getting truly materialized in a welfare state.