Studying Key Factors in the Formation of Iqbal’s Personality

Allâmah Mohammad Iqbal is among the special, unexampled and famous personalities and a poet familiar with the pains of people in the contemporary history of Muslims in the East. He is well-known not only in the East, but also in the West. The books and works have been authored on his life in the West are more than books and articles have been written in Persian or Urdu. Iqbal knew well the history of Islam and Islamic instruments as well as the modern world and sciences. He had civil and idealistic opinions. He succeeded to infuse a fresh spirit in the life body of Muslims by utilizing elements like faith, love, theosophy, culture, resistance and wisdom. It is very important to know two points about Iqbal: what are the factors behind building his personality and what was his message?

Now let’s see the factors of formation Iqbal’s personality:
First factor: he enjoyed a strong faith and righteousness by accompanying righteous men and family upbringing. He never ignored taking benefit from righteous people.
Second factor: the Noble Qur’an influenced his personality and increased his excellences protecting him from all dangers. The recitation of Iqbal was different from others and it was due to his special recitation that the Qur’an penetrated his heart.
Third factor: the other factor behind formation of Allâmah Iqbal’s personality was self-contemplation or Khodi/the self as Iqbal himself said. Today it is called “self-confidence”. Self-contemplation is not against relying and depending on Allâh; rather it means the man should know himself that he is an honorable and respectful creature. Human beings have a divine soul. So they should not make themselves despised and abject and captive to stomach.
Fourth factor: the fourth factor and instructor of Iqbal is his dawn sighs which made his character and personality perfect. He says in an Urdu poem: “Like Rûmi, Attâr, Ghazâli and Râzi, one may be mystic great or wise. But none can reach his goal and aim without the help of morning sighs.
Fifth factor: “Mathnawi Ma’navi” played a key role in instruction of Allâmah Iqbal’s personality and opinions. This book is a gush of Mawlânâ Jalâlûddin Rûmi’s vigilant conscience. Iqbal says: I have disclosed all secrets in the world thanks to Mathnawi Ma’navi of Mawlânâ Jalâlûddin Rûmi. My mission in the current time is the mission of Molawi in his time.
As far as Iqbal’s message is concerned, he wanted to confront circulation of Western values and struggle to revive, rebuild and promote Islamic values bringing a revolution in the East. Therefore, he called on Muslims to review in their selves, return to their original identity, complete their faith and struggle in its way and be awake to build the world.

First published in Neday Islam magazine, issue: 71-72
Writer is the chief editor of the magazine