Thinking of our national heroes, I end up imagining a long list of pioneers and freedom fighters but the most favourite of mine is Allama M. Iqbal. He is known as a poet, philosopher, politician, moralist, reformer and educationist. His first introduction is being the national poet of Pakistan, a true national hero.
Allama Iqbal was born to a Kashmiri family in Sialkot, a city of Pakistan, in November 1877. He was the one who first dreamt of an independent state for the enslaved Muslims of India. As a dreamer, he visualized Muslims freely practising their religion Islam and not being victimized by the biased Hindus of Hindustan. Although Muslims were a part of the Indian National Congress, the party representing Hindu Muslims of Indo-Pak, the malice and hypocrisy of Hindu Readers was exposed and it compromised Muslims’ rights and freedom in Hindustan. This is when Allama Iqbal gave a far-fetched Two Nation Theory.
Pioneers like Quaid-e-Azam, Liaqat Ali Khan, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Ali Brothers and many others followed the light shown by Iqbal and made Pakistan. Iqbal gave wings to the spirit and soul of this ideology and the Muslim youth of Indo-Pak. He enlightened and woke up the youth to support Quaid-e-Azam in his struggle for a free homeland. He taught the youth the secrets of self and selflessness. He called them “Falcons” who rule the sky and fly high, to explore the unknown limits. This was all conveyed through his poetry – The Poetry of Stature.
Allama Iqbal is known not only for his Urdu Poetry but also for his poetry in Persian. His masterpieces include Bang-e-Dara, Shikwa, Jawab-e- Shikwa, Bal-e-Jibreal, and Tarana-e-Millat. His verses give a sense of spirituality and morality. The references to the Holy Quran in his poetry lend grandeur, university and stature to his poetry. He is amongst the best poets of all time, indeed. Someone rightly said,
Nations are born in the
heart of poets, they
prosper and die in the
hands of politicians
So Pakistan was first born in the hands of Iqbal and later on in the map of the world, and Iqbal paved the way for freedom through his poetry. What a poet he was!
It’s been more than a century, people continue to be inspired and amused by his poetry. The heart touching lines recited by him, a few minutes before his death were:
The departed melody may return or not
The zephyr from Hijaz may blow again or not
The days of this Faqir have come to an end
Another seer may come or not.
These lines befit not only the time when they were thought of and uttered but even today when many like me think of the departed soul of our national hero. May his soul rest in peace.
Simmal Imran
Class 9C Blue
PS. Simmal’s essay won the first prize at the Iqbal Day Competition organized by Valencia Community Center.