Top 10 Interesting Facts about Muhammad Iqbal

Depicted person: Muhammad Iqbal – South Asian Muslim writer, philosopher, and politician. Photo by Iqbal Academy Pakistan-Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Muhammad Iqbal

Muhammad Iqbal was born in Sialkot; Punjab, in 1877. We all know that Allama Iqbal was an Indian Muslim poet and political philosopher. That his fame rests on both his poetry and his formulation of ideas that contributed to the creation of Pakistan.

Iqbal was a brilliant thinker, a remarkable poet, and a passionate philosopher. His vision for Pakistan gave Muslims fighting for their own country a revolutionary spirit. His thoughts continue to this day to serve as a timeless map for travellers on their own paths.

1.Asrar-e-Khudi (Secrets of the Self), Iqbal’s debut novel, was written in Persian

Iqbal claimed in a letter to poet Ghulam Qadir Girami that the concepts behind the poetry of Asrar-e-Khudi had never been articulated before, neither in the East nor in the West, and that he thought Persian was better suited for doing so. 

The book, which is his debut collection of poems, focuses on the self from a religious perspective and emphasizes the spirit. It is unavoidably regarded as one of his best creations.

2.Iqbal’s family is descended from Kashmiri pandits

Allama Iqbal’s family has roots in the South Kashmir village of Kulgam and is a part of the broader Shaivite Saraswat Brahmin community. 

Iqbal advocated for regions with a majority of Muslims in 1930, but Jinnah had discussions with the Congress throughout the decade and didn’t formally support Pakistan until 1940. 

Some historians contend that Jinnah never truly sought the partition of India and instead always kept hoping for a deal with the Congress.  

Some historians argue that Jinnah’s acceptance of the notion of Pakistan was influenced by Iqbal and their close communication. In a letter delivered to Jinnah on June 21, 1937, Iqbal described his idea for a distinct Muslim state.

The literati frequently drew poetic allusions to his ancestry after he converted to Islam in the 15th century, such as in his work Ek Falsafah Zada Sayyid-zade Ke Naam.

3.Iqbal’s father worked as a tailor

Sir Mohammed Iqbal. Photo by Lady Ottoline Morrell-Wikimedia Commons

Sheikh Noor Muhammad, the father of Iqbal, worked as a tailor. Because he specialized in embroidering burqa (veil) hats, the poet was not raised in an extravagant way of living. 

Atta Muhammad, his brother, who worked as a contractor for the British army, paid for his brother’s higher education.

Imam Bibi, a Kashmiri woman from Sambrial, was characterized as a kind and modest woman who assisted the underprivileged and her neighbours with their issues. She passed away in Sialkot on November 9, 1914.  Iqbal adored his mother, and upon her passing, he wrote an elegy to reflect his pathos.

4.In his lifetime, Allama Iqbal had three marriages

At the age of 18, his family set up his first union with Karim Bibi, a Gujrati doctor’s daughter. The couple split up despite having two children, Miraj Begum and Aftab Iqbal. 

In 1914, he married Mukhtar Begum, who passed away in 1924 while giving birth. Later, Iqbal wed Sardar Begum, with whom he had a son named Javed and a daughter named Muneera.

5.In Heidelberg, Germany, there’s a street named after Iqbal

Sir Mohammed Iqbal. Photo by Lady Ottoline Morrell-Wikimedia Commons

Allama Iqbal, one of Pakistan’s founding fathers, spent six months in Heidelberg learning German for his doctoral thesis. The words “Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, national philosopher, poet, and spiritual father of Pakistan, lived here in 1907” are engraved on a generic old building in Neuenheim. 

On the bank of the River Neckar, there lies the Iqbla Ufer, the street that bears his name.

6.King George conferred the title of SIR to him in 1922

Iqbal enjoyed esteem on a global scale. At the 1922 New Year’s Honors ceremony, King George V bestowed the title of “Sir” upon Allama Iqbal, who was then 45 years old. He was also given a wonderful carpet as a gift by Wali Afghanistan Muhammed Nadir Shah.

7.Iqbals was a man of many titles

Iqbal graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge’s Trinity College on a scholarship in 1906, and from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich with a Doctor of Philosophy in 1908. 

The Thinker of Pakistan (Mufakkir E Pakistan) and The Sage of the Ummah are two titles ascribed to Allama Iqbal ( Hakeem Ul Ummah )

8.Iqbal was a linguist

S. M. Ikram and Allama Iqbal. Photo by Sheikh Muhammad Ikram-Wikimedia Commons

 Iqbal was a multilingual person who could speak Urdu, Persian, Arabic, English, German, and Sanskrit. His preferred language for poetic expression was Persian rather than Urdu.

9.Muhammad’s stay in Pakistan

Iqbal resided in Javed Manzil for three years in Lahore prior to his passing. According to reports, he used to pay his son Javed Rs 50 in rent each month to live there. Pakistan currently recognizes the home as a national monument.

Iqbal advocated for regions with a majority of Muslims in 1930, but Jinnah had discussions with the Congress throughout the decade and didn’t formally support Pakistan until 1940.

Some historians contend that Jinnah never truly sought the partition of India and instead always kept hoping for a deal with the Congress. 

Some historians argue that Jinnah’s acceptance of the notion of Pakistan was influenced by Iqbal and their close communication. In a letter delivered to Jinnah, Iqbal described his idea for a distinct Muslim state.

10.He died of an unknown throat condition

Muhammad Iqbal at a reception given by citizens of Lahore in 1933. Photo by Unknown author-Wikimedia Commons

Iqbal passed away on April 21st, 1938, in Lahore after months of sickness. You can pay your respects at his tomb in Hazuri Bagh, the walled garden between the entrance to the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort.