When Allama Iqbal went to England to attend the second round table conference in Sept. 1931, the Italian Govt. sent its emissaries to request Iqbal to visit Italy While in Italy during Nov. 1931, he received a message through Dr. Scorpa, the Italian Councilor in Bombay, that Mussolini wanted to meet him Dr Iqbal accepted his invitation and met the Italian dictator on Nov. 27 in his famous hall
Mussolini asked Iqbal: “What you expect we Italians to do?” Dr. Iqbal replied. “Europe is left with no moral values. Stop blindly following Europe and learn lessons from the East.”
When Mussolini sought some exceptional suggestion for him, Iqbal advised, “Don’t allow overcrowding of the cities. Limit the size of the population of a city and after that limit instead of allowing them to settle there, create new settlements and cities for them.”
Bemused, Mussolini wanted further elaboration. Iqbal said, “As population of a city increases, its moral values and economic power start waning. Worst immoral activities start challenging the cultural strength”
Mysore reception: Mussolini looked towards the Great Indian in disbelief for a moment but in the next moment stood from his chair and shouted with excitement, “What an excellent idea
Let the Muslims proclaim a million times that Iqbal is theirs, but let me declare, Iqbal belongs to we all and confining Iqbal to a particular religion or community is injustice to this great poet himself, said a professor at a function held at Mysore University in honor of Iqbal when he visited Mysore in January 1929 on the invitation of the Maharaja of Mysore
It was the time the first war of freedom movement in 1857 was suppressed and the nation was readying itself for the other rounds of resistance against the tyrant forces when Iqbal was born at Sialkot in Punjab in 1877 Iqbal, who started his path towards becoming the Great Poet of the East and Philosopher in his student life itself, ultimately became the symbol and preacher of Indian and Eastern values. While studying at Scottish Mission College in Sialkot, he attained mastery in writing prose and poetry, Graduated in 1897, he became proficient in English, Arabic and other international languages.
He learnt German in just three months when he went to Munich for seeking doctorate in philosophy.
International reception: By the time he started teaching at Govt. College and Oriental College, Lahore he had already become popular in the Indian subcontinent as a poet, In Sept. 1905, he left for Europe for further studies and returned to India in 1908. Besides teaching and practicing law, Iqbal continued to write poetry and by 1928, his reputation as a great philosopher was solidly established. His poetries had the reputation of being translated in several international languages.
“Iqbal’s thoughts are focused on the spiritual direction and development of human society and his poetry imparted message of pure and spiritual focus on eastern values as a source for socio-political liberation and greatness of the country. In his publication, Payam-e-Mashriq (the Message of the East), Iqbal reminds the West of the importance of morality, religion and civilization by underlining the need for cultivating feeling, ardor and dynamism”, said Anika Sabahat, a student of Iqbaliyat
Khushwant Singh translation: When iqbal wrote Shikwah (The Complaints), in which he complained to the God about the prevailing miserable conditions of the Muslims in the world, it irritated the Maulvis and they declared him an infidel. But when Iqbal wrote Jawab-e-Shikwah (The Answer to the Complaints), critics were finding very hard to escape. It is the same Shikwah and Jawab-e-Shikwah that is translated in English by Khushwant Singh
In April 21,1938, the Great Indian Poet and the Philosopher died leaving behind him tremendous amount of literary works embedded with priceless thoughts and messages that are still working as guiding paths for the millions world over.
Sare Jahan Se Accha Hindustan Hamara: In 1905, over 100 years from today, when Iqbal was a lecturer at the Govt. College, Lahore, he was invited by his student. Lala Hardayal, to preside over a function. Instead of making a speech, Iqbal sang Sare Jahan Se Accha Hindustan Hamara in his style. Iqbal compiled this poem in praise of India and the poem preaches the communal harmony that had unfortunately started ceasing in India by that time. Each and every word in this poem depicts an Indian’s respect and love for the motherland and the values the Indian society inherited for long.
The couplets that were sung in a small hall of the Govt. College, Lahore, spread to every corner and streets of the country soon making it the greatest patriotic song of the country. Iqbal was sitting in a boat house in Kashmir when some children passed by him singing this song. Iqbal smiled as these small kids were unaware of his presence near them.
The poem was set to music in the 1950s by Pandit Ravi Shankar, and is regularly sung on occasions of national importance. When Indira Gandhi asked Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut who went to space, how India looked from space, he immediately replied, “Sare Jahan se Accha Hindustan Hamara.”
When heard of Iqbal’s death in 1938, M.K. Gandhi wrote in his condolence message for the nation:
“What can I write about Dr. Iqbal except that I was sobbing due to emotions when I first read his famous poem Sare Jahan se Accha. When in Yerawada Jail, I must have sung this poem over hundred times. Each and every word of this great poem is very sweet to me and even while writing this message I can feel hearing the couplets of this poem into my ears.”
Sure, the ecstasy revisits a person every time after reading or listening to this great poem even after more than hundred years when this great poem was written by Dr. Iqbal.
