Although we find some links of sufism in poetry of Iqbal like he mentioned rumi at few places but he had exressed his concern several times over the innovation brought to Isalm by sufis.
following are some of his ashaar where he mentioned sufi are damaging the Islamic state.
kal aik shoraida khawb gah e Nabi
(s.a.w) pe ro ro k keh raha tha
keh Misar o Hindustan k muslim
(a)bna e millat mita rahay hain
and here he denounced and disassociated himself from those who claimed to be owner of Islamic leadership.
ye zaereen hareem e maghrib, hazar rahbar banain hamaray
humain bhala in se kia wasta jo tujh(s.a.w) na-ashna rahay hain.
it might be true that Iqbal had been influenced by sufis like rumi but i think that must be temporarily.
reason is, you would hardly see reflection of sufism in his poetry but we can quote several instances where he denounced sufism practices.
another solid reason is, when maulana syed abul hassan met Iqbal in person before few month of his death he asked him about his stance on sufism then iqbal replied he is not delighted by sufism.
do you think otherwise?
bonus question, what is engraizee of khyal-araayan
actually Allama Iqbal replied to maulana syed abul hassan that sahaba(r.a.) never been involved in such practices of khyal-araayan like tassuwaf rather they found happiness in horse riding and jihad.
actually Allama Iqbal replied to maulana syed abul hassan that sahaba(r.a.) never been involved in such practices of khyal-araayan like tassuwaf rather they found happiness in horse riding and jihad.
I think khayal araayan is the same as Shaikh Chilli's plan and can be understood with Iqbal's shair:
Ghulam Qoumon Ke Ilm-O-Irfan Ki Hai Yehi Ramz Ashakara
Zameen Agar Tang Hai To Kya Hai, Fizaye Gardoon Hai Be-Karana
Iqbal himself in a letter addressed to Maulāna Shiblī Nu’mānī disclosed that he thought he was initiated in the Qādrī silsilah. This letter was written in 1917 BTW.
Iqbal himself in a letter addressed to Maulāna Shiblī Nu’mānī disclosed that he thought he was initiated in the Qādrī silsilah. This letter was written in 1917 BTW.
yes as i said that it might be possible that Iqbal had been influenced by sufism for a small peoriod. otherwise we must see sufism as handsome part of his poetry.
The document posted above, state that Iqbal was not totally against sufism, but was against the foreign concepts taken from Buddhists, Zoroastrian and Hindu philosopher which conflicted basics of Islam.
The document posted above, state that Iqbal was not totally against sufism, but was against the foreign concepts taken from Buddhists, Zoroastrian and Hindu philosopher which conflicted basics of Islam.
i read its abstract will read in detail. thanks for sharing.
btw dont you think poetry is the only way to spread Sufism?
i read its abstract will read in detail. thanks for sharing.
btw dont you think poetry is the only way to spread Sufism?
I think poetry is one of the medium. Otherwise, if we culturally analyze psyche of Muslims of India (converted one), it was very difficult for them to comprehend concept of God developed in open lands of Arabia, where one can be directly linked with God without any intermediary as compared to prevalent intermediaries (otaar, etc) in the religion of their forefathers. Sufism somehow bridged that gap and then came the mannat and chadhwa on Mazaarat and search of someone who can link you with the God (which is otherwise inapproachable).
I think poetry is one of the medium. Otherwise, if we culturally analyze psyche of Muslims of India (converted one), it was very difficult for them to comprehend concept of God developed in open lands of Arabia, where one can be directly linked with God without any intermediary as compared to prevalent intermediaries (otaar, etc) in the religion of their forefathers. Sufism somehow bridged that gap and then came the mannat and chadhwa on Mazaarat and search of someone who can link you with the God (which is otherwise inapproachable).
so you kinda say that spreading was not possible in india without Sufism?
and it was the only sufism through which Islam spread in subcontinent?
so you kinda say that spreading was not possible in india without Sufism?
and it was the only sufism through which Islam spread in subcontinent?
If you look at the history, Muslim Arabs first reached coastal areas of Southern India and Malabar, but Islam was not accepted by locals in vast majority. Even during around 350 years of Arab rule on Sindh and Multan, there was no major conversion. It is interesting to note that Ismaili (Qaramati) preachers preached to locals (Multan in 10th & 11th century) in their local languages without changing the names of gods and other religious concepts. Dus otaar is not a religious book of Hindus , but a religious book of Ismailis who converted due to this preach.
The sizable majority converted in 12th and 13th centuries when Muslim sufis came in sub-continent after Ghaznavi's attacks on India and Mongols attacks on central Asian cities.
Alĥaq makes the claim that Iqbal started his career as a free thinker with “Sufi inclinations,” then radically changed his position after his return from Europe.87Dates of publication of the works cited in this write-up do not support this claim. As demonstrated Iqbal at the beginning of his career considered mysticism as a system of verification88 while towards the end of his career he emphasized the importance of mystic experience as the discovery of the ego of its ultimate nature. This experience is not a “conceptually manageable intellectual fact; it is a vital fact…that cannot be captured in the net of logical categories.”89 For him this experience is the product of an active engagement with ones environment rather than a withdrawal from it. It is the product of effort and struggle, of ego-sustaining activities rather than world-negation. It would therefore be more appropriate to maintain that Iqbal did not reject Sufism, but rather aimed at its reformation. This was due to the different need of the time. To examine his views out of the context of his times is to do an injustice to him.
And,
wikipedia…Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as “a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God”
Iqbal was not limited to Sufism, He wrote Shikwa, and then Jawab -e Shikwa. He did not suggest to disconnect ourselves from world, but to encourage and pointed out our flaws…
It is easier to sit in one room and think about Allah and purify hear and soul, but letting know the real situation with reasonable argument is more than Sufism…
most of poetry by iqbal was on urging upon muslims for revival of Islam and saving Islam from dissolving it cuz of other prevalent civilizations. So Iqbal rightly realized that sufism cannot do the job instead sufism in Hindustan was an attempt to otherwise. even Iqbal went a one step further where he said that taqleed is also not the solution for the problem Muslim are facing not to speak of sufism where strict peer-murid model is followed.
problem is most interpretations of Iqbal's poetry came to us through either from those who have soft corner for sufism due to their taqleed or from irreligious people who completely ignore the central part that is revival if true civilization rather they kinda have soft corner for liberal Islam.
