Reference
Letters and Writings of Iqbal

Edited and compiled by B.A. Dar. Copyright Iqbal Academy, Karachi, November 1967, pp. 86-95
Print Version
 
The Book that Iqbal Planned to Write
 

Muhammad Iqbal1, 2
 
 
 
 

A. It is necessary to study Islam.

  1. It has power and vitality.
    At times it has shown its power of getting rid of accretions.
    New movements. I pin no faith on them but they indicate confusion and inner unrest.
     

  2. Islam and modern world and British Empire.

 

B. Islam and Empire.

The effect of Arab Empire on Islam.
They destroyed Rome and Persia and built another Imperialism. Causes of empire building:

  1. Religious zeal; burning ardour to regenerate mankind;
     

  2. Hunger

Whatever may be the causes the effect was not good. Empire brought men belonging to earlier ascetic cultures, which Spengler describes as Magian, within the fold of Islam. The result was the conversion of Islam to a pre-Islamic creed with all the philosophical controversies of these creeds:

… (Ruh, Nafs, Quran: Hadith, Qadim). Real Islam had very little chances.

 

C. Difficulties of modern student of Islam.

He must wade through a tremendous literature and read the Quran. I have done so and try to give you what I honestly believe to be real Islam.

 

D. What is Islam?

Is it religion? Etymology of religion.

… (Din) as used in the Quran.

Obedience to the Law (read v. 18, Quran).

Characteristics of early Asiatic religions.

  1. Revelation in early religion—a mystic process.
    Islam laid the foundations of understanding it scientifically. Quran, Ibn Khaldun, Sufism.
     

  2. Salvation … (Najat)
     

  3. Wholly unworldliness …3
    caves, catacombs. Cf. Christianity and Islam. Jesus: Saint …4
     

  4. Fear of the invisible …5
     

  5. Some secret teaching. Cf. Spengler, Vol. II, page 246. Read also Martineau, Vol. I.6
     

  6. Belief in the unreality of the world and time …7
     

  7. Fatalism.
     

  8. Theocracy. Islam was a protest against all pre-Islamic religions in the world as it was found at the time Islam appeared.
    The world is real. Time is real.
    No more prophets (expected ones).
    No freedom from limitation. No mediation.
    No Qismat (fatalism). Is Islam a theocracy?
    Relation of Church and State.
    What is State? A contract like marriage.

 

E. But Islam is much more than religion.

Peace internal and external (Cf. v. 18)

  1. It is deracialisation of man (external peace);
     

  2. It aims at economic equality (internal security)

 

F. This lecture to close.

Two closing observations:

  1. The message of Islam;
     

  2. Islam is not the foe or even rival of Christianity.
    In the work of civilization it is co-worker.

 

Second Lecture: The Law of Islam

See book of Dickinson, After Two Thousand Years.

In Magian culture 'Revelation' a mystical process.

In Islamic Sufism this mystical process understood scientifically.

Is it morality touched with emotion?


A. Religion. Is it belief in a God or gods with some kind of worship? In caves?

  1. Is it wholly otherworldliness? Monasticism (Mithraism) (Darkness) (Mosque) …8
     

  2. Is it fear of the invisible? …9
     

  3. Is it intimacy with the supersensible? Partly yes, but the supersensible opened, to be approached in scientific spirit. Ibn Khaldun, idea of finality.
     

  4. Is it some secret teaching to be handed orally (mystery?)
    All early Magian religions believed in it. (Spengler, p. 246, Vol. II); Islam: No …10
     

  5. Religion (origin of word).
    … (Mazhab) not used in the Quran.
    Words used in the Quran:
    … (Millat, Minhaj, Din)
    What is the meaning of … [Millat], and … [Din]?
     

  6. Martineau, Vol. I

 

B. Islam—a protest against all religions in the old sense of the word.

  1. Abolition of Prophethood: …11
    Islam and Time …12
     

  2. The idea of Salvation (Najat) in Islam.
    Is it a Salvation-religion?
    … (Najat) is used only once in the Quran. What is Najat?
     

  3. No secret teaching.
     

  4. Belief in God: … (Ghaib)
    Deracialisation of mankind …13
    Economic equality (… etc.)14

 

C. Church and State?

Is Islamic community a juristic person?

Is Islamic State a juristic person?

Relation of Church and State.

What is State? Like marriage a contract.

The Amir is the Shaikhul Islam, etc.

Hereditary Monarchy. History of Islam.

Priesthood.

Karbala? Effect of it.

 

D. Islam and the Woman.

 

E. Islam and Capitalism.

  1. To the Magian culture 'Revelation' is a mystical process in which some spirit enters the body of a person who speaks it. In Islam Wahy
    (Quote verses: …)15 is universal property of life in which a man comes into contact with the ultimate springs of life. It manifests itself in three ways. It is abolished as a source of knowledge. In Islam contemplation of Athar16 spreads into thought and action. It realizes the immensity of the world in which old conceptions of race, community, creed dwindle into nothing. It is light17 … It draws the world from caves to the open day light …18
     

  2. The word Salvation … [Najat]
    What is Najat? Liberation from what? —Not from the limitations of individuality …19 —not liberation from the tension of consciousness. Is it relief of the ego's loneliness in the universe? The conception of God—comrade: …20 …21

    (a) Sleep liberates …22

    (b) Wine liberates and breaks the vigour of consciousness: …23

    (c) Dancing also liberates: …24

    All these means of escape from space and time are discouraged.
    You should overcome space and time by …25 i.e. mastering actuality by understanding …26
    Fear of the visible actuality, i.e. space and time is removed when we begin to understand things as causal relations …27 — knowledge of world as nature—actuality.
    Fear overcome not by charms but by formula.

    (d) Knowledge of world as movement—history—Sufism.
     

  3. … (Iman) — Security.

    Religious movements in Islam:

    - Ibn Taimiyya
    - Abdul Wahhab Babi
    - Ahmadiyya etc. => Prophesies. All more or less Magian
    - Syed Ahmad—Rationalism
    - The new movement
    - The coming of the expected one … [Messiah] (Jesus) … [etc.]
     

  4. No return …28
     

  5. Traditions—Bukhari
 
 
 
 

Introduction and Notes

1.    In 1933 when I was privileged to act as his scribe, Allama Iqbal handed over to me
       a few sheets of paper being synopsis in his own hand of what he contemplated to
       be an "Introduction to the study of Islam" with special reference to its
       jurisprudence. With the eye-sight failing quickly his intention was to dictate to me
       what would have been an epoch-making and authoritative book in English on
       Muslim Polity and Muslim Jurisprudence. But, alas, his plans (originally entrusted to
       him by the Ruler of Bhopal) remained unexecuted as his health began progressively
       to deteriorate and on April 21, 1938, the flame of his life extinguished.
       Since then I have treasured these notes as a national trust and at one time
       brought their existence to the notice of Quaid-i-Azam. He wrote to me on March 24,
       1943:
       "With regard to the synopsis of a book which Iqbal wanted to write regarding the
       reconstruction of Islamic Jurisprudence, I would like to see it and then consider the
       name of a competent person who could pursue the matter further. As it is a subject
       of jurisprudence, a lawyer only will be able to do justice to it."
       —Sd/- Mian Mohammad Shafi
2.    This plan was reproduced first in Tolu-i-Islam and later in Thoughts and Reflections of
       Iqbal. The former was a complete reproduction but defective in several places as
       many words and phrases were left undeciphered. The latter was incomplete with
       several defective readings here and there. The editor has tried his best to give a
       full and faithful reproduction of this important plan, to which references of the
       Quranic verses used in the text have been added. One word (second lecture, part E,
       athar), however, remains doubtful. The editor shall be grateful for any suggestion in
       this respect.
3.    Reference is to the tradition: "There is no monkery on Islam."
4.    Reference is to the Quranic verse (33:43; 57:9): "that He may bring you out from
       the depths of darkness into light."
5.    Ref. to the Quranic verse (2:38): "On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve."
6.    Most probably reference is to A Study of Religion by Martineau, 2 volumes.
7.    Ref. is to the Quranic verses (3:191): "Not for naught hast Thou created (all) this";
       (76:1): "Has there not been over man a long period of time..."
8.    The first is the prophetic tradition: There is no monkery in Islam; while the second
       refers to the Quranic verse (28:77): "Nor forget thy portion in this world."
9.    Quranic verse (2:38), quoted in footnote 5.
10.  Ref. is to the Quranic verse (2:256): "Truths stands out clear from error."
11.  Ref. is to the Quranic verse (23:100): "Before them is a partition till the day they
       are raised up."
12.  Quranic verse (76:1): Quoted in footnote 7.
13.  Ref. is to two Quranic verses: (30:22): "And among is signs is … the variations in
       your languages and your colors"; (49:13): "We made you into nations and tribes
       that ye may know each other."
14.  Ref. is to the Quranic verse (2:219): "They ask thee how much they are to spend;
       Say: What is beyond your needs."
15.  Quranic verse (42:51): "It is not fitting for a man that God should speak to him
       except by inspiration or from behind a veil or by sending of a Messenger…"
16.  The word here could not be rightly deciphered. It may be Athar.
17.  Quranic verse (24:35): "God is the light of the heavens and earth…"
18.  Quranic verses (33:43 and 57:9) mentioned in footnote 4.
19.  Quranic verse (19:95): "And every one of them will come to Him singly on the Day 
       of Judgement."
20.  Prophet's words spoken about God on his death-bed.
21.  Quranic verse (57:4) "He is with you wheresoever ye may be."
22.  Quranic verses (2:255): "No slumber can seize Him nor sleep"; (73:2): "Stand (to
       prayer) by night, but not all night."
23.  Quranic verse (5:90): "Eschew such (abominations)…"
24.  Quranic verse (25:72): "They pass by futility with honourable (avoidance)."
25.  Quranic verse (55:33): "Not without power (Sultan) shall ye be able to pass (beyond
       the zones of the heavens and earth)."
26.  Cf. the Quranic verse (3:191): "And contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the
       heavens and the earth."
27.  Quranic verse (2:38) quoted in footnote 5.
28.  Quranic verse (23:100) quoted in footnote 11.