SUFFERING AND HEARTBREAK OF IQBAL IN INDIA LEADING TO DEVELOPMENT OR SUPRESSION OF HIS GENIUS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

 

Ayesha Ahmed¹*, MehwishMalghani² and Zaib-un-Nisa³

^[1] Ms., SBKWU Quetta, PAKISTAN, ahmed.ayesha81@yahoo.com

² Ms., SBKWU Quetta, PAKISTAN, mehwishmalghani@gmail.com

³ Ms., SBKWU Quetta, PAKISTAN, zx3ba.xoxo@gmail.com

*Corresponding author

 

 

Abstract

The present research is based on the intellectual journey of Dr. Allama Iqbal, the poet of the East, an international scholar and a renowned philosopher. This research questions Fyzee-Rahamin’s (2011) claim which she made in her book “Iqbal” that Iqbal’s genius was suppressed because of the sufferings and hard times that he went through, in India after coming back from Germany. Fyzee-Rahamin, a litterateur and artiste, daughter of Hassan Ali Effendi was born in Istanbul in August 1877. She was a close friend of Allama Iqbal for life and he clearly held her in great esteem. Her book is considered the most important source on Iqbal’s life in Europe during his years as a student and also after he came back to India as by that time Fyzee-Rahamin had also moved to India and was in touch with Iqbal through letters. Her work is based on not only her memories but her private diary written during those days. In the light of her personal observation of Iqbal during his days in Europe and his mental and emotional condition, revealed to her by Iqbal himself in his letters, she makes the comparison and writes that in India Iqbal’s brilliance was bloated out, and as time went on his blot permeated his entire consciousness. He moved and lived dazed and degraded in his mind, for he knew what he might have been.  

The difference between Iqbal’s intellectual levels has been explored through comparing Iqbal’s poetry written during his life in Europe and later in India. The finding of the study disapproves the claim regarding Iqbal’s intellectual development. On the contrary it proves that Iqbal’s intellect developed to heights only few can achieve lending him a vision possible only through a divine inspiration which comes through suffering and heartbreak.

 

Keywords: Intellectual development, suffering, suppressed genius and vision.