TWO RARE DOCUMENTS OF IQBALIAT

RiR(az Hussain

A Lecture delivered on 19th February 1911 at Habibia Hall Islamia College. Railway Road, Lahore.

The Background to this Lecture

In 1911, Sir Sultan Muhammad Khan, Aga Khan III, toured the Sub-continent of India to collect funds for raising the college at Aligarh to the level of a University. Iqbal supported whole heartedly — the idea of a separate Muslim University in India. By word indeed he exhorted the Muslims of the Punjab to make large donations to the project. In the early part of this century the centre of intellectual activity in Lahore was Bazm-i-Urdu, which used to hold its weekly meetings alternately in Barkat Ali Muhammadan Hall outside Mochi Gate and Habibia Hall, Islamia College, Railway Road, Lahore. Its patrons were Nawab Haji Fatah Ali Khan Qizilbash, Munshi Mehboob Alam, editor, Paisa Akhbar, Munshi Shafii-ullah Editor Millat, Maulvi Muhammad Abdullah, second master Central Model School, Haji Mir Shams-ud-Din, Munshi Muhammad Din Fauq, Justice Shah Din Humayun, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Khawaja Kamal-ud-Din B.A; Pleader, and Iqbal himself. Throughout 1911 the call for raising Aligarh College to the Status of a University kept vibrating through Muslim India. The intention to collect a fund of Rupees Twenty Lakh for this purpose and request King George V, on the eve of the ensuing Delhi Darbar, to grant a charter for the establishment of the Aligarh Muslim University. A fund-raising deputation under the leadership of his Highness Sir Sultan Muhammad Khan, Aga Khan III, was due to arrive in Lahore. To mobilize public support for this cause, the Bazm-i-urdu held a public meeting on the evening of 19^th February 1911 at Habibia Hall, Islamia College, Railway Road, Lahore. Iqbal was one of the principal Speakers Minutes of his speech were sent to Muslim news ‑ papers by the Bazam’s Secretary; Ghulam Muhammad Amritsari Paisa Akhbar Lahore published the summary of Iqbal’s speech in its issue of 28^th March 1911.

Significance of the Document

In this Lecture, to begin with, Iqbal gives a lucid and impressive definition of Muslim nationhood, which is exactly the same as is recorded in his article quoted in the census of India Report 1911. The implied argument is simple and clear. Muslims are a nation. Nations, big or small, are equal. Muslims therefore, must preserve their separate religions cultural, and political identity.

He then proceeds to touch on a point which few Muslim Scholars since then have bothered to study or investigate further. Many have asked the agonizing question What was it that led the Muslims to surrender to the West their intellectual initiative in Arts and Sciences? But few have knowledge enough to frame an answer. There is evidence in this speech to show that Iqbal was the earliest intellectual of the Muslim world to investigate the subject and find an answer. It must be noted that the text of the speech or any reference to it is not to be found in extant sources. Following is the verbatim translation of the Urdu text of this Lecture as published in the Paisa Akhbar.

“At the grand public meeting of Bazm-i-Urdu held on the evening of 19th February, Dr Shaikh Muhammad Iqbal M.A. Ph. D. Barrister at-Law, made a consumate not & scholarly speech on the Muhammadan University. The chief merit of this speech was that, to the young people who are enamoured of modern civilization, it proved, in an eminently rational and philosophical manner, the superiority of the principles of Islam and each word of it evinced the true zeal of the speaker for the glorious of career of Islam In the world.

First of all, Shaikh Sahib stated that every nation has own definition of what constitutes nationality, and this definition Varies from nation to nation. For instance one nation, regards territory another nation language and another common ancestry, as the chief attribute but of its nationality. To the Englisman, for example, territory is the chief criterion of his nationality. Each time you ask an Enlishman, “Why are you called English?” he replies “I am English because I am a resident of England.” But ask a Muslim, “Why are you a Muslim ?”, and he cannot- cite the name of a particular country, for neither Arabia, nor Tartary nor China, nor India is his special country. Similarly, Muslims are not Muslims because they speak a particular tongue, or are descen­ded from a common ancestry.

Upon consideration the only right answer one can arrive at is that there is one common quality among Muslims which is the basis of their identity as a muslim nation and that is their belief in the unity of God.

The Iman-fi-Tauhid (Faith in one God) is the only common denominator among the Muslim people. Faith, said the speaker, related to the soul or heart; in other words, belief in one God is a province of the heart, an invisible and immaterial phenomenon in contrast to the standards of nationality adopted by other people, which are all material and physical. From this, the speaker derived the point that the standards of nationality such as country etc. subsisting among other people are external to the body. For instance, when an Englishman lands in India his nationality is left seven thousand miles behind. But the Muslim’s concept of nationality exists in his own body. Wherever a Muslim goes, his nationality travels with him. As a rule, the speaker said, a man seldom forgets a thing which can be seen or touched; but he has a tendency to forget soon an invisible and spiritual phenomenon.

The nationality of Muslims, therefore stood in great danger of extinction since it was Ultra-sensory. Hence it was that the teacher of Islam (Peace and blessings of Allah be on him) enjoined upon every Muslim duty of affirming the unity of God at the time of waking up at Dawa, during the day’s business, on arrival at home in the evening and before going to bed at night. In addition he (peace and blessing of Allah be on him) prescribed a prayer for each motion that a man is obliged to make: arising, walking, sitting down, commencing a meal, etc; So that the Muslims may never forget the standard [of their Nationality].

The existence of each nation depended on its own perception of nationality and the need to protect it was imperative. For that reason the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) took adequate measures in the manner stated above. Muslim faith, said the speaker, has two strands: belief in one God and Prophethood and secondly, knowledge of one’s own society, culture and polity. A Muslim becomes a Muslim when he adheres to both these segments although the first of these is the basic tenet of Islam, yet even if we do not regard the denial or absence of the second strand as a defect in faith, we shall certainly agree that without it no one can claim to be a perfect Muslim.

Further more, the speaker gave religions arguments to establish the importance of knowledge. The first proof of the importance and eternal value of knowledge that the teacher of Islam (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) gave was that he (Peace be on him) ordered the release of the literate heathens taken prisoner in the battle of Badr on one condition: that they should teach reading and writting to the illiterate among the Muslims.

The speaker went on to state that first of all Ibn `Abbas (God be pleased with him) in the reign of Ali Murtaza (Allah be pleased with him) opened a School in Mecca in which lessons were given on Quran and Hadith. Later, Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (Allah be phased with him) founded the Nizamiyah College. This College produced philosophers of the calibre of Sheikh Sa’di. Illustrating his point, the Speaker recited a verse of Sa’di.[1]

Subsequently Mustansariya College was established. But both these Colleges were not universities in the modern sense. At last the Muslims set up a large University, the University of Cordova, in Spain.

The Christians flocked to this University from all corners of Europe and benefited from it.

On the model of Cordova University, the Christians at last established a University in Paris, which is still functioning.

By this example the speaker pointed out that the idea of a University was first conceived by Muslims and Christians borrowed it from them. The speaker said that the most cons­picuous feature of the Paris University was that Arabic was a Compulsory subject in its curriculum. Why was it so? Because at that time Arabic was the treasury of all Arts and Sciences.

Turning again to the real theme of his talk, the speaker observed that the second clause of Islam, namely, the knowledge of Islamic Literature, Civilization Culture, polity is preserved in the Arabic language. But since sovereignty shipped out of their hands and they became slaves of the foreigners, Muslims had to learn the foreign tongues. In consequence they forgot their own symbols, their Arabic language and their culture, and the second clause of Islam completely faded out of Muslim society. In other words, that which could make them perfect Muslims became defunct. Indifferent to their own culture, they passed under the influence of the cultures of the aliens and their faith weakened. Hence modern English-educated youth, among whom he included himself, became denuded of this second quality of faith. First of all this gave birth to heretical tendencies and then gradually turned them into agnostics. The most eminent and wise leaders of the Muslims sensed this danger and came to the conclusion that unless the second clause of faith were adequately protected and nurtured, faith would rapidly and nurtured, faith would rapidly decline The best plan of defence therefore, was to include in a system of education such subjects as Islamic social order, Islamic Polity, and this purpose could not be achieved without establishing a Muhammadan University. If we have an Islamic University, we can have an Islamic curriculum of education. The faith of the young students learning English and, Islam itself, can be preserved only in this way.”

TAXT OF THE LECTURE

مجوزہ محمڈن یونی ورسٹی

[ڈاکٹر شیخ محمد اقبال صاحب کی تقدیر کا، جو بزم اردو کے 19 فروری کے جلسہ میں کی گئی تھی، ضروری خلاصہ]

Iqbal’s contribution to the philosophical, poetical and political enrichment of the Muslim community in India is well-documented, but little has hitherto been known about his financial contribution to the advancement of the Mussalmans of India. Alas! much printed material is lost to us for ever. Recently I chanced to see an old number of Maulana Muhammad Ali’s famous weekly Journal, “The Comrade”. It is dated October 7, 1911. This is perhaps the only copy of this historic Journal in Pakistan. On the back page of this copy there is a full-size advertisement of the Gramaphone Company of India which reads as follows: In Aid of the Moslem University Fund”.

Inspiring ‘poem Melodious Voice; Give Aid to the Nation; Get Pleasure and Divine Reward as well Dr. Iqbal’s “National Song” sung by a Muhammadan Gentleman of Aligarh. Here follows Iqbal’s famous poem, “Cheen O Arab Hamara,

Hindustan Hamara—Muslim Hain Ham, Watan Hai Sara Jehan’ Namara’ “Dr Muhammad Iqbal, M.A Ph. D. Bar-at-Law had expressed the patriotism of his countrymen in a unique poem, which has gained immense popularity in India[3]—now in his latest poem he has expressed his co-religionists love for Islam and this poem will be universally acclaimed. In a single verse the poet has given such a comprehensive definition of the relation between country and religion as a philosopher would have given in several pages, and even then failed to put across its full significance. Other poets have sung of the achievements of generations by gone… the nation’s fall from grace has been and will be much bewailed… hut Iqbal has clearly stated that it is not easy to destroy a people, who have been entrusted by the creator with a message till they have propagated this message to the whole world. After a prolonged decline of the Islamic world, the call to progress is rising once again from all sides thus kindling hopes of a revival. The Leader of the caravan is the same Guide, whose voice like a thunderbolt had awakened the slumbering world thirteen centuries ago. Iqbal’s Tarana is in reality Bang-i-Dara which exhorts. Go forward, hurry. Small wonder that this delightful poem might earn Iqbal eternal salvation and the Indian Muslims might also spontaneously call out “Labaik, Labaik, O Apostle of Allah.” Through the melodious voice of a Muslim, this `Tarana’ can now reach the ears of every person. Special care has been bestowed upon the production of these records. Under a legal contract, a consider-able royalty on the sale of each record during the next five years shall be deposited in the Muslim University Fund.”

The text of the advertisement reveals the following interesting facts t

1. As early as 1911, Iqbal’s poem had brought to the Indian Muslims the consciousness of being a supra-territorial community and had exploded the myth of one nation in India.

2. Spirit of national awakening had begun to stir the Muslim people, thanks to Iqbal’s clear definition of the relation between country & religion and the objective of the Universal Brotherhood under the banner of Islam.

3. Iqbal made a sizeable monetary contribution to the strengthening of the above two streams of thought.

According to the advertisement, Iqbal had contributed his royalties on the sales of records for five years to the Muslim University Fund. At this time, the entire attention of the Muslim Community in India was focussed on upgrading the Aligarh College to a University. The Government of India had promised to grant the charter to the University on the condition that Muslims should collect and maintain a fund of 50 lakhs of rupees. A delegation of leading Muslims under Sir Sultan Mohammad Khan Aga Khan toured the length and breadth of India to collect donations from all and sundry. On the eve of the Delegation’s arrival in Lahore, Iqbal had made a stirring speech, defining the term, “The Muslim nation and its objectives” and emphasizing the need for a Muslim Institution of higher learning to achieve those objectives.

Among the largest contributions made at Lahore were : Nawab Haji Fateh Ali Khan Qizilbash Rs. — 5000/‑

Raja of Mehmoodabad (on behalf of poor muslims of the Punjab — Rs. 5000/‑

Lahore Citizen’s Committee — Rs. 10,000/‑

[Paisa Akhbar Lahore 24 Mareh 1911]

Iqbal’s contribution however, seems to be much larger than any of these sums. Putting the sale of records at the lowest figure of one Lakh throughout India during the five-year period, the proceeds would amount to Rs 3 Lakh.

If we again put the royalty at the lowest figure of 5 per cent, Iqbal’s contribution to the University Fund would came out to be Rs. 15000/- a stupendous sum, considering the economic conditinns in 1911 — 1916, and a great sacrifice on the part of the poet.

34                                                             The Comrade                           7th October

In Aid of the Moslem University Fund

Dr. Iqbal’s National Song

Sung by

A Muhammadan Gentleman of Aligarh

10—Inch Double Sided Record.

Nos.         9—12524

9—12525

Price, Rupees 3 each.

To be had from Agents of the Gramophone Company, Limited, throughout India

Printed by D L. Monro at the Calcutta General Printing Company 300 Bowbazar Street, Calcutta, and published by Mohamed Ali, 102, Ripon Street, Calcutta.

NOTES