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'Andulas in Iqbal's Poetry' |
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Al-Andalus, which
means, "to become green at the end of the summer" is referred to the
territory occupied by the Muslim empire in Southern Spain, which refer
to the cities of Almeria, Malaga, Cadiz, Huelva, Seville, Cordoba,
Jaen and Granada. This civilization spanned the eighth to the
fifteenth century. In 711, Arabs crossed the Straight of Gibraltar
(derived from 'Gabal Al-Tariq': 'Mountain of Tariq') and established
control over much of the Iberian Peninsula. Of the Arab conquest,
Muslims called the area of the Iberian Peninsula they occupied, "Al-Andalus."
This land called Al-Andalus, hence often called "Andalusia" had at one point included Portugal, Southern France, and the Balearic Islands. Within 3 years, in 714, Muslims had occupied almost all the peninsula. Muslims crossed to Sicily and established control there for 130 years, until Muslim rule fell in 1091 to the Normans. Muslims also established rule in parts of but they were soon defeated by Charles Martel in 756, in which remains today one of the greatest victories for Christian Europe for bringing a halt to Islam's expansion. The Muslims who arrived and settled in Andalus were called "Moors," ('dark') a corrupt and negative term referring to the people who came from Morocco. They themselves, however, did not use the term to refer to themselves. Muslims were expelled from the territory, where they left an unforgettable cultural heritage. Allah says in the holy Quran; "...I will
forgive all the shortcomings and remove the evil deeds of those who
were expelled from their homes or were persecuted for My sake
and who fought for
My cause and were
slain. I shall admit them into Gardens underneath which rivers
flow. This is their reward from Allah, and with Allah
alone is the richest reward!"
The history of Andulus helped to crystallize his conviction that whenever the members of Muslim had reached the high level of disciplined faith in, and openness to, the power and beauty of God, then they had been capable of magnificent creativeness in all areas. And for Iqbal the vision also conveyed the certainty that it is always possible for the community to reach the same peak of perfectly disciplined creativeness once more. In his poetry,Allama Iqbal praised the principal role played by the Muslims in the history of Spain. His poems reflect the era of Muslim rule which illuminated the Iberian Peninsula while the rest of Europe was engulfed in darkness. Indeed it was Andalusia that produced a great civilization which was far ahead and advanced than the rest of Europe. Iqbal reckoned the rule of Muslims that made Spain a center for learning and knowledge, the Muslims taught reading, writing, math, Arabic, Qur'an, and Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH), that made them leaders in math, science, medicine, astronomy, navigation, etc. Iqbal reminds us about the golden epoch of Islam through his three poems that were completed during his trip. His poems are a masterpiece of poetic inspiration and artistic expression. For beauty of diction and richness of emotion they are unsurpassed. In Majid-e-Qartaba, Iqbal says that the material world is not everlasting. It is transitory, and, with it, all the wonders of art and architecture, historical buildings and ancient monuments, are heading towards ruin and destruction. But such constructions are an exception that are touched by the messianic hand of a man of God and a devoted Believer and shine with the radiance of his love. In his view the Mosque of Cordova, in the totality of its appearance and effectiveness, is a material manifestation of the Momin. In its beauty and elegance, height and width, gracefulness and solidity, fineness and strength it is his exact replica. Its imposing pillars remind Iqbal of the oases of Arabia and in its balconies and latticed windows he sees the gleams of Heavenly effulgence. He regards its towering minarets to be the descending points of Divine mercy and the halting places of the angels. Overcome with the emotion, he cries out: “The Muslim is imperishable, he shall not die, because he is the bearer of the message of Abraham and Moses and of all the Divine Apostles.” In his epic poem Tariq ki Dua, IqbaI has heightened the beauty of the Tariq’s Prayer by adorning it with the robe of poetry. The poem read:
"0 Lord! These bondsmen have set out in Your path for Jehad. They are the
seekers of Your good pleasure. They are mysterious as well as the
keepers of mystery. Their true state and position is known only to
You. You have taught them high-mindedness and, now, they will not
settle for less than world-leadership and Divine Rule. These proud men
listen or yield to no one. Save them. This prayer led to the conquest of Muslims over Spain and their rule comprises 800 years of Spanish history. “Hispania” truly interprets the spiritual agony that Iqbal went through. When he was barred from saying his prayers at Masjid-e-Qurtaba, he bemoaned:
Indeed, my eyes observed and absorbed Granada; but The extinction of religious fervour and free-living and internecine strife not only led to the termination of Muslim rule in Spain but also imperiled the very existence of the followers of Islam in that country till not one of them was left. Iqbal expresses his grief at this misfortune and prays for the revival of Muslim spirit:
Revive, once again, in the heart of the Momin,
Wake up ambition in the breasts, O' Lord! |
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