The Role of Allama Iqbal’s Philosophy and Poetry in the Muslim Renaissance: Context and Impact

Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) was an epoch-making poet and philosopher of British-ruled, colonized India. Following the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, the extreme hardships and deplorable condition of Muslims under British rule deeply aggrieved Iqbal's heart. Against this backdrop, he dedicated himself to politics with the aim of fostering the socio-economic development of the Muslims of his homeland, and through his poetry, ignited the flames of national awakening across the community. This research article analyzes the evolution of Iqbal's philosophical doctrines and the far-reaching impact of his poetry on the Muslim Renaissance. Prior to pursuing higher education in Europe, Iqbal initially supported undivided Indian nationalism, a sentiment reflected in his poem "Saare Jahan Se Accha Hindustan Hamara". However, upon returning from abroad, he began promoting a nationalism rooted in religious faith, namely Tawhid (the oneness of God), concluding that nationalism based on territory, race, or lineage is detrimental to universal human unity. In this new philosophy, all Muslim nations became his homeland, and all Muslims worldwide became his compatriots. In his poetic philosophy, Iqbal championed the development of personality and self-actualization (Khudi). Through poems such as "Shikwa," "Jawab-e-Shikwa," "Tulu-e-Islam," "Tarana-e-Milli," and "Al-Arzu Lillah," he awakened a slumbering nation. Sensing a lack of the former robust strength of faith and valor among Muslims, he exhorted them to cast off weakness, fear, and self-deception. The primary objective of this article is to review the contribution of Iqbal's philosophy of Khudi and his poetry in laying the foundation of Muslim nationalism, and to evaluate how it subsequently inspired the development of an independent national identity.