Tagheyyur.

The 9th batch of Introduction to Iqbal Studies started this month and I am co-facilitating it with my honorable teacher Mr. Khurram Ali Shafique. This post is about my long journey at Marghdeen Learning Centre; first as a participant and then actively working for it. Interestingly, I was in the first batch of Introduction to Iqbal Studies in June 2011 when it all started. and at that time I had never imagined that I will be one day assisting my teacher run this very course. I remember how I felt when I started studying at MLC. It was the first time I took up virtual learning seriously [apart from my Spanish online lessons]. I was skeptic of some of the ideas presented in the lessons but our teacher was ever so patient and led me to the point where I became devoted to that very idea, the city of Marghdeen . Looking back at myself in my fresh year I was unrelenting, rigid and well, n aïve . Running this course with my teacher is proving to be so healthy, spiritually! It feels ...

"God", says Allama Iqbal, "is the birthright of every human being." He further states that there is fear in nature and man must be liberated from fear and thus become conscious of himself or herself since there's no mediator. ( Islam as Moral and Political Ideal ) In another* place he states, Tauheed is the manifestation of solidarity, equality and freedom.  Now think about what if each human being on this planet starts exercising this right.   * Our online course, Wisdom of Moses, explains this principle quite beautifully. you can also check this principle here  and here .

The advertise of "Parhny likhny k siwa, Pakistan ka matlab kia" on Geo TV always disturb me. It makes me think, how would the education, they talk about in it, be able to change our generation's attitude and help us to work for the betterment of Pakistan? Because our education system is a total failure. It lacks the vision, reforms, and principles which a nation need to teach their young ones. In fact our syllabus has not been changed for like 40 years. I was shocked to discover some 6 or 7 years back that I studied same syllabus which my mother studied in her metric and on-wards. Would this kind of a syllabus make Pakistan a better place? Is it the meaning of Pakistan? Was it what Quaid, Iqbal, Jauhar, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan had in mind when they proposed and worked for Pakistan? A stagnant stale rotten education system which doesn't even help students to walk with the rest of the world? Make them slaves of the advanced nation and in inferiority complex with them? Sure...

Do you think that our conception of God influences how we see our role in the universe?  How, or how not? This was the question asked in our recent lesson. This lesson gave us a chance to explore the possibilities of a human in the light of Iqbal's third lecture in  Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam .  There are five elements in the Islamic conception of God, i.e. God is (a) the Infinite Ego; (b) Creative; (c) Knowing; (d) Powerful; and (e) Eternal What I understood from this lecture (and Mr. Khurram's discussion)  is that  the human  reflects in his actions and deeds whom he worships.  The character and color of the one who is worshiped are  automatically transferred into the worshiper. If someone worships  a mere statue then  ultimately they retain the habits of [the material] of their god. This is the case if someone worships money, and could be why the hypocrites are detested so much be...

The lecture 'Islam as a Moral and Political Ideal' was delivered at the annual session of Anjuman Himayat-e-Islam in 1909 and published in The Observer, Lahore, and the Hindustan Review, Deccan, in April and December that year respectively. "The eternal proposition regulating the structure of Islam is that there is a fear in nature and the human being must be liberated from fear and thus become conscious of himself or herself as a source of power; there's no mediator since God is the "birthright" of every human being. "A strong will in a strong body" is the ethical ideal of Islam, completely missing in the Indian Muslim; a great personality is needed for ethical revival of a people. An educational system reflecting its national ideals is the next best option.  Democracy is the most important political value in Islam while two fundamental principles regulating its political structures are that (1) the law of God is supreme, since the authority...

My favorite passage from Javed Namah, an epic story told by Allama Iqbal. “In this world there is no beggar,” said the Martian Astronomer, “Nor anyone is poor; no slave, no master – no ruler and thus none dominated.” I said, “Being born a beggar or a destitute, to be ruled or suppressed, is all by the decree of God. He alone is the architect of destiny. Destiny cannot be improved by reasoning.” “If you are suffering at the hands of destiny,” replied the Martian astronomer with a visible anger, “It is not unfair to ask God for a new one. He has no shortage of destinies for you. Failure to understand the mystical significance of destiny has led the inhabitants of the Earth to lose their identities. Here is a hint to the secret of destiny: change yourself and your destiny will change with you. If you are dust, you shall be scattered by the wind. But if you become solid as a rock, you can break the glass. If you are dewdrop, then you are destined to fall but if you are an ocean, t...

Why did Iqbal have to propose a "reconstruction" of religious thought when he wrote his  The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam? Could it be that he perceived well the locus in need of this reconstruction and precisely how the reconstruction needed to occur?  I would argue yes to both points.    In Iqbal's,  The Book of Slavery  (part of his  Persian Psalms , 1927), he wrote: "The fetters are not on feet, but on the heart and soul; this is indeed a very intriguing situation." In The Book of Slavery, Iqbal appears to have been anticipating a situation with which many Muslims in the world today resonate.  In his own day, Iqbal saw firsthand the political slavery associated with the colonizers.  He also believed that this political slavery was influencing, and enervating toward, religious beliefs and faith.  It is this that could be termed Iqbal's concept of the religion of slaves.   Iqbal, applying his deep psychologic...

"Nations are born in the hearts of poets; they prosper and die in the hands of politicians."                                                                                       --Iqbal, Stray Reflections (1910) Our mentor, Mr. Khurram Ali Shafique has deduced after years of his research in Iqbal studies that  Iqbal believed that literature plays the most important role in the life of a nation. In fact, he treated literature like a collective dream which comes true. Therefore, the most courageous and daring stand which Iqbal Studies demands from us is that we insist that if anything is wrong in the world, its ultimate root can be traced in the kind of literature that has been venerated, and if we want to bring any positive change, the first step has to be the repre...

When religious thought was on the verge of destruction God sent Iqbal to carry out its reconstruction For five centuries, it had been stagnant Rose of intellect was no more fragrant Thinkers wonder, “Does God exist”? Iqbal asked, “Does man exist”? What is the true comprehension of reality? All discourses fail on departure from spirituality Is their a possibility of religion? Higher levels of consciousness are the beacon Why do we need religion? It soars above philosophy’s region It unveils Science’s inadequacy With reality, it seeks intimacy What is time and space? Thought’s mortal imprint on the Ultimate Ego’s face God isn't a current flowing through every particle Each infinitesimal itself is His disclosure Universe is a mere concept God is the actual percept God is to nature what man is to personality At stake is a cosmic struggle for immortality Heaven and hell aren’t locations but states Wholly undetermined is the realm of...

Cover from Roo Communication Design To be published by  Libredux, UK on 14 August 2012 , 65th Independence Day of Pakistan 1947 was the moment when whole nation was thinking about one object - Pakistan. The history is repeating itself. We are on the same point where we all are concerned for our land. At that time, the concentration produced Pakistan. What this nation is going to deliver this time?  Think. Are we going to take Pakistan to the boundless heights or are we going to lose it as a nation.  this is the moment to decide.  And Act. you can have a free copy of this ebook from here . Note: This offer expires at midnight, 18 August (California time).

I recently had a chance to come to know one of the great writers of Pakistan, Ibne Safi. Ibne Safi He has an ability to engage his reader and take him to places in his mind and than when reader finishes the novel, he has the urge to create exact environment in real. His protagonist obeys, respect the law and makes those around him to do so too. I think about how many minds he revolutionized. How much he changed the society. I am sure he put large amount of effort in salvaging the society and help people to take it to this far. His writings are timeless. They can be used by every individual of any age. He rightly read his times and the way he changed the track of thought of especially young minds is marvellous. His writing proves that he was of the men who don't complaint about circumstances rather stand up and remove the filth silently and efficiently. Their efforts speak of their ache and love for their society, their people.  for more information on Ibne Safi, visit...

There are as many as 70 branches of imaan, one of which is haya. This is one of the main branches. Huzur Sallallahu alehi wasallam once said,  "a person can follow their nafs when there is no haya left in them." there are many factors which lowers haya, one of them is asking questions. There are many types of questions however the kind with which haya deals are the ones in which favors are asked. When a person keeps on asking the people for things than they become shameless. They get used to of asking for each and everything. They stop relying on their guts, abilities, and their believe in action vanishes. They become burden on their fellows.   Sahaba ikram razi Allahu anhum were so careful of this. Even if their whip used to fall down while sitting on a camel, they would themselves come down and pick it up instead of asking a passer-by to pick it up for them.  Dr. Iqbal says:  "Asking weakens the Self"

An intelligent person said,                             "Real piety starts beyond religious obligations."  رگوں ميں وہ لہو باقی نہيں ہے وہ دل ، وہ آرزو باقی نہيں ہے نماز و روزہ و قربانی و حج يہ سب باقی ہيں ، تو باقی نہيں ہے Iqbal

Whenever your sujūd is short and your du'ā' is so short, it is a sign of weakness of īmān.  Sujūd is a road to ask for whatever you want. A man came to Al-Hasan Al-Basri and said, “ I heard you say that if you commit sins, then Allāh prevents you from things.  I do all the sins that you can think of and don't do many good deeds.  I have a beautiful wife and beautiful kids and a lot of money and land and am successful.  Allāh did not prevent me from anything.  How is it that you say that because of sins Allāh prevents you?”   He said, “ Do you pray qiyām'l-layl?  Do you enjoy your du'ā'?  Do you enjoy your ṣalāh?  That is enough prevention that He prevented you from communicating with Him.”   When Allāh wanted to speak to us, He revealed the Qur'an, and when we want to talk to Him, we raise our hands.  He cut you off because you are not worthy of it and your īmān is not strong enough. محبت کا جنوں باقي نہيں ہے مسلمانو...

 Principles of Literary Criticism                           The Poets  Translation of Verses 224-227, Chapter 26, the Quran And the Poets― it is those straying in Evil, who follow them:  Do you not see that they wander distracted in every valley? And that they say what they practise not? Except those who believe, work righteousness, engage much in the remembrance of Allah, and defend themselves after they are unjustly attacked. And soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take! "Once at the end of a workshop on creative writing which I conducted in Mauritius, I was asked by an old school teacher, “Can you describe literature in a single word?” I said, “Yes,Quran.” A veteran Muslim poet was also on the panel with me and he hastened to contradict me from the bottom of his heart. He said something to the effect, “The Quran is just a religious b...

Me and my sister were watching Wasu aur mein on Geo. I was watching it for first time. And I was a little critical about it. (for obvious reasons). But to our pleasant surprise it was about Shehzad Roy's visit to Bangladesh. It piqued our interest. Me and sis were of the opinion that why not steps are taken to bring back two parts (former East and West Pakistan) closer again. As Geo tv and others do large propaganda with reconciliation with the state of India. But no steps are taken to end the bias (between Bangladesh and Pakistan). Bitter feelings are there. Just under the skin. Ready to come out by a faint scratch. So we watched it with great interest. And then luckily, next day, my teacher shared the link for one of his posts which he did for Bangladesh. Here it is:  http://khurramsdesk.blogspot.com/search?q=parable+of+the+sea When I read it, the way Sir drew the scene of that time's backdrop, is amazing. The layers he unfolded, the similarities, desires, villains; it w...