Question
How reliable was Iqbal, the poet? How should Iqbal be seen, considering that some call him 'allama' (even some ulama refer to him as such) whereas it seems that he may have had modernist tendencies, if we look at some of his works - to the extent that he may have also been influenced by western philosophy and metaphysics. Hadhrat Maulana Ali Miyan Nadwi (Rahmatullah Alayh) wrote "Glory of Iqbal ", and states that there are some notions of Iqbal he is upset with. However, this seems very mild of Hadhrat. As far as I am aware he did not caution regarding the incorrect or problematic aspects of Iqbal's thought. Please comment.
Answer
There is no 'glory' in or about Iqbal, the poet. He was a faasiq. The venerable Maulana Nadwi (Rahmatullah alayh) had grievously erred by praising a faasiq whose beliefs were also ambiguous. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "When a faasiq is praised, the Arsh of Allah shudders." According to the Qur'aan Majeed, poets generally dwell and wander in valleys of deception. Undoubtedly, Iqbal was an 'allamah' of jaahiliyat and hallucination.
- Source
- themajlis.co.za
- Published in
- Al-Haq Bulletin No. 70
- PDF page
- 24
Appears under Questions & Answers (approximate).