✿ Modernity, Self-Realization, and Iqbal’s Intellectual Inquiry ✿
Allama Iqbal posed a foundational question:
"چیست عالم، چیست آدم، چیست حق"
(What is the universe, what is man, and what is truth?)
This question reflects on a shared thread in the history of civilizations: the concept of God, the concept of man, and the concept of the universe.
According to Iqbal, the only path to answering these profound questions was the Divine Revelation. However, modern Western civilization diverged from this path and adopted a new framework.
With modernity, the very concepts of God, man, and the universe underwent transformation.
As a result:
➤ The meanings of man, society, and the cosmos were rendered void.
➤ Life and the universe lost their inherent significance and became symbols of aimlessness.
Iqbal believed that this new Western intellectual movement promoted materialism in the new gathering ("محفلِ نو").
The garden of being and existence ("چمنِ ہست و بود") was overtaken by a new wave of thought.
This transformation, according to Iqbal, was the most profound event to influence human thought.
This intellectual revolution originating in the West eventually spread to the rest of the world, including the Islamic world.
➤ Traditional civilizations, too, felt the impact of this fire.
➤ The thoughts and social behaviors of the Muslim Ummah were transformed.
➤ The "wine" of the West silenced the turbulence of the heart.
This reflection by Dr. Suhail Umar sheds light on Iqbal’s philosophical inquiries, particularly focusing on the corruption that emerged in the concepts of God and man.
The famous maxim: "اَعْرِفْ نَفسَکَ بِنَفْسِکَ" (Recognize your self through your self)
is often quoted, yet few understand its true meaning.
This phrase signifies that true knowledge can only be attained within oneself, not through external instruction.
According to Plato, all knowledge already exists within man, and it can be awakened through experience and observation.
➤ True knowledge is not acquired through external means but emerges through inner perception.
➤ Indian philosophy states that the real guide (sheikh) is present within one’s own self.
➤ The path of ma'rifah (spiritual knowledge) passes through the self and the heart.
Ibn Sina states:
"وتحسب انک جرم صغیر وفیک انطوی العالم الاکبر"
(You consider yourself a small entity, while within you is enfolded the entire universe.)
➤ The Macrocosm (the universe) and the Microcosm (man) reflect one another.
➤ When man truly recognizes his own self, he also gains insight into the ultimate realities of the cosmos.
True knowledge cannot be attained through limited intellect, but only through:
➤ The self (nafs)
➤ The spirit (ruh)
➤ And comprehensive existence (wujood-e-kulli)
By diving into the depths of existence, man reaches his inner center, where all realities become clear.
Hadith:
"مَنْ عَرَفَ نَفْسَہُ فَقَدْ عَرَفَ رَبَّْہُ"
(Whoever knows himself, has known his Lord.)
When a person comes to know their true self, they are granted the knowledge of their Lord.
This awareness connects all realities to the Divine.
There is a deep connection between self-realization, the universe, and God.
The intellectual revolution of modernity has distanced man from his self and from God.
However, the true path of knowledge has always passed through inner awareness and heartfelt realization.
Iqbal’s question remains a guiding principle for human thought today.
❖ Iqbal’s Question: The Reality of Universe, Man, and God
Allama Iqbal posed a foundational question:
"چیست عالم، چیست آدم، چیست حق"
(What is the universe, what is man, and what is truth?)
This question reflects on a shared thread in the history of civilizations: the concept of God, the concept of man, and the concept of the universe.
According to Iqbal, the only path to answering these profound questions was the Divine Revelation. However, modern Western civilization diverged from this path and adopted a new framework.
❖ The Impact of Modernity
With modernity, the very concepts of God, man, and the universe underwent transformation.
As a result:
➤ The meanings of man, society, and the cosmos were rendered void.
➤ Life and the universe lost their inherent significance and became symbols of aimlessness.
Iqbal believed that this new Western intellectual movement promoted materialism in the new gathering ("محفلِ نو").
The garden of being and existence ("چمنِ ہست و بود") was overtaken by a new wave of thought.
This transformation, according to Iqbal, was the most profound event to influence human thought.
❖ The Effect of Modernity on the Muslim World
This intellectual revolution originating in the West eventually spread to the rest of the world, including the Islamic world.
➤ Traditional civilizations, too, felt the impact of this fire.
➤ The thoughts and social behaviors of the Muslim Ummah were transformed.
➤ The "wine" of the West silenced the turbulence of the heart.
This reflection by Dr. Suhail Umar sheds light on Iqbal’s philosophical inquiries, particularly focusing on the corruption that emerged in the concepts of God and man.
❖ Self-Realization: Knowledge of the Self (Nafs)
The famous maxim: "اَعْرِفْ نَفسَکَ بِنَفْسِکَ" (Recognize your self through your self)
is often quoted, yet few understand its true meaning.
This phrase signifies that true knowledge can only be attained within oneself, not through external instruction.
According to Plato, all knowledge already exists within man, and it can be awakened through experience and observation.
❖ The Significance of the Nafs (Self)
➤ True knowledge is not acquired through external means but emerges through inner perception.
➤ Indian philosophy states that the real guide (sheikh) is present within one’s own self.
➤ The path of ma'rifah (spiritual knowledge) passes through the self and the heart.
❖ The Macrocosm and the Microcosm
Ibn Sina states:
"وتحسب انک جرم صغیر وفیک انطوی العالم الاکبر"
(You consider yourself a small entity, while within you is enfolded the entire universe.)
➤ The Macrocosm (the universe) and the Microcosm (man) reflect one another.
➤ When man truly recognizes his own self, he also gains insight into the ultimate realities of the cosmos.
❖ Knowledge of the Soul and Spirit
True knowledge cannot be attained through limited intellect, but only through:
➤ The self (nafs)
➤ The spirit (ruh)
➤ And comprehensive existence (wujood-e-kulli)
By diving into the depths of existence, man reaches his inner center, where all realities become clear.
❖ Self-Recognition Leads to God-Recognition
Hadith:
"مَنْ عَرَفَ نَفْسَہُ فَقَدْ عَرَفَ رَبَّْہُ"
(Whoever knows himself, has known his Lord.)
When a person comes to know their true self, they are granted the knowledge of their Lord.
This awareness connects all realities to the Divine.
✔ Conclusion
There is a deep connection between self-realization, the universe, and God.
The intellectual revolution of modernity has distanced man from his self and from God.
However, the true path of knowledge has always passed through inner awareness and heartfelt realization.
Iqbal’s question remains a guiding principle for human thought today.
