ISLAMABAD: The 144th birth anniversary of philosopher-poet Muhammad Iqbal was observed on Tuesday to pay homage to his services for the Muslims of the subcontinent.
A great visionary poet, Iqbal conceived the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent, which was ultimately materialised in the shape of Pakistan.
Various functions were arranged to pay tributes to the great philosopher, who played a pivotal role through his thoughts and poetry in motivating and mobilising Muslims of the subcontinent for the creation of a separate homeland.
Born in Sialkot in British India on November 9, 1877, Iqbal studied in England and Germany, establishing a law practice. However, he concentrated primarily on writing scholarly works on politics, economics, history, philosophy, and religion.
Among the works of Iqbal, he is best known for his poetic and philosophical works. His collections of poetry include Zarb-i-Kalim, Bang-i-Dara and Bal-i-Jibril.
Iqbal was a strong proponent of the political and spiritual revival of the Islamic civilisation across the world, but specifically in South Asia. He is also considered one of the most important figures in literature with literary works in both Urdu and Persian languages.
Being a member of the All India Muslim League, Iqbal strongly supported founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah and had great faith in his leadership. Iqbal was quoted in a book by Sayyid Nazir Niazi as saying: “Muslim League can succeed only on account of Jinnah. Now, none but Jinnah is capable of leading the Muslims.”
During his last days, Iqbal suffered from a throat disease and passed away in Lahore on April 21, 1938.
