The Great Poet Iqbal

I am a great admirer of Iqbal, because he was not only a great poet, but, also known as the greatest philosopher-poet of Asia. As a matter of fact he deserves this title.
Iqbal was born at Sialkot. After passing his Intermediate examination from Murray college, in his native town, he came to join the Government College Lahore. He took his M.A in philosophy with distinction, and joined the law. When he came back, he settled down in Lahore as a practicing lawyer. But he never felt keenly eager for his first profession as he had a higher calling before him. At this time his first book, Bang-i-Dira appeared. It contained some poems of his early youth. These poems were quite different in matter and tone from the poems that were popular in his day. There were also many poems in his collection which gave expression to his patriotic feelings. At the time when these poems were written, there was a great movement in India for an inter-communal unity. Iqbal was also impressed by this movement. But soon he realized that narrow nationalism was against the teachings of Islam, which do not believe in territorial loyalties, and whose message is for all the people of all the countries of the world. This brought a great change in his views. Iqbal who had till now sung praises for the Himalayas and the Ganges, became a poet of international ideals.
After Bang-i-Dira, Iqbal wrote mostly in Persian, his later works contain mostly his Persian poems. But soon he realized that the average person in India could not understand Persian. Therefore, once again, he began to write in Urdu. His Urdu works that followed Bang-i-Dira are comparatively difficult in expression and thought. These books set a new standard of literary excellence which none could match. All those who tried to imitate his style failed, Iqbal is still matchless.
What attracts me most toward Iqbal and his poetry is the message of life that was conveyed by his poems. When he began to write poetry, Islam was passing through a critical phase. In India, the Muslims were being rapidly dominated by the Hindus. In other parts of the world too Muslims were in no better condition. He foresaw their downfall and warned them against the consequence because he knows that some group of Jews and Christians doing propaganda against Islam. Turkey, Egypt, Persia and Afghanistan, all were Muslim states only in name. Their politics, their economy, their education and above all religious ideals were being influenced by the thoughts prevailing in the West. He foresaw all these things like a clear-sighted Prophet and warned the people against the cultural suicide which they were unknowingly committing. He called the Muslim youth back to the Holy Quran and Hadith and placed before him the Islamic philosophy of life in a new light. His Seven Lectures on different aspects of Islamic philosophy, which he delivered at Madras, brought a revolution in the minds of the people. Iqbal was the first man who visualized Pakistan. In his presidential address at the All-India Muslim League conference, he clearly pointed out to the partition of India. His poems too expressed this idea in a very forceful manner. He gave a new life to the youth of his nation. He looked forward to a new age of freedom and achievement for the Muslims of the world.
Iqbal was also a great leader of thought. He placed before the people his philosophy of self-realization, which means the realization of the capabilities of one's soul. His poetry is full of force and confidence. It inspires us to a life of struggle against the force of evil. He is 'our national here' and that is, indeed, a great honor for a poet. To a Pakistani, he is as great a poet as Shakespeare, to the Englishman.