Iqbal’s Pakistan is a comprehensive summary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s visionary journey which led to the creation of Pakistan. The creation of Pakistan as presented by majority in history was neither an accidental opportunistic goal of some political leaders, and neither was it a two nation theory for separation of Muslims from the Hindu majority of India. Pakistan was made with a vision, and this vision was presented and the picture of Pakistan was created by none other than the Late Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

Iqbal was a philosopher, thinker and a visionary born in Sialkot on 9^th November 1877 and continued his educational journey in India and Europe which took him through a turbulence that not only changed his life but also ended up in presentation of thoughts, which if revived can reform several upcoming generations,thus granting them salvation from clutches of various forms of slavery. Iqbal’s vision about Pakistan was completely different from the Pakistan of today. His thoughts gave birth to the concept of Pakistan and also became practical with the creation of Pakistan but the real idea could not bear its fruits till date. Iqbal in his era also was an unrecognized personality and even today the real thoughts of Iqbal are not recognized in the Indian subcontinent.  Iqbal changed his addressees to the Persians and that is where he laid the foundations of his vision which even the Iranian nation could not do timely justice to it.

An era in which Indians were under British slavery, and the Muslims specifically were made to pursue the path of modernization by following the British under the guidance of Sir Syed Ahmed, and this was turning Muslims into slaves. Iqbal at this junction presented the pure Islamic revolutionary thoughts to change the course of Muslim thinking and reminded Muslims of the pure and true Islam as presented and implemented by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s).

There is no doubt that the thoughts of Iqbal played a vital role in laying the foundations of Islamic Revolution in Iran. The top notch leaders of Islamic Revolution like Imam Khomeini (r.a), Imam Khamenei (d.a.) and Martyr Muttahhari (r.a) took a lot from Iqbal specifically his thoughts about reconstruction of a Muslim Ummah.

The tragedy that usually happens with such great personalities, also victimized Iqbal and his followers lost the path which Iqbal presented, the vision of Iqbal got faded and his mission of creating an Islamic purified Ummah as a Pakistani nation remained a dream. Iqbal’s thoughts were lost and he is only being remembered as a poet in Pakistan. But it is Allah’s promise that he does not waste the efforts of such thinkers who burn their entire life in pursuit of reformation of the society. After several decades Pakistan has seen once again a reviver of the thoughts of Iqbal, who is not just speaking and presenting the vision of Iqbal but has practically implemented that vision. He is turning the sparrows into falcons and the students of Iqbal are getting the status of becoming leaders of the society as dreamed by Iqbal.

This personality is none other than Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi whose book is in your hand. After almost eighty years of Iqbal passing away someone has come up to present the kind of  Pakistan that Iqbal had desired, and what Pakistan we are living in at present. Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi has the true and deep cognizance of Iqbal and has established Iqbal’s vision as the basis of this mission in Pakistan. He believes and is practically working on this fact that Pakistan can only get salvation from the evils it is indulged in today with the vision of Iqbal. And how is it possible that Allah will not give fruits to Iqbal’s efforts? How is it possible that Allah will leave the nation of Iqbal in this distressed state, and not give at least one more opportunity to this nation to revive itself? Allah has blessed the Pakistani nation with another Iqbal in this era. This Iqbal has taken the visionary journey of Iqbal into its practical phase, and the results of this Iqbal Inshallah will enlighten the black face of Pakistan witnessed today by the entire world.

This book is a translation of Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi’s lecture on the same topic. I as a humble servant of Allah has been blessed with this opportunity to present this work which presents two realities; one is the vision of Iqbal about Pakistan and second is the recognition of Iqbal of our era. The destiny of Pakistan is in the hands of the people of Pakistan, and if this community turns into an Ummah based on the values presented by Iqbal derived from religion then success will walk towards Pakistan. The Iqbal of 20^th  century created a big impact on the Iraniannation, and this Iqbal of 21^st century; Ustad Syed Jawad Naqvi is creating a much bigger impact on the entire world with his thoughts, vision and practical movement.

As Iqbal himself has said I would like to repeat the same in the current era

Iqbal ka tarana bang-e-dara hai goya
Hota hai Jaadah paima phir kaarwaan humara

Iqbal’s song is like the caraven bell for sleeping souls
Once again our caravan is setting out for the highway

Iqbal awakend the masses on this time but people did not recognized him but today the Iqbal of our era has once again set on the same roadway to give salvation to Pakistan. Now it is up to the Pakistani nation to recognize this asset given in this era by Allah (s.w.t) and continue on the path which Iqbal desired for this nation.

We pray to Allah to bless us with the divine opportunity to remain sincere to this cause, recognize the divine assets of our era, support them in all possible ways and make the world recognize them in their lifetime itself, thereby transforming them into a beacon of guidance forever.

Syed Arif Rizvi