Dr Muhammad Iqbal was a great thinker and poet who had presented the concept for creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent, which came to be known as Pakistan. The ever-grateful nation continues to pay glowing tributes to him for his memorable contributions towards awakening of the Muslims and creation of Pakistan, generally round the year but particularly on his birth anniversary which is celebrated on November 9 and death anniversary, marked on April 21 every year.
The birth anniversary of the great thinker and poet is celebrated officially on November 9 and the death anniversary on April 21 every year, though privately a number of functions and symposiums are also duly organized by various socio-cultural organizations at which scholars and Iqbaliyat experts as well as people from different walks of life pay rich tributes to the great philosopher.
On such occasions, different aspects of the life, teachings and poetry in Urdu and Persian of the great philosopher and poet are highlighted. But, somehow, one aspect has not been so highlighted on all these occasions by the speakers that Dr Muhammad Iqbal was also an elected member of the Punjab Legislative Council from 1927 to 1930 from Lahore City Urban on a seat for Muhammadans on a ticket of the All-India Muslim League. In those days, Muslims were described as Muhammadan and others as non-Muhammadan.
Allama Iqbal was elected as President in the annual meeting of the All-India Muslim League in Allahabad which continued for two days. It was here that he had presented his concept of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent. He had also attended Second and Third Round Table Conferences.
Briefly, for the information particularly for the younger generation now, it is well-known that Allama Muhammad Iqbal hailed from a Kashmiri family. In 1861, Allama’s grandfather Sheikh Muhammad Rafiq bought a house in Kashmiri Mohallah of Sialkot which is now known as Iqbal Manzil. Allama Iqbal was born in this house on 9 November 1877.
Allama Iqbal was fond of poetry from his childhood days and was introduced to the people in 1901 when Sir Abdul Qadir published his poem Himala in his literary journal Makhzan.
Allama Iqbal had lived at several places in Lahore for varying periods, including the upper story of a bookshop of Attar Chand Kapoor Booksellers in Anarkali, in a house on Mcleod Road. He had also lived somewhere inside Bhati Gate though the exact location has not yet been identified.
There is lot to see for the researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat at the Iqbal Museum and also at the bungalow of late Dr Javid Iqbal on Main Boulevard in Gulberg Lahore where Jimmy Engineer’s mural of Javid Namah may be of some interest for many.
The construction of Javed Manzil on Mayo Road (which runs from Lahore Railway Station to Garhi Shahu) then took place. It has since been turned into Iqbal Museum, housing the personal belongings of the great thinker and poet. It itself makes an interesting story which may not be known to many.
While residing on Mcleod Road, Allama Iqbal had in 1934 bought a piece of land measuring about seven kanals in open auction at Mauza Garhi Shahu in the name of his younger son Javid Iqbal. When the construction of the house was completed at a total cost of Rs 43,025, he had shifted there from Mcleod Road. Javed Iqbal was the owner of the house and Allama Iqbal lived there on rent. Allama Iqbal had got written a document on stamp paper in May 1935 according to which he had rented three front rooms for Rs 50 per month and the amount was paid regularly to his son/landlord Javed Iqbal and receipt of the same duly acquired. Within four days of shifting to the newly-constructed house, Allama Iqbal suffered a great personal loss when his wife and the mother of Javed Iqbal, Sardar Begum, expired on May 24, 1935.
Allama Iqbal lived at Javed Manzil till his death on 21 April 1938, nine years before his concept of a separate homeland for the Muslims was translated into reality under the inspiring leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Pakistan had come into existence on 14 August 1947.
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah along with his illustrious sister Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah had visited Allama Iqbal at Javed Manzil in 1936. Hindu leader Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was also a great admirer of Allama Iqbal and had visited him at the Javed Manzil.
Transformation of Javed Manzil, the last abode of Allama Iqbal, into Iqbal Museum is also story of great interest and will be narrated some other time in bit detail.
In brief here, on the asking of military ruler, President/Chief of Army Staff General Muhammad Ziaul Haq, Dr Javed Iqbal had sold Javed Manzil along with all personal documents, belongings and articles of personal use to the Federal Government for Rs 3.5 million and it was turned into Iqbal Museum in December 1977.
Dr Javid Iqbal had purchased a bungalow of his choice, as per direction of the President/COAS to the Punjab Government, on Main Boulevard in Gulberg Lahore where he had lived till his death a couple of years back with his wife, Justice (retd) Nasira Javid Iqbal.
Dr Javid Iqbal’s bungalow in Gulberg is also a place of great interest for the researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat, as in one of its room there is a big mural which is the great art work of prominent Pakistani artist Jimmy Engineer who had translated Allama Iqbal’s collection of Persian poetry “Javid Namah” into colours on the asking of Dr Javid Iqbal in 1980/81.
It was the desire of Allama Iqbal expressed in one of his letters to his son Javid that Javid Namah be translated into a mural by any artist. The great thinker and poet had stated that in the first instance, no artist can do so but if any artist dares and accomplishes this challenging task, he will attain immense fame and reputation both nationally and internationally.
Pakistan’s most prominent artist Jimmy Engineer had undertaken this challenging task and accomplished it successfully in one year while staying at the bungalow of Dr Javid Iqbal all the time during 1980/81. He was criticized on accomplishing this task but he had brushed aside such criticism by merely saying “I have done what others could not do with the blessings of Almighty Allah and I am genuinely proud of my artistic feat”.
Jimmy Engineer continues to regard the Javid Namah mural and series of Pakistan Movement paintings as his major artistic achievements which have given him immense fame and reputation in Pakistan as well as around the world internationally.
On display in the Iqbal Museum are Allama Iqbal’s original degrees, about 60 books including Holy Quran, and English and Urdu books which had remained under his study, letters written and received, furniture, dresses, utensils as well letters and his own handwritten manuscripts and so on.
There is lot to see for the researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat at the Iqbal Museum and also at the bungalow of late Dr Javid Iqbal on Main Boulevard in Gulberg Lahore where Jimmy Engineer’s mural of Javid Namah may be of some interest for many.
