During Allamah Iqbal’s life
some people had attempted to create the impression of Iqbal’s leanings towards
communism, basing their arguments on some verses in favour of communism and its
ideology. An Indian communist, Shamsuddin Hasan, commenting in the Zamindar of
June 23, 1923 on the arrest of Professor Comrade Ghulam Hasan and his communist
co-workers had said, “If supporting Bolshevik thought is a crime our country’s
greatest poet, Sir Muhammad Iqbal cannot escape legal action, because, the
Bolshevik system of government is the essence of its political philosophy and
Karl Marx’ (1818-83) philosophy is commonly called socialism and communism. In
these circumstances even a person of average intelligence will soon see by a
careful study of Sir Muhammad Iqbal’s Khizr-i-Rah (The Journey’s Guide) and
Payam-i-Mashriq (The Message of the East), that Allamah Iqbal is not only a
communist but communism’s high priest”.[1]
Immediately on publication of this articles, i.e. the very next day Allamah
Iqbal explained his principles in the daily Zamindar as follows:
“I am a Muslim and believe, on the basis of logical reasoning, that the Holy
Qur’an has offered the best cure for the economic maladies of human societies.
No doubt the power of capitalism is a curse if it exceeds the limits of the
happy mean. But its complete elimination is not the right way for freeing the
world from its evils as the Bolsheviks propose. To keep its power within
reasonable limits the Holy Qur’an has prescribed the law of inheritance,
prohibition of usuary and the system of zakat etc*(b), and considering human
nature, this is the only practical system. Russian Bolshevism is a strong
reaction against the selfish and short-sighted capitalism of Europe. But in fact
the European capitalism and the Russian Bolshevism are two extremes. The happy
middle path is what the Holy Qur’an has shown to us and to which I have alluded
above. The equitable Shariah(c) aims at protecting one class from the economic
domination of the other, and in my belief, the path chosen by the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.)
is the one best suited for this purpose.
“Islam does not exclude the power of capital from its economic system, but on
account of its deep concern for human nature, maintains it and prescribes for us
an economic system practicing which would not allow its power every to
transgress reasonable limits. I am sorry at the Muslims’ indifference towards
studying the economic side of Islam, otherwise they would have appreciated the
great blessing of Islam in this particular respect. I believe in the allusion to
this blessing in” فاصبحتم بنعمۃ اخوانا, because the individuals of a nation
cannot feel mutually fraternal relationship without equality among themselves in
all respects, and this equality cannot be attained without establishing a social
system aimed at containing the powers of capitalism within reasonable limits.
Europe today is engulfed in troubles and tribulations by ignoring this. I
sincerely wish that all nations of mankind frame laws in their respective
countries aimed at restraining the power of capitalism within reasonable limits,
thereby leading to the creation of the above equality. Also, I am sure that the
Russian nation itself — experiencing the shortcomings of its own present system,
will be obliged to incline towards a system whose basic principles will be
either purely or approximately Islamic. In the present century, however laudable
the economic ideals of Russians may be their practical programme cannot win any
Muslim’s sympathy. The Muslims of India and other countries, who are very easily
swayed by Western thought, by the study of Europe’s political economy, should
make a deep study of the Holy Quran’s political economy. I am convinced that
they will find the solution of their economic problem in this book. The Muslim
members of the Lahore’s Labour Union should pay special attention to this. I
have genuine sympathies with their aims and objectives but I hope that they will
not adopt a course of action or ideology which will be contrary to the teachings
of the Holy Qur’an.”[2]
This clarifies the following points:
1. Allamah Iqbal did not accept anything except Islam as an article of faith or
philosophy of life and the Holy Qur’an is the source and center of all his
thoughts.
2. Allamah Iqbal considers unbridled capitalism as an anathema for the whole
world.
3. He rejects the use of Bolshevik system as a panacea for the evil effects of
capitalism.
4. He considers the Islamic laws of inheritance, prohibition of usuary and
institution of zakat as very close to human nature for effective protection
against capitalism.
5. Iqbal considers the Russian Bolshevism to be a forceful reaction against the
Europe’s selfish and short-sighted capitalism. Still he considers capitalism and
Bolshevism as extremes, with the golden mean being the teachings of the Holy
Qur’an.
6. Islam does not exclude capital’s power from the economic system. To Iqbal, it
is impossible to establish real fraternity between the individuals of a nation
without economic equality. To achieve this equality the social system is
imperative which would aim at containment of the forces of capitalism within
reasonable bounds.
7. The Allamah expresses his ardent desire that all human nations frame laws
within their respective countries which would aim at establishing the aforesaid
equality by containment of the forces of capitalism within reasonable bounds.
8. The Allamah also predicts that “I am convinced that the Russian nation also,
after experiencing the failures of their present system, will be compelled to
incline towards a system whose basic principles will be purely or approximately
Islamic”.
9. The Allamah clearly says that “In the present conditions, however laudable
the Russian’s economic ideals may be, their practical programme cannot win any
Muslim’s sympathy”.
10. The Muslims of India (Pakistan and India) as well as other countries, who
are very easily swayed by Westernthought, after studying Europe’s political
economy, should make a deep study of the Holy Qur’an’s political economy. I am
convinced that they would find the solution of their problems in this book.
The purpose of the above explanations was to clarify Allamah’s views about
capitalism and communism with the help of his own statements, which leaves no
doubt about his thoughts concerning these two systems.
The question now remains as to why Allamah Iqbal lauded communism, Marx and
Lenin so much. There are three basic reasons which follow:
1. The first reason is psychological and political. The Indian sub-continent as
well as Islamic countries were under the capitalistic colonial system. The
colonial system appeared invincible, and its defeat and destruction alone could
free the Islamic world. When the defeat and destruction of this centuries old
capitalistic colonial system started at the hands of Marx and Lenin it naturally
attracted the sympathy of Iqbal, who had been perturbed by capitalism’s colonial
system, in that they had dealt an effective below to this very huge monster of
despotism, who was parading in the cloak of democracy, and had demolished the
spell of its invincibility.
2. The second reason was that the inevitable result of the defeat and
destruction of capitalism would not only be the freedom of the Islamic world
from colonialism but that of the entire world from slavery.
3. Iqbal was convinced that, resulting from the defeat and destruction of
capitalism, Islam also would rise as an economic power together with communism,
and that when the human race would have experienced the two extremes of
individual ownership in capitalism and collective ownership in communism it
would appreciate the closeness of Islam’s middle path approach to human nature,
and would be inclined to accept it. He believed in the rise of Islam with its
economic system and their universal acceptance of it in the wake of the
destruction of capitalism and disgust with communism. To him the creation of
Pakistan was inevitable for this experiment in Islamic economics and was
necessary, in Iqbal’s view, to show the world an “old spectacle”.
This was the background in which Allamah Iqbal, while cautiously illuminating
and praising the affirmative and positive aspects of the communist experiment,
persuaded Muslims to benefit from it, also pointed out its negative aspects and
warned them to guard themselves against their ill effects.
A basic principle must be remembered that no system either deserves complete
rejection or uncritical acceptance in its entirety. Human nature loves
extremism. It strays about between extremes instead of adopting the mean. It was
fascinated once by the Western system and then by communism. Very few people
accept the positive aspects of both, considering them the lost heritage of the
Mumin (believer in Islam), and discard the negative aspects on account of their
ill effects. Iqbal commended the feeling of human compassion in communism, Marx
and Lenin, and accepted their struggle for destroying the idol of capitalism.
What appealed most to Iqbal was the elixir that communism proved to be for the
cancer of the concept of national organization on the basis of colour, language
and race in the capitalist system, and that it created, in Europe, the new
concept of ideological nationhood. Islam itself shapes its nationhood on the
ideology of tauheed (monotheism). This concordance in thought between the two
produced a soft corner for communism in Iqbal’s conscience. In other words Iqbal
viewed with pleasure the successes of communism against capitalism as the ground
preparation for Islamic renaissance. at the very outset of the communist
experiment he predicted the arrival of the period when the meaning of the phrase
*(e) would be revealed, i.e. between the two extremes of the communistic and
capitalistic systems the human race will benefit from the concept of “or the
middle of the road of Islam”. That is why the Allamah says:
قرآن میں ہو غوطہ زن اے مرد مسلماں
اللہ کرے تجھ کو عطا جدّت کردار
جو حرف "قل العفو" میں پوشیدہ ہے ابتک
اس دور میں شاید وہ حقیقت ہو نمودار!
“O Muslim dive into the depths of the Qur’an
So that God may reward thee with renovation of character[3]
The late Mr. Justice S.A. Rahman writes in his English book “Iqbal and
Socialism”[4]
“It is now evident that Allamah Iqbal praised communism in a limited sense and
for a limited purpose, while viewing it in a broader sense and for broader
purposes he regarded it as deleterious and harmful to the human race, and
pointed to the Holy Qur’an as the only cure for social ills. We should view
Iqbal’s sympathies with communism and his appreciation for Karl Marx and Lenin
in the light of these facts. Whereas Iqbal has often praised the positive
aspects of communism and has said:
صاحب سرمایہ از نسل خلیل
یعنی آن پیغمبر بے جبرئيل
زانکہ حق در باطل او مضمر است
قلب او مومن دماغش کافر است
دین آن پیغمبر حق ناشناس
بر مساوات شکم دارد اساس
تا اخوت را مقام اندر دل است
بیخ او در دل نہ در آب و گل است
“The author of Das Kapital is the descendant of Khalil”(f)
That Prophet not blessed with divine revelation brought by Jibreel
There is some truth concealed in his false line of thought His heart seems to be
a believer but infidel is his thought
The creed of that apostle devoid of the perceptions of the Truth.
Is based on equality of materialistic life (not spiritual Truth)
When fraternal feelings are established in the human heart
Their roots are also established in the heart and not in water and earth[5]
In “The Satan’s Advisory Council” the third advisor of Satan says; about Marx:
وہ کلیم بے تجلی، وہ مسیح بے صلیب!
نیست پیغمبر و لیکن در بغل دارد کتاب!
کیا بتاؤں، کیا ہے، کافر کی نگاہ پردۂ سوز
مشرق و مغرب کی قوموں کے لیے روز حساب!
اس سے بڑھ کر اور کیا ہوگا طبیعت کا فساد
توڑ دی بندوں نے آقاؤں کے خیموں کی طناب!
“That Moses without Tajalli*(g) that Christ without cross He is not a prophet,
but keeps the Book for specious appearance
How can I explain what that pagan’s eye will be
To the East and West nations on the Day of Judgement*(h) No worse human nature’s
mischief can there be
Than that the slaves have toppled the master’s tent*(i)[6]
Allamah Iqbal has written these and similar verses in praise of Karl Marx and
Lenin. This is a tribute of approbation from him as well as a pointer to the
fact that, in spite of attaining the climax of intellectual thought,
establishing a rationalist system and writing a book aiming at curing human ills
and misery, Marx is a Moses without divine guidance and is a Christ who was not
crucified in a divine cause. While these verses exhibit extreme approbation for
Marx on the one hand they also expose his deprivation from prophetic revelation
and his lack of vision in spiritual values and ecestacy. Marx has been called a
materialistic prophet, i.e. one who was devoid of the exhilirating and
life-giving revelations brought by Hazrat-i-Jibreel. Marx presumed materialistic
equality to be the panacea for human ailments. The Allamah says that the roots
of his (Marx’) imagination have not penetrated the depths of his heart but are
only floating in the baser existence, and though his sympathy for mankind may
give the impression of a believer’s heart, his insight, being deprived of divine
revelation, the system produced by him through the innovations of his intellect
is not beneficial. Being deprived of the divine revelation it is no more than
the gleanings of an infidel mind. Consequently, Iqbal has said that the problem
would not be solved by the proletariat’s control of government. On the contrary
the bourgeoisie would parade in the cloak of the proletariat, because the real
revolution is more a change of, the interinsic feelings of the heart than that
of the material resources and conditions, and so
زمام کار اگر مزدور کے ہاتھوں میں ہو تو پھر کیا!
طریق کوہکن میں بھی وہی حیلے ہیں پرویزی
جلال پادشاہی ہو کہ جمہوری تماشا ہو
جدا ہو دیں سیاست سے تو رہ جاتی ہے چنگیزی
“The transfer of political power to the proletariat will make no difference
The ways of the proletariat are the same as those of the bourgeoisie
It may be the majesty of kingship or the fun of democracy
If religion is separated from politics the latter becomes mere tyranny[7]
In these verses Iqbal has rejected the concept of communism that the
establishment of a proletarian society is the solution of all problems. Iqbal
rejects the very basic hypothesis of Karl Marx’ book Das Kapital in the
following verses:
یہ علم و حکمت کی مہرہ بازی، یہ بحث و تکرار کی نمائش
نہیں ہے دنیا کو اب گوارا پرانے افکار کی نمائش
تری کتابوں میں اے حکیم معاش رکھا ہی کیا ہے آخر
خطوط خم دار کی نمائش، مریز و کج دار کی نمائش
جہاں مغرب کے بت کدوں میں، کلیساؤں میں، مدرسوں میں
ہوس کی خوں ریزیاں چھپاتی ہے عقل عیّارکی نمائش![8]
“The world does not like tricks and guiles of science and will not their
contests
This age does not like ancient thought, from core of hearts their show detest.
O wise economist the books you write are quite devoid of useful aim
They have twisted lines with orders strange No warmth for labour though they
claim.
The idol houses of the West Their schools and churches wide:
The ravage caused for greed of wealth Their wily wit attempts to hide[9]
So, to Iqbal communism is nothing but “wily wits” which attempt to hide the
ravages caused by greed for wealth.
In “The Advisory Council of Satan”, where Satan and his advisors have been made
to praise communism and Karl Marx Satan himself does not consider communism as a
danger to his Satanic system (capitalism-colonialism). This means that the
communism whose praises the Satan’s advisors celebrate, in the Satan’s opinion
has lost its utility and importance. Actually, through Satan and his Advisors
Iqbal, by comparing communism and Islam, wants to make it clear that the creed
of the human race of the future would be Islam and not communism, and that Islam
and not communism would lead the world opinion. This will be so, because if
capitalism is the extreme of individualism, communism is the other extreme of
anti-individualism and supports collectivism, Justice and fairplay is always in
the middle path between two extremes and that is Islam. Hence, Islam is a rising
power of the future and it has to shoulder the responsibility of the leadership
of mankind. In other words Iqbal pleads for Islam’ acceptance after rejection of
communism. So, Satan rejects communism as a danger to his Satanic system, and
considers Islam and not communism as a challenge to his system as shown below:
دست فطرت نے کیا ہے جن گریبانوں کو چاک
مزد کی منطق کی سوزن سے نہیں ہوتے زفو
کب ڈرا سکتے ہیں مجھ کو امشتراکی کوچہ گرد
یہ پریشاں روزگار، آشفتہ مغز، آشفتہ مو
ہے اگر مجھ کو خطر کوئي تو اس امت سے ہے
جس کی خاکستر میں ہے اب تک شرار آرزو
خال خال اس قوم میں ابتک نظر آتے ہیں
کرتے ہیں اشک سحر گاہی سے جو ظالم وضو
جانتا ہے جس پہ روشن باطن ایام ہے
مزد کیت فتنۂ فردا نہیں، اسلام ہے
“The collars to whom the Nature has torn The logic of Mazdak*(j) to them cant.
Darn How can frighten me the socialist lads,
Since long jobless, confused and loafing fads From that nation but I feel a
threat grave, Whose heart yet holds embers of crave. A few of them I espy in
this nation yet,
At dawn who make wuzu *(k) with tear drops jet.
He knows on whom hidden times are bright That Islam not Mazdak*(j) is the
future’s fright[10]
So as far as the capitalist system is concerned it is evident from the Allamah’s
political works that he was against capitalism and considered it contrary to
Islam. The Allamah was pleased with communism because it had annihilated the
tyranny of capitalism. However, in spite of all its goodness he considered
communism harmful and destructive for mankind. He believed that Russia itself
would eventually relinquish this system and would come close to the basic
economic concepts of Islam. The fast retreat of China and Russia from communism
and Marxism is a step towards the first stage of Allamah’s prediction. A
conflagration of the buried sparks in Muslim Turkistan will not be surprising,
and Russia, being faced with a new commotion may move towards a system which
will be Islamic or very close to it.
EPILOGUE
Western colonization of Asian and African countries, which included the Muslim
world was no exception to the usual process of slow but sure intellectual death
of the colonized people. Iqbal was quick to realize this and focussed his entire
genius on counteracting this influence. Western political, economic and social
norms started capturing the imagination of the Muslim youth who were being
exposed to the ideology of the West through western education. Materialism and
capitalism were the very foundations of this thought, Islamic thought and
Qur’anic teachings were being slowly but surely effaced, partly by the efforts
of the colonizers and partly by our own indifference. The deleterious effects of
this change were being felt by the conquered Muslim nations. When communism
appeared as an adversary of capitalism after World War I it had great appeal to
Muslims. Iqbal brought home to the Muslim intelligentsia that both these systems
were man-made and equally harmful and that Islam was the correct system. This
has been amply shown in the foregoing. Iqbal went farther than condemning the
above systems. He explained at great length the blessings of a system based on
divine revelation as compared with man-made systems. His works are replete with
this theme. However, special attention is invited to the following passages in
Javid Namah (Reference 5, pp. 63-92):
زیارت ارواح جمال الدین افغاننی و سعید حلیم پاشا
دین و وطن
اشتراکیت و ملوکیت
زندہ رود
افغانی
محکمات عالم قرانی
خلافت آدم
حکومت الہی ارض ملک خداست
سعید حلیم پاشا
پیغام افغانی باملّت روسیہ
Firmament of ‘Mercury: Glimpses of the souls of Jamaludding Afghani and Saeed
Haleem Pasha
Religion and Territorial Loyalties
Communism and Imperialism
Saeed Haleem Pasha: East and West
Zinda Rud
Afghani
Basic Principles of the Qur’anic World:
Vice-gerency of Adam Kingdom of God
The Earth is the Possession of God
Saeed Haleem Pasha
The Message of Afghani to the Russian People
جذب حرم سے ہے فروغ انجمن حجاز کا
اس کا مقام اور ہے، اس کا نظام اور ہے
The splendour of the brotherhood of Hijaz depends upon the Haram (Ka’aba)
Its status is different, its system is different[11]
NOTES
[1] Sarguzash-i-lqbal
[2] Zamindar, Lahore, June 24, 1923.
[3] Iqbal, Sir Muhammad (1936) Zarb-i-Kaleem. Published by Munira Banu Begum at
the Kapoor Arts Printing Works, Lahore (Second Impression 1941, p. 138.
[4] Rahman, S.A. (Iqbal and Socialism.
[5] Iqbal, Dr. Sir Muhammad (1932) .Javid Nama. Published by Dr. Javid Iqbal
Printed at Sheikh Ghulam Ali & Sons, Lahore, Seventh Impression (1970), p. 69.
[6] Iqbal, Dr. Sir Muhammad (1938) Armaghan-i-Hijaz. Published by Dr. Javid
Iqbal, printed at the Kapur Art Printing Works, Lahore First Edition (1941), p.
218
[7] Iqbal, Dr. Sir Muhammad (1935) Bal-i-Jibreel Published by Dr. Javid Iqbal at
the Maktab-i-Jamia, Delhi, India (Second Edition 1941).
[8] Same as Reference 3, p. 139.
[9] Shah, Syed Akbar Ali (1983) The Rod of Moses. Versified English Translation
of Iqbal’s Zarb-i-Kaleem. Published by the Iqbal Academy Pakistan at the
Himayat-i-Islam Press, Lahore, Pakistan, p. 87.
[10] Kabir, Q.A., (1983) Armaghan-i-Hijaz. Versified English Translation of
Iqbal’s Armaghan-i-Hijaz. Published by the Iqbal Academy Pakistan, printed at
the Himaya-i-Islam Press, Lahore, Pakistan. p. 133.
[11] Iqbal, Dr. Sir Muhammad (1924) Bang-i-Dara. Published by Sheikh Mubarak
Ali, Lahore, Pakistan. Third Edition (1930), p. 119.
*(a) This paper was first published by Dr. Waheed Ishrat (Iqbal Academy) in the
Urdu daily Nawa-i-Waqt of Lahore for April 21, 1987 in response to a letter from
Mr. Zia-ul-Haque Maimon of Sindh. In that letter Mr. Maiman had stated that some
books were being published in the Sindhi language in which Allamah Iqbal, on the
basis of his revolutionary poetry was sbeing shown as a communist as well as a
cherisher of communism. As the Sindhi knowing public did not have adequate
direct access to Allamah Iqbal’s thought and philosophy a clarification of his
stand on communism was sought. This English translation is intended to convey
Iqbal’s views on communism to the English-knowing people in general and to
English-knowing Muslims in particular, so that the misunderstanding created by
the supporters of communism in the type of publications referred to above may be
removed.
The secret concealed in “Spend what is surplis and is spare”
May perhaps be revealed in this age
*(b) A system in Islamic economics in which as tax is levied on the property of
a person in excess of prescribed limits. The proceeds of this tax are used
exclusively for the financial support of the indigent.
*(c) The divine system of Islamic jurisprudence.
*(d) The Holy Qur’an iii:103 (part), which means “And He joined your hearts in
love, so that by His Grace you become brethren. See The Holy Quraan: Text,
Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali; Published by the Hafner
Publishing Company, New York, U.S.A. and printed by the Murray Printing Co. p.
149.
* (e) See The Holy Qur’an ii:219 and the reference in Footnote (d).
*(f) Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S.) whose title is Khalilullah (the Friend of God)
This is allusion to the fact that Karl Marx was a member of the Jewish race
(Banni Israil).
*(g) Appearance of God or His Powers as was witnessed by Hazrat Musa A.S. on
Mount Sinai.
*(h) It will bring doom to those who believe in his economic system in
contravention of the clear message of the Holy Qur’an by which all mankind will
be judged on the Day of Judgement.
*(i) This degree of freedom of the down-trodden people would be completely
unacceptable to the Satanic system and its flag bearers.
*(j) Mazdak was a Persian thinker of the sixth century (C.E.) and lived during
the reign of the famous Persian king Anushervan (531-578B C.E.). The most
prominent feature of Mazdak’s philosophy was communism, albeit rudimentary. He
preached the equality of man and based his concept of equality on the equality
of wealth.. He said that the concept of individual property was the creation of
demons hostile to God, with the purpose of turning God’s Universe into a land of
perpetual misery. For details see:
“Iqbal, Muhammad (1908) The Development of Metaphysics in Persia. Published by
Bazm-i-Iqbal, Lahore, Pakistan, Third reprint (1964): pp. 16-17.
by Dr. Waheed Ishrat