Iqbal’s Concepts of Self ‘Khudi’
Mohd Khaliq
Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, A.M.U., Aligarh.
The concept of khudi are the higher self is synonymous with Allamah Iqbal, who was the greatest philosopher poet of the modern era. His stature and visionary outlook being perceived to behead and shoulder above the times that he and his contemporizes lived in infect, the greatest tribute to his stature among poets is that even to this day, poets, academicians, researches and scholars of Urdu, Persian, poetry and philosophy the world over simply can not but approach his works except with the deepest of awe and admiration at the depth of his thoughts.1
In 1915, he published his collection of poetry, the Asrar-e-Khudi (secrets of the self) in Persian. The points emphasise the spirit and self from a religious, spiritual perspective. Many critics have called this Iqbal’s finest poetic work. In Asrar-e-Khudi, Iqbal has explained his philosophy of “Khudi” or “Self”. Iqbal’s use of term “Khudi” is synonymous with the world of “Ruh” as mentioned in the Qur’an. “Ruh” is that divine spark which is present in every human being and was present in Adam for which God ordered all the angels to prostrate in front of Adam. However one has to make a great journey of transformation to realize that divine spark which Iqbal calls “Khudi”. A similitude of this journey could be understood by the relationship of fragrance and seed. Every seed has the potential for fragrance with in it. But to reach its fragrance the seed must go through all the different changes and stages. First breaking out of its shell. Then breaking the ground to come into the light developing roots at the same time. Then fighting against the elements to develop leaves and flowers. Finally reaching its pinnacle by attaining the fragrance that was hidden with in it. Same way to reach one’s ‘Khudi’ or ‘ruh’ one needs to go through multiple stages which Iqbal himself went through and encourages other to travel this spiritual path. Like not all seeds reach the level of fragrance, many die along the way incomplete. Same way only few people could climb this mount Everest of spiritually, most get consumed along the way by mentalism. The same concept was used by Farid –ud-din Attar in his “Mantaq-ul-Tair” He proves by various means that the whole universe obeys the will of the “’self” Iqbal condemns Self-destructions. For him the aim of life is self- realization and self- Knowledge. He charts the stages through which the “self” has to passed before finally arriving at is point of perfection, enabling the knower of the “self” to become the viceregent of God.2
In Asrar-e-khudi , Iqbal has explained his philosophy of “ self”. He proves by various means that the whole universe obeys the will of the “self”. Iqbal condemns self –destructions. For him the aim of life is self-realization and self –knowledge.
He charts the stage through which the “self” has to pass before finally arriving at its point of perfection, enabling the knower of “self” to become the vicegerent of Allah on earth. Iqbal beliefs the answers to essential questions regarding the Ego or important in determining morality for both the society and the individual.
Iqbal’s concept of “Khudi” has to be understood in relation to a set of other concepts like love. God, Freedom , Creativity dynamism, the perfect man (insan-e Kamil or mard-e-momin) and time and eternity. When Iqbal versifies them or writes about them his views sometimes comeclose to those of a number of western thinkers like Nietzsche, Goethe, Bergson. Whitehead, Samuel Alexander, Sartre or Heideggar. Some parallels can also he found between his ideas and those of Samkara, Ramanuja, Kabir and Nanak. But significant and genuine influences on his thoughts most tellingly come from the Qur’an and the Sufis like Ibn-Arabi, Fariduddin Attar and Rumi. Some vitalistic philosophers and Goethe are also important. What is self ‘khudi’ according to Rumi? Rumi generally takes ‘Ruh’ or ‘Jan’ in the sense of self the identification of the soul with the self is a matter of common occurrence in Sufi’s Literatures “In Persian mystical Poetry the word “Jan” which literally mean life is used for life in general as well as for the soul as equivalent to “Ruh” in Philosophy also, the self is sometimes identified with the soul.3 Iqbal uses the terms ego and self (khudi) in synonymity to himself is also synonymus with soul. Some of his expression are very clear in his respect. For instance he writes, ‘the system of experience we call soul or self is also a system of acts, thus Ruh or Jan in the thought of Rumi is the same as ego or ego or self (khudi) in Iqbal. To both Rumi and Iqbal Ruh or ego self is the transcendental self.
Iqbal presents his concept of Khudi as a universal cosmic principle which primarily works as an individuating principle responsible for providing each unit of creation a particular station or a unique position in the cosmos. He conceptualizes it as a principle of self-assertion, self-manifestation, self-realization, self-completion or self-development. Yet, Iqbal views Khudi as something mysterious. Its nature is generally hidden from us and so in most cases we cannot understand it. In his long poem Asrar-e-Khudi he often sings of these features of Khudi and also of the infinite possibilities of progress hidden in it. Asrar-e-Khudi quintessential theme concening khudi is two-fold : that the reality underlying the system of the universe is khudi as a creative principle and that the limits and the determinants of khudi depend upon the strength of khudi itself. The opening verses of Asrar-e-Khudi read as :
The forms of life are the manifestations of Khudi,
Whatever I behold is due to the effects of Khudi
When khudi got awakened in me,
It made manifest the phenomenal world to me.
Hundred worlds are hidden within your essence.4
The ‘other’ (non-khudi) is born out of your self-affirmation.
Iqbal, in this section of Asrar-e- khudi, goes on developing his ideas about the self-growing , Self-creating , Self-developing –the active and dynamic – Nature of Khuddi . He says in the verse of the second section;
I am living by creating my aims and values,
I am shining with the ray of longing.5
Khudi, for Iqbal , is a creative principal which functions the way will to live Or will –to- power structures and over- arches the philosophies of Schopenhauer and Nietzsche respectively. In its reactivity it is free and its freedom is limitless and unbound. At the same time Iqbal holds that khudi should always move within the self-imposed bounds of divinity since its act and since its acts and projects are translation of the divine will into history. There is no paradox in his view as it implies that Khudi is both historical and Tran historical.
The expanse of khudi is like huge ocean with limitless scope for development. As the Qur’an says, God has made man in his own image and taught all the names. Hence, man is capable of acquiring knowledge and other divine attributes without of course having the essence of God in his being but when man achieves the ideal of being one with God, he attains infinity. Some Sufis call it a stage of final absorption in God, i.e. fana (self-annihilation) and some baqa (permanent state of being). For some, the way to the latter is through the former, Iqbal says in Bal-e- Jibrail.
Khudi is an ocean which has no limit,
Nothing can be done if you take it as a stream
Your life and your dignity is due to Khudi
You are a king if you retain it, or else you are dammed
If it is priceless, it is only because Khudi is protected
There is nothing in the pearl except its shine. 6
Again he says
What is Khudi? It is the secret of life.
What is Khudi? It is awaking of the universe
It shines in darkness in ‘I’ and ‘you’ but is untouched by ‘I’ and ‘you’
Eternal beginning is behind it and eternity in front.
There is neither any limit behind it nor in front.
Life and death are not worth any concern
Only Khudi is the aim in the eyes of khudi7
The moving principal behind such a bold and dynamic concept of khudi is ishq or love which iqbal has drawn from the Sufis like Ibn- Arabi, Rumi, and Mansur –al Hallaj. For Iqbal, love is a life-force which enables us to determine our values and which also enables us to strive for their attainment. The emotional and ecstatic devotion to God was perfected by Rumi his followers who are often called the dancing dervishes (Like the Bauls of Bengal). Iqbal was greatly enamored of Rumi’s poetry and placed love almost at par with Khudi. We can say that Khudi characterizes the state or mode of bearing whereas love is the experience of that state as well as the way of perfecting it. In this since it is often contrasted with reason and is used as intuition and faith. He says
When love teaches the manners of self –awareness
The secrets of mastery are revealed to the salves
Fearlessly love leaped into the fire of Nemrud
Reason is still viewing the shoe from a distance
The acts of godly man grow with love
Love is real life and death is forbidden to it
The melody of life is due to the plectrum of love
The light and fire of life are kindled by love8
Such an understanding of Khudi and ishq, when informs an ego or a self, brings a ceaseless effort on the part of the individuals to do what he freely wills. There is no restriction on his actions except what he himself imposes on himself or God imposes on him. But the nearness to God, which a perfect man has achieved on him .But the nearness to God, Which a perfect man has achieved even, makes God’s intervention non-existence. In a well- know couplet he says
Take your Khudi to such a height that before
Making your destiny God may seek to know your wish
Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pahle
Khuda badey se khud poochhey batta teri raza kya hai9
Thus in short we can say that the high water-mark of Iqbal philosophy of the self is the development of the character of the individual through the development of self (khudi). He clearly aimed that the creation of a race of superman, possessing unlimited powers over the elements through application of the intellectual, and animated by godly ideals acquired through intuition or communion with god. They shall be the vicegerent of God on earth.10 However, according to the teaching of the Qur’an the self (khudi) re-emergence brings him a ‘sharp sight’ (50:21). Whereby, he clearly sees his self-built ‘fate fastened round his neck. Heaven and Hell are states, not localities the description in the Qur’an are visual representations of an inner fact, such that character. Hell in the words of Qur’an is God’s kindled five which mounts above the hearts’- the painful-realization of one’s failure as a man. Heaven is the joy of the triumph over the forces of disintegration.
REFERENCES :
1. Hafiz Malik, Iqbal : Poet Philosopher of Pakistan, (Columbia University Press), (1971), pp.3-4.
2. Vahid S.A., Iqbal His Art and thought, (John Murry) , London, (1959), pp.39-42.
3. Qasir Nazir, Rumi’s Impact on Iqbal’s Religious thought,(Iqbal Academy, Pakistant), Lahore, (1989), p.3.
4. Nicholson, R.A. The Secrets of the self , (translation of Iqbal’s Asrar-e-khudi) Shaikh Mohammad Asharf, Lahore, (1955), p.7.
5. Ibid., p.4.
6. Ali, Akbar Sheikh (tr.) Kulliyat-e-Iqbal (Urdu) Educational Book House Muslim University, (1992), pp.44-45.
7. Ibid., pp. 94-95.
8. Ibid., p.47.
9. Ibid, p.44.
10. Iqbal, S.M., The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, Kitab Bhavan, New Delhi, First Print, (1974), p.123.
Received on 30.03.2011
Accepted on 18.04.2011
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