Paying tributes to Dr Muhammad Iqbal

Dr Muhammad Iqbal was a great thinker and poet who presented the concept of the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent, which has since come to be known as Pakistan. The ever-grateful nation continues to pay glowing tributes to him for his memorable contributions towards awakening the Muslims and the creation of Pakistan, generally throughout the year but particularly on his birth anniversary, which is officially celebrated on November 9, and his death anniversary, which is observed on April 21 every year.

The birth anniversary of the great thinker and poet is being officially celebrated on November 9, 2026. To mark the occasion, a number of functions and symposiums are being organised by various socio-cultural organisations, at which scholars, experts on Iqbaliyat and people from different walks of life will pay rich tributes to the great philosopher and the Poet of the East.

On such occasions, different aspects of the life, teachings and poetry in Urdu and Persian of the great philosopher and poet are highlighted. However, somehow, one aspect has not been adequately highlighted by speakers on these occasions: Dr Muhammad Iqbal was also an elected member of the Punjab Legislative Council from 1927 to 1930, representing Lahore City Urban on a seat reserved for Muslims, then described as Muhammadans, on a Muslim League ticket. In those days, Muslims were described as Muhammadans and others as non-Muhammadans.

The Punjab Legislative Council was then headed by Chaudhry Sir Shahab-ud-Din as its President. It had five ex-officio members and ministers, including Mian Sir Fazl-i-Hussain as Revenue Member, Malik Feroze Khan Noon as Minister for Local Self-Government, and Sardar Jogendra Singh as Minister for Agriculture, whose plaque is on display in the Punjab Assembly Chambers to mark the inauguration of the huge, imposing building. Sir Geoffrey de Montmorency was the Finance Member, while Manohar Lal was the Minister for Education.

The Council had 67 elected members from rural and urban areas of the then Punjab. The Legharis, Gilanis and Daultanas who were members are obviously more familiar to many of us, as they were the forefathers of well-known political figures of our times, such as former President Sardar Farooq Ahmad Khan Leghari, former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and former Punjab Chief Minister Mian Mumtaz Muhammad Khan Daultana.

Allama Iqbal was elected President at the annual meeting of the All-India Muslim League in Allahabad in September 1930, which continued for two days. It was here that he presented his concept of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent. He also attended the Second and Third Round Table Conferences.

Briefly, for the information of the younger generation in particular, it is well known that Allama Muhammad Iqbal hailed from a Kashmiri family that had migrated from Kashmir in the early part of the 19th century and settled in Sialkot. His family initially lived in Mohallah Khatikan. In 1861, Allama Iqbal’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 November 9, 1877.

His education started at Masjid Pir Hisamuddin. Later, he joined Scotch Mission High School, Sialkot, and passed his Middle examination in 1891, Matriculation in 1893 and Intermediate from Scotch Mission College, which later became known as Murray College. He continued his further education at Government College, Lahore, where he completed his BA in 1897 with honours and also received two gold medals for excellence in English and Arabic. He subsequently completed his MA in Philosophy.

He started his teaching career at Oriental College, Lahore, as an Arabic teacher from 1899 to 1903. Afterwards, he taught English and Philosophy at his alma mater, Government College, and Islamia College. He then went to England for higher education, obtaining a BA degree from Cambridge University. He was awarded a PhD by Munich University in Germany in 1907 and qualified as a Barrister-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn, London, in 1908. On his return to Lahore, he was appointed Professor of Philosophy, while also continuing his legal practice at the Lahore High Court.

Allama Iqbal was fond of poetry from his childhood and was introduced to the public in 1901 when Sir Abdul Qadir published his poem “Himala” in his literary journal, “Makhzan”.

Allama Iqbal lived at several places in Lahore for varying periods, including the upper storey of a bookshop belonging to Attar Chand Kapoor Booksellers in Anarkali from 1908 to 1922, and a house on McLeod Road from 1922 to 1935. He had also lived somewhere inside Bhati Gate from 1900 to 1905, though its exact location has not yet been identified.

The construction of Javed Manzil on Mayo Road, on the route from Lahore Railway Station to Garhi Shahu, behind Cairns Railway Hospital, which has since been turned into the Iqbal Museum housing the personal belongings of the great thinker and poet, itself makes an interesting story that may not be known to many.

While residing on McLeod Road, Allama Iqbal bought a piece of land measuring about seven kanals in an open auction in 1934 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 Rs43,025, he shifted there from McLeod Road. Javid Iqbal was the owner of the house, and Allama Iqbal lived there as a tenant. Allama Iqbal had written a document on stamp paper in May 1935 according to which he had rented three front rooms for Rs50 per month. The rent was regularly paid to his son and landlord, Javid Iqbal, and receipts were duly obtained. Within four days of shifting to the newly constructed house, Allama Iqbal suffered a great personal loss when his wife and the mother of Javid Iqbal, Sardar Begum, died on May 24, 1935.

Allama Iqbal lived at Javed Manzil until his death on April 21, 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 came into existence on August 14, 1947.

Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, along with his illustrious sister, Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, visited Allama Iqbal at Javed Manzil in 1936. Hindu leader Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was also a great admirer of Allama Iqbal and had visited him at Javed Manzil.

The year 1977 marked the birth centenary of the great thinker and poet, Allama Muhammad Iqbal. To mark the beginning of the year-long celebrations, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto visited Lahore on January 1, 1977. He went to the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal, who lies in eternal rest on the right side of the stairs of the historic Badshahi Mosque, offered Fateha and laid wreaths.

In brief, at the request of military ruler President and Chief of Army Staff General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Dr Javid Iqbal sold Javed Manzil, along with all personal documents, belongings and articles of personal use, to the Federal Government for Rs3.5 million. It was turned into the Iqbal Museum in December 1977.

During the rule of another military dictator, General Pervez Musharraf, some personal belongings and documents of Allama Iqbal were supposedly “borrowed” for some time on his express orders for the newly established National Monuments Museum in Islamabad. These continue to be on display there.

Dr Javid Iqbal purchased a bungalow of his choice on Main Boulevard in Gulberg, Lahore, where he lived until his death in October 2015 with his wife, Justice (retd) Nasira Javid Iqbal. The purchase was made at the direction of the President and Chief of Army Staff to the Punjab Government.

Dr Javid Iqbal’s bungalow in Gulberg is also a place of great interest for researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat. In one of its rooms, there is a large mural that is a great work of art by prominent Pakistani artist Jimmy Engineer, who translated Allama Iqbal’s collection of Persian poetry, “Javid Namah”, into colours at the request of Dr Javid Iqbal in 1980-81.

It was Allama Iqbal’s desire, expressed in one of his letters to his son Javid, that “Javid Namah” be translated into a mural by an artist. The great thinker and poet had stated that, in the first instance, no artist could accomplish such a task, but if any artist dared to undertake and complete this challenging task, he would attain immense fame and reputation, both nationally and internationally.

Pakistan’s most prominent artist, Jimmy Engineer, undertook this challenging task and successfully completed it in one year while staying at Dr Javid Iqbal’s bungalow throughout 1980-81. He was criticised for undertaking this task, but he 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 this artistic feat of mine.”

On display at the Iqbal Museum are Allama Iqbal’s original degrees, about 60 books, including the Holy Quran and English and Urdu books that he had studied, letters written and received by him, furniture, dresses, utensils, as well as his own handwritten manuscripts.

There is much to see for researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat at the Iqbal Museum and also at the bungalow of the late Dr Javid Iqbal on Main Boulevard in Gulberg, Lahore, where Jimmy Engineer’s mural of “Javid Namah” may also be of interest to many.

**The writer is a Lahore-based freelance journalist, columnist and retired Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad. He can be reached at [zahidriffat@gmail.com](mailto:zahidriffat@gmail.com).**