Legacy of Allama Muhammad Iqbal
Iran pays tribute to ‘poet of the East’
Iran held a commemorative conference celebrating the literary and philosophical legacy of Allama Muhammad Iqbal at Tehran’s Art Bureau on Friday, bringing together scholars and poets from Iran and Pakistan to explore the influential thinker’s multifaceted contributions.
Organized by ECO Cultural Institute and Art Bureau, the program featured speeches by distinguished Iranian scholars Mohammad Baqaei, Mohammad Reza Sangari, and Zahid Munir, who holds the Urdu language chair at University of Tehran, on various aspects of Iqbal’s thought and literary works.
The event also featured poetry recitations by Iranian and Pakistani poets dedicated to Iqbal, IRIB news Agency reported.
“Iqbal Lahori is like the Rumi of our time,” said Sangari during the conference. “He thoroughly understood Iranian philosophy and was influenced by great figures such as Sohrevardi, Avicenna, and Mulla Sadra”.
Mohammad Baqaei, a prominent Iqbal scholar, expressed disappointment over the lack of involvement from the Pakistani Embassy in recent commemorative events. He emphasized Iqbal’s complex personality, describing him as “the most Iranian non-Iranian” who played a role for Persian language and culture in the subcontinent similar to what Ferdowsi did for Iran.
“Iqbal was a religious intellectual who accepted modern rational values while updating religious thought for contemporary times,” Baqaei noted, adding that many themes found in modern Persian poetry can be traced back to Iqbal’s work.
Saeed Lashgari, Deputy for Provincial Affairs at Art Bureau, highlighted Iqbal’s role as a cultural bridge between Iran and Pakistan. “Iqbal’s personality serves as a cultural bridge between Iran and Pakistan. He played a prominent role in expanding cultural and literary interactions between the two countries”.
The event also featured a small exhibition displaying 60 book titles on Iqbal published by the ECO Cultural Institute. This conference follows a tradition of Iqbal commemorations in Iran, including previous events held at Tehran University and other academic institutions.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), known as the “Poet of the East,” is revered for his philosophical and poetic works that helped reshape Muslim thought in the early 20th century. His message of Islamic unity and revival continues to resonate across the Muslim world.