This is an important incident of life of Allama Iqbal which I heard last night during the translation of Suah Hashr for taraweeh. This incident was once quoted by Syed Nzair Niazi,a close companion of Iqbal, in Quran Conference in Lahore, Pakistan.
One day he met Allama Iqbal and shared that many people have different assumptions regarding your source of inspiration for the concept of Khudi( self ).Some people say that your “philosophy of self” is based on Bergson or Nietzsche while some bring another story. “Why don’t you tell yourself?”. Allama Iqbal replied him, “ Alright ,come tomorrow at my home.I will dictate you about this matter”. Syed Nazir Niazi’s joy knew no bounds on that offer.“ I thought myself so fortunate that the greatest poet of the East and Orator of Nation will tell me about his philosophy of self.” The next day I reached there in time equipped with pen and notebook to jot down each and every bit of information at the spot. There Allama Iqbal said, “Take out the Quran out of shelf ”.At this instruction, my all hopes became dewy.I thought he would ask me to take out any book of philosophy or history but instead he asked for the Holy Quran.
Then Iqbal said, open Surah Hashr and read its 19th verse :
“And be ye not like those who forget Allah (i.e. became His disobedient )and He caused them forget their own souls. such are the rebellious transgressors!” (Surah 59. Al-Hashr, Ayah 19)
Here the debate starts. What is this OWNSELF with whom a person is forgetful about? Can a person neglect his physical or bodily needs? Lo and behold, No, every person takes great care of his physique. He washes himself daily and eats a good diet for this health in order to beautify his physical appearance. If he gets pinched by a tiny thorn, he rushes towards doctor for treatment. If he has to buy something, he earns money and spends according to his affordable range. So the question arises again, “what is the thing he is ignoring or neglecting which the Quran has pointed out?” Is one is over sighting his anatomical or animalism existence or needs? No, there exist some another entity or Being of a human with whom he is ignorant so far and that being is called Man’s spiritual existence (which do the righteous deeds).
Man’s spiritual being is embedded in the physical being that is why it does not gets chance to grow and develop like the physical being. Here comes the priority of man i.e. his all efforts have tendency to fulfill his needs from earth and thus his spiritual being remain unfulfilled and weak.
