| 16 January 2010
Dr. Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi reviews Jamiah-i-Kashmir aur Iqbaliyat authored by Dr. Badruddin Bhat.
Book: Jamiah-i-Kashmir aur Iqbaliyat
Author: Dr. Badruddin Bhat
Published by: Iqbal Institute for Culture and Philosophy, University of Kashmir Srinagar
Year of Publication: 2009; Pages: 529
Iqbal Institute Kashmir University is one of the pioneering institutes which has proven its worth. The institute is now renamed Iqbal institute for Culture and philosophy. From its inception the institute has organised many seminars, published scores of books organised hundreds of extension lectures and conducted innumerable seminars and conferences apart from producing many research scholars who have worked on the novel and variegated dimensions of the art , poetry and thought of the poet philosopher of the east.
The book under review is titled as Jamiah –i-Kashmir aur iqbaliyat, published by Iqbal Institute for Culture and philosophy, 2009, pages 529 and price not mentioned. There are 11 chapters apart from a foreword by Dr Nehvi and a preface by the author
In the preface the author has rightly quoted Jagan Nath Azad who had once remarked that Iqbal had a love relationship with the people of Kashmir as he was Kashmiri by race and a well-wisher (Gham gusar) of the Kashmirs.Till his last breath his concern with Kashmir has never faded away. It was in backdrop of this reality that in 1977 Iqbal Chair was installed in Kashmir university by the directive of the former Chief Minister of J& K late Shaikh Muhammad Abdullah. Aal-i-Ahmad Saroor was made the first Iqbal Professor and it was after two years in May 21, 1979 that due to the efforts of Aali Ahmad Saroor the Chair was designated as Iqbal Institute and its academic and research activities started.
Prof Saroor as Director for ten years guided all the activities of this institute and after him for about one and half years Prof Sabih Ahmad Kamali became director of the institute. Dr Muhammad Amin Andrabi was the next Director when the former Director left valley and he remained director of the institute for about 11 years and finally Prof Bashir Ahmad Nahvi became its Director in 1999.He is still continuing as the director of this prestigious institute, which is now known as Iqbal Institute of Culture and Philosophy.
Moreover this 31 year old institute producing 62 PhDs and M.Phil dissertations and theses. This and more valuable information is available in the book under review. The first chapter discusses Kashmir in historical background .According to Badruddin Islam was there from 8th century ah .Even Mansur visited Kashmir in 895 AD according to Massignon, (p-11)
Credit of spreading Islam goes to Sufis “who brought political and religious revolution as their main purpose of life was propagation of Islam”. (P-12) Kashmir has had been famous for its literary and scholarly past and Iqbal was one of the most glittering stars in the galaxy of the luminous personages of Kashmir. Iqbal has earned a name in the world of philosophy and scholarship that no other person could even envy .The books and articles on him exceed 5000 in about 40 languages of the world.
Second chapter consists on the life of Iqbal and in this chapter Iqbal’s Kashmîrî lineage has been established substantially. In this chapter the author has tried painstakingly to settle some very controversial issues like the Kashmîrî origin of Iqbal in Sapru dynasty, his date of birth and other genealogical details.
In the third chapter the author discussed Iqbal’s tour to Kashmir in 1921. In the fourth chapter Iqbal and Kashmîrî freedom movement has been discussed and Iqbal’s concern for the suffering Kashmiris has been aptly highlighted.
From fifth to twelfth chapters the author has discussed the contributions of Iqbal institute in detailed manner. According to the author, in 1977, May 25th, Aal-i-Ahmad Saroor has, in a sense, set the future agenda for the institute in his inaugural address. He had maintained that in Iqbal both the self realisation and awareness about the universes was intertwined. (P-131)
In this speech Prof Saroor had lamented that the progressive writers had not done justice with Iqbal but on the other hand the eulogising attitude of some circles had added more confusions about Iqbal’s real stature .But according to Prof. Saroor in the philosophy of Iqbal ijtihad was of cardinal significance as was the modernist trend of his poetry according. (P-131)
First point to be considered in the opinion of Prof Saroor was that before everything else Iqbal was a poet. His voice was individualistic as well as social in its nature as he had engaged himself in a social discourse. He was both romantic and modernist but he was nevertheless conscious of his traditions and his classical background .Iqbal no doubt was against Westernisation but not against modernisation. He just objected to the atheistic capitalistic and mechanical thought and system and not the science and its control mechanics on land and waters, or the sovereignty and freedom, social consciousness, social service etc brought along with the march of western civilisation. (Pp-132-33)
Therefore Prof. Saroor laid emphasis on the detailed study of Iqbal’s thought .In light of Iqbal’s literary tradition his experiences and their meaning needed to be established. Iqbal was against the philosophy of Sufism but not against its temperament, he upheld its humanist traditions and accommodative nature, according to Prof Saroor. “In the same way Iqbal was an intellectual and never was opponent of intellectualism”.
Thus Prof .Saroor laid down the ideals of institute in for future .He worked singlehandedly for two years and arranged seminars and extension lectures on Iqbal.
In 1979 Amin Andrabi was selected as lecturer and in 1980 Kabir Ahmad Jaisi was appointed as Reader in the institute.
A seminar was held on Iqbal and Sufism in 1977 and it was inaugurated by Shaikh Muhammad Abdullah and scholars like Sayeed Akbarabadi, Aalam Khundmiri and Jagan Nath Azad had anticipated. In 1978 another seminar was held on Iqbal and the west. In 1979 a seminar was held on the Islamic Resurgence .The other seminars which were held related to poetics of Iqbal, Fani Badauni, Hasrat Mohani. As seminars on Iqbal and Modernism was held in 1981 and in this seminar apart from other scholars, Prof. Mushirul Haq also had participated.
In 1983 a seminar on Sufism in India was held and in 1984 a seminar on Iqbal and Urdu Nazm was held .In the same way in 1984 a seminar was held on Urdu poetics .Apart from seminars and conferences extension lectures were also arranged during the tenure of Prof Saroor and some prominent scholars like S K Ghosh Prof Daya Khrisnan, Khuswant Singh .Prof A T Ambary, Prof Syed Vahiduddin, Syed Hamid are among the famous scholars who were invited to deliver lectures. Annemarie Schimmel was also inviting to deliver lectures on Islam and mysticism and she was the honorary visiting fellow of the institute during the directorship of Prof Saroor. It is pertinent to mention that the world renowned scholar and Shah Faisal Awardee Abul Hassan Nadwi gave lectures on Islam in Modern age in the institute.
During the directorship of Prof Nahvi some important assignments were taken in hand by the institute and visiting fellows like Professor Abdul Haq, Prof Marghoob Banhali and Dr Badruddin were engaged to make studies on Iqbalian thought more vibrant. However, more research is needed on the Reconstruction of Iqbal especially the aspects of Ijtihad as was already mentioned by Prof Saroor. It is very heartening that Dr Mustaq Ganai has worked on this subject in a commendable manner, but still this theme is worth more and more deliberations in the whole philosophical system of Iqbal.
Prof. Badruddin was the previous fellow of the institute and his book is a contribution to the Iqbalian studies and profiles the commendable work and contribution of the Institute .This is a book which will serve as a guide to any future research on Iqbal in the local and even global context.