Today is observed as the 85th death anniversary of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, a prominent oriental poet and philosopher who lived on the subcontinent. The day is being commemorated to highlight his efforts in securing a separate homeland for Muslims in the subcontinent.
On November 9, 1877, he was born in Sialkot. He was an outstanding spokesman of Indian Muslims and one of the leading figures in the Pakistan Movement.
The idea of a separate country for Muslims on the subcontinent was envisioned by the great visionary poet Allama Iqbal, and it eventually took the form of Pakistan.
With writings in both Persian and Urdu, he is also regarded as one of literature’s most significant figures. His major works include Asrar-e-Khudi, Payam-i-Mashriq, Bang-i-Dara, Bal-i-Jibril, Zarb-i Kalim, and Armughan-e-Hijaz.
Iqbal was a modern-day Sufi poet who inspired the nation to revolt through his poems. He is regarded as a renowned philosopher all over the world and his poetry has been translated into Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, English, and many other languages. Unfortunately, he could not see the independence of Pakistan and died on April 21, 1938.
