Iqbal’s works to the fore

Iqbal Academy brings to light unpublished works of Allama Iqbal

Die-hard fans of Allama Iqbal, one of the greatest of Urdu poets, can now look forward to reading his little known and yet unpublished verses. The Iqbal Academy, Hyderabad, has planned to bring out this 200-page book titled Baqiyat-e-Iqbal in India. After much deliberations, the Academy took this decision on the occasion of the poet’s 141st birth anniversary on November 9.

The poet-philosopher has a huge fan following in the Urdu world, particularly in the sub-continent. Many theories abound as to why these verses were not published during the lifetime of the poet. Some say these were early poems of Iqbal and naturally lacked the philosophical profundity of his later works. Therefore, they were not included in the published works. Some believe that Iqbal had dropped these early verses as his thinking and philosophy had changed a lot by the time his celebrated book Bang-e-Dara was published. Whatever be the reson, these early poems have the distinct stamp of Iqbal — thestyle, diction and the unique choice of words.

Though the Baqiat-e-Iqbal was published in Pakistan way back in the 1950s, it remains unavailable in India. “We will have the credit of publishing it for the first time in India,” says Ziauddin Nayyar, vice president, Iqbal Academy.

Interestingly it was in Hyderabad that the first works of Iqbal was published by Abdul Razzak in 1916. The first Youm-e-Iqbal (Iqbal day) was also celebrated in the city on January 7, 1938 and the Bazm-e-Iqbal , the first Iqbal society was set up here. Also, Hyderabad’s connection with the poet who penned the famous nazm Sare jahan se accha goes deeper. He had visited Hyderabad thrice, first in 1910. He was the guest of the then Prime Minister, Maharaja Kishan Prasad. During his brief visit Iqbal was taken to the Qutb Shahi tombs where he penned the poem Gorastan-e-Shahi mirroring the rise and fall of kingdoms.

The Iqbal Academy, which has a collection of 6000 books on the poet, proposesto set up a research centre and extend all facilities to scholars who intend to do doctoral theses on Iqbal. Last weekend a programme was organised at the Academy’s premises in Gulshan-e-Khaleel complex, Masab Tank to commemorate Iqbal’s birth anniversary.


The poet-philosopher has a huge fan following in the Urdu world, particularly in the sub-continent.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The Hindu

Dated November 14,2018