A highly revered philosopher, poet, and statesman, Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938) continues to be one of the most significant personalities in contemporary Islamic philosophy. The intellectual poetry of Iqbal, who is referred to as the "Poet of the East," struck a profound chord with the spiritual and socio-political milieu of his era, especially among the Muslim population in British India. His writings, which fuse Islamic spirituality with contemporary philosophical concepts, aimed to encourage Muslims to become independent, self-aware, and politically independent.

The Shaheen, or eagle, is a metaphor that Iqbal used often in his writings to express his fundamental philosophical views on leadership, spiritual freedom, and human potential. Iqbal's notion of the perfect Muslim person—one who rises beyond material worries and embodies independence, dignity, and a close relationship with God—is powerfully symbolized by the Shaheen. Iqbal frequently mentions the Shaheen in his poetry, particularly in pieces like Bal-e-Jibril (Gabriel's Wing) and Bang-e-Dra (The Call of the Marching Bell). Iqbal conveys a number of ideas via the Shaheen, such as independence, self-realization, spiritual liberation, and intellectual vitality.
The bird, which flies high above the ground and is shown as a powerful and majestic creature, represents independence from material attachments and an unrelenting pursuit of higher values. Unlike other birds, like the pigeon or the nightingale, which are frequently associated with romanticism or complacency in traditional Persian and Urdu poetry, the Shaheen symbolizes strength, autonomy, and an unrelenting pursuit of self-actualization. According to Iqbal, the Shaheen symbolizes the soul's need to escape worldly limitations and fly in the direction of the Divine, not content with a routine life.
This notion strikes a deep chord with Iqbal's core philosophical principle of Khudi (selfhood).One of Iqbal’s most innovative contributions to contemporary Islamic thinking is the idea of Khudi. Khudi is a phrase used to describe selfhood or an individual’s inner awareness. Iqbal makes the case in his landmark book Asrar-e-Khudi (The Secrets of the Self) that the secret to spiritual and personal development is discovering one’s actual self. Iqbal asserts that developing inner fortitude, independence, and a steadfast dedication to one’s ideals and convictions is the path to this realization. In Iqbal’s poems, the Shaheen takes on the role of Khudi. A person who has realized their Khudi rises beyond the material world and its distractions, much like the eagle, which soars above the ground with power and freedom. Iqbal writes the following in his poem “Shaheen”:

TU SHAHEEN HAI, PARWAZ HAI KAAM TERA
TERE SAMNE AASMAAN AUR BHI HAIN

You are an eagle; flight is your vocation
Before you, there are yet more skies to conquer.
Iqbal exhorts his followers in these lines to adopt the traits of the Shaheen—to never stop aiming for higher intellectual and spiritual goals. The Shaheen, which embodies Iqbal’s faith in the limitless potential of people, never settles for mediocrity or complacency but instead always seeks out new challenges. The path of self-discovery, which Iqbal believes is an ongoing process that results in spiritual elevation and personal empowerment, is symbolized by the bird’s flight.
The Shaheen’s link with spiritual liberation is a crucial component. The bird’s capacity to soar through the air free of material attachments is a reflection of Iqbal’s conviction that real spiritual freedom requires overcoming material worries. Iqbal views spiritual freedom as a realistic requirement for everyone hoping to develop their Khudi and attain greatness, rather than only an ideal. Iqbal also uses other birds that represent reliance, inactivity, or complacency in his poetry to juxtapose the Shaheen. Iqbal, for example, condemns birds who construct nests or dwell in cages in one of his poems, arguing that they stand in for people who are imprisoned by societal norms or materialism. In contrast, the Shaheen symbolize the notion of independence and self-sufficiency by not building a nest and not depending on anybody for food. In order to reach their full potential, people must liberate themselves from worldly attachments and cultural restraints, according to Iqbal, Shaheen is also a symbol for leadership.
According to him, the perfect leader is one who possesses the independence, strength, vision, and capacity for inspiring others that are characteristics of the Shaheen. Iqbal criticized the religious and political leaders of his era, believing that they lacked the bravery, foresight, and moral character required to lead the Muslim community to advancement. According to Iqbal, developing one’s Khudi and putting the larger good ahead of one’s own interests are the hallmarks of effective leadership. Iqbal’s view that leaders should be independent and daring is reflected in the Shaheen’s solitary character and capacity to fly without assistance from others. In addition, the Shaheen’s flight represents a leader’s capacity to put the greater ideals of justice, freedom, and communal well-being ahead of the more trivial issues of everyday life. Iqbal’s political thought, especially his outlook on the Muslim minority in British India, is strongly linked to this idea of leadership. Iqbal thought that in order to lead Muslims toward freedom and self-determination, they required strong, visionary leaders. The Shaheen came to represent this ideal leadership, which is motivated by a strong sense of purpose, moral rectitude, and a dedication to the common good.

A Muslim Awakening Call

Iqbal’s application of the Shaheen has a strong patriotic element in addition to being centered on personal self-realization and leadership. Iqbal presented his vision for an autonomous Muslim state that would eventually result in the establishment of Pakistan in his well-known Allahabad Address in 1930. His poetry, especially the Shaheen, conveys his desire for the Muslim community to rise from its dormancy and regain its political and spiritual authority. The Shaheen stands for the ideal Muslim Ummah, which is powerful, self-sufficient, and unencumbered by outside forces. Iqbal thought that a lack of intellectual and spiritual vitality had caused the Muslim community to become weak and divided. Iqbal urged Muslims to regain their inner power and take control of their own destiny by using the Shaheen as a metaphor. This communal awakening is symbolized by the Shaheen’s flight, which serves as a reminder that if the Muslim community adopts the traits of independence, bravery, and solidarity, it may achieve great things.
In his poem "Tulu-e-Islam," Iqbal writes:
Tere Ilm-O-Mohabbat Ki Nahin Hai Intaha Koi
Nahin Hai Tujh Se Badh Kar Saaz-E-Fitrat Mein Nawa Koi
There is no limit to your knowledge and love;
In the instrument of nature there is no sweeter song than you.
Much like the Shaheen that soars above the old, dying world, Iqbal here conveys his opinion that the Muslim community has the capacity to guide the globe into a new period of spiritual and intellectual enlightenment. At the core of Iqbal’s nationalist ideology was this vision of development and regeneration, which aimed to motivate Muslims to overcome their present difficulties and pursue independence and self-determination. Iqbal describes Muslims' predicament in Shikwa and Jawab-i-Shikwa (Complaint and the Answer). Shikwa is framed as a grievance against God, alleging that He has stopped extending His grace to the Muslims, who have spread the Quran's religion and the name of God across the world. He writes:
The kafir gets all good things
(easements) free, full, fine
uncultured brute he gets
Wealth, women, wine Whilst
Muslims’ fasts, Privations, life sublime
Win him but words, sweet words! We don’t complain,
(My, why should we?)
This poem elicited two distinct responses upon its initial publication. The more orthodox were horrified that God should be "accused of injustice," while many Muslims believed that the poet had captured their deepest feelings in powerful rhyme and that thousands of tongues had adopted its refrains. They were both mistaken. Iqbal did not accuse God or share the "complaint." He just expressed the sentiments of his generation, sentiments that he understood were founded on the perversity of human nature that prevents self-analysis and justifies its own tragedies by attributing blame on the unfairness of others. The Shikwa encapsulated the resentment that had built up inside Muslims' heads as they unconsciously avoided unpleasant self-examination and held "Fate" responsible for the problems they had inherited. The poet's Jawab-i-Shikwa pierced their bubble of comfortable self-delusion after he had successfully drawn attention to the Muslims' deterioration, which they were attributing to the whims of Providence. Reforms in religious practice, the incorporation of contemporary values, and rationalism have long been topics of discussion in Islam, as they are in other religions. According to Iqbal, the fundamental tenets of the Ummah (Muslim community) are Tawhid, Risalah, and Akhuwah. A community will stray from the true objectives, in his opinion, if it violates any of these values. Iqbal was the most influential scholar-philosopher of the twentieth century, several insightful suggestions and emphasizing that Muslims must adhere to the Qur'anic teachings in order to advance in life.

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