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There
is nothing static in the inner life of a man, all is
constant movement, unceasing flux of states, a perpetual
flow there is no halt no resting place. When we think about
constant change, it is unavoidable to not think about time.
A keener insight into the nature of conscious experience
reveals two aspects of the self, the appreciative and the
efficient. On its efficient side it enters into the relation
with external world. This is practical self of daily life,
deals with the external order of things. The time in which
this self lives is a time which we predicate as long or
short or we can call it serial time in the words of Bergson.
The other side of the self is appreciative self which use to
remain alien to us due to our constant pursuit of the
external world.
The
self (ego) reveals itself as a unity of what we call mental
states. Mental unity is absolutely unique in nature. The
concepts of space and time are different for body and ego.
The ego is not space bound in the manner in which body is
space bound. Time span of the ego is different from the time
span of the different bodily events. Then what is this I’?
Iqbal says:-
“It is
this unique interrelation of our mental states that we
express by the word “I” 7.
Bergson explains that we are only assured of this reality
that we exist.
“The
existence of which we are most assured and which we know
best is unquestionably our own, for of every other object we
have notions which may be considered external and
superficial, where as of our selves our perception is
internal and profound.8
The
same thing was also discussed by Descartes when he said
“cogito ergo sum” (I think I am) he said it is my conscious
existence which is undoubtedly. The real personality of a
man is not a thing it is an act. The whole reality lies in
man’s directive attitude. Mind and body become one in any
action.
“The
system of experiences we call soul or ego is also a system
of acts. This does not obliterate the distinction of soul
and body; it brings them closer to each other”9
Ultimate Reality according to Iqbal is spiritual and he
calls the Ultimate Reality an ego. “ I have conceived the
Ultimate Reality as an ego; and I must add now that from the
Ultimate Ego only egos proceed”. The world, from the
mechanical movement of atoms to the free movement of thought
in the human ego is the self revelation of the ‘Great I am’
Verily! I am Allah! no God there is but I; so worship me,
and establish prayer for My remembrance (Al Quran 20:14).
The matter according to Iqbal is a collection of low degree
egos. There are degrees in expressing ego hood. This ego
hood gradually rises and reaches its height in man. “And
assuredly We have created man and We know what so ever his
soul wispereth unto him, and we are nigher unto him than his
jugular vein” (Al-Quran 50:16). Man in which ego hood
reaches its height, occupies a genuine place in the heart of
Divine Creative Energy and so possesses a much higher degree
of reality he is the only being who is participating in the
creative life of his maker. Iqbal says:-
“It is
born out of his own creative freedom where by he has chosen
finite egos to be participators of His life, power and
freedom”10
The
finite ego proceeds from the Infinite Ego and gets its
identity. Now it acquires its recognition keeping the gap
between the Ultimate Reality and itself. For this reason
Iqbal has given the example of pearls
“Like
pearls do we live and move and have our own being in the
perpetual flow of Divine life.”11
The
reality of pearl is water and it spends its life in water
but does not lose its individuality.
“It is
not merely by receiving and intellectually shaping the
impressions, but mainly by molding the stimuli to ideal ends
and purposes that the total self of man realizes itself as
one of the greatest energies of nature. In great action
alone the self of man becomes united with God without using
its own identity, and transcends the limits of space and
time.”12
From
the side of Wahdat-ul-Wujud the finite ego is just like a
drop of water and it loses its individuality in the sea of
infinity of Ultimate Reality. But according to Iqbal the
finite ego after meeting with the Ultimate Reality does not
lose its identity. By getting closer to ‘it’, it becomes
reflector of the Ultimate Ego. This is the point where we
can see that Iqbal is the follower of panentheism
(Wahdat-ul-Shahood) rather than pantheism(Whadat-ul-Wujud).
Matter according to Iqbal is the outcome of the divine
creative will; it is the external expression of the Divine
Life.
There
are two ways for man to know the reality. First is that we
select the way of observation and think over the symbols of
the Ultimate Reality. The other way is to opt the direct
relation through our inner self. Through it we can get
touched with those aspects of reality too, which are beyond
our sense perception. Inner experience is ‘ego’ at work. We
can appreciate ego in perceiving, judging and willing. The
ego nourishes when it clashes with other egos. Thus the
presence of others is a blessing in Iqbal’s thought prayer
is a direct relationship with God. Man directly communicates
with Him and gets an experiential knowledge of His
existence. He is a co-worker of God in this universe who
implements His rules and regulations. When man is attracted
by the forces around him, he gets more energy due to this
clash. He has the capacity to build a new and waster world
in the depths of his inner self.
“It is
the lot of man to share in the deeper
aspirations of the universe around him and to shape his own
destiny as well as that of the universe, now by adjusting
himself to its forces, now by putting the whole of his
energy to mould its forces to his own ends and purposes.”13
The
important thing is the attunement of man’s attitude to God
which results in his moral and spiritual escalation. This is
an instrument to realize the axis of one’s faith and thought
and thus discovers his real personality in a “larger whole
of life”. This is the height to which a man could elevate
himself. Iqbal extends the sphere of prayer by declaring
that:-
“All
search for knowledge is essentially a form of prayer. The
scientific observer of nature is a kind of mystic seeker in
the act of prayer.”14
Another aspect of God man relation could be understandable
by the Quran’s clear and distinct view point. The Quran in
its simple and forceful manner emphasizes that man is
vice-regent to God on earth. He is chosen of God.
“Afterwards his Lord chose him Adam for himself and turned
towards him” (Al-Quran 20:22) with all his faults, is meant
to be a representative of God on earth. “When thy Lord said
to the angels, “verily I am about to place one in my stead
on earth” they said, “wilt Thou place there one who will do
ill there in and shed blood, when we celebrate Thy praise
and extol Thy holiness?” God said, “Verily I know what you
know not.” (Al-Quran 2:30). The man is the trustee of a free
personality “verily we proposed to Heavens and to the Earth,
and to the mountains to receive the “trust”, but they
refused the burden and they feared to receive it. Man
undertook to bear it, but hath proved unjust,
senseless!”(Al-Quran 33:72) Now we refer back to that
Quranic message Iqbal has interpreted that the “main purpose
of the Quran is to awaken in man the higher consciousness of
his manifold relations with God and the universe”
The
true realization of this consciousness is basically a way of
knowledge. The discursive reason is the only form of
knowledge available to man. But it could not be able to give
a comprehensive view about the nature of God. All our
efforts to built the relationship with Him is simply to know
Him more and more. A.C Ewing observed, all kinds of
arguments-give some support to the belief not that they are
really conclusive.
References
1.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal: The Reconstruction of
Religious Thought In Islam, p.7
2.
Fazlur Rehman: Philosophy, Science and Other Essays,
p.3
3.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal: The Reconstruction of
Religious Thought In Islam. p.33
4.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal:The Reconstruction of Religious
Thought In Islam, p.34
5.
ibid
p.33
6.
Henri Bergson: Creative Evolution, p.1
7.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal: The Reconstruction of
Religious Thought In Islam, p.80
8.
Henri Bergson: Creative Evolution, p.1
9.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal: The Reconstruction of
Religious Thought In Islam, p84
10.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal: The Reconstruction of
Religious Thought In Islam, p.64
11.
Syed Abdul Vahid: Thoughts and Reflections of Iqbal’s
Thougths,p.115
12.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal: The Reconstruction of
Religious Thought In Islam, p.p.57.58
13.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal: The Reconstruction of
Religious Thought In Islam, p.10
14.
Allama Mohammad Iqbal: The Reconstruction of
Religious Thought In Islam, p.73
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