Dr Muhammad Iqbal was a great thinker and poet who had presented the concept for creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent which came to be known as Pakistan.
Ever-grateful nation continues to pay glowing tributes to him for his memorable contributions towards awakening of the Muslims and creation of Pakistanis generally round the year but particularly on his birth anniversary which is celebrated on November 9 and his death anniversary is observed on April 21 every year.
Briefly for the information particularly for the younger generation now, it is well-known that Allama Muhammad Iqbal hailed from a Kashmiri family which had migrated from Kashmir in the early part of 19th century and settled in Sialkot.
His family initially lived in mohalla Khatikan.
In 1861, Allama’s grandfather Sheikh Muhammad Rafiq bought a house in Kashmiri Mohallah os Sialkot which is now known as Iqbal Manzil.
Allama Iqbal was born in this house on November 9, 1877.
His education started from Masjid Peer Hisamuddin,later he joined Scotch Mission High School Sialkot and passed his Middle examination in 1891, Matriculation in 1893 and Intermediate from the Scotch Mission College which was later known as Murray College.
He continued his further education in the Government College Lahore from where he did BA in 1897,with honours and also got two gold medals for showing excellence in English and Arabic and did his MA in Philosophy.
He started his teaching career from Oriental College Lahore as Arabic Teacher from 1899 to 1903 and afterwards taught English and Philosophy in his alma mater Government College and Islamia College and went to England for higher education, getting BA degree from Cambridge University and was conferred PhD by Munich University of Germany in 1907 and Bar-at-Law from Lincoln’s Inn London 1908.
On return to Lahore, he was appointed as Pro-fessor of Philosophy alongside which he continued legal practice in Lahore High Court also.
Allama Iqbal was fond of poetry right from his childhood days and was introduced to the people in 1901 when Sir Abdul Qadir published his poem “Himala” in his literary journal “Makhzan”.
Allama Iqbal had lived at several places in Lahore for varying periods including the upper storey of a book shop of Attar Chand Kapoor Booksellers in Anarkali from 1908 to 1922,in a house on Mcleod Road from 1922 to 1935.
He had also lived somewhere inside Bhati Gate from 1900 to 1905 though its exact location has not yet been identi-fied..
Construction of Javed Manzil on May Road from Lahore Railway Station to Garhi Shahu at the back of Cairns Railways Hospital, which has since been turned into Iqbal Museum housing personal belongings etc of the great thinker and poet, itself makes an interesting story which may not be known to many.
While residing on Mcleod Road, Allama Iqbal had in 1934 bought a piece of land measuring about seven kanals in open auction at Mauza Garhi Shahu in the name of his younger son Javid Iqbal.
When the construction of the house was completed at a total cost of Rs 43,025, he had shifted there from Mcleod Road.
Javed Iqbal was the owner of the house and Allama Iqbal lived there on rent.
Allama Iqbal had written a document on stamp paper in May 1935 according to which he had rented three front rooms for Rs 50 per month and the amount was paid regularly to his son/landlord Javed Iqbal and receipt of the same duly acquired.
Within four days of shifting to the newly-constructed house, Allama Iqbal suffered a great personal loss when his wife and mother of Javed Iqbal, Sardar Begum, died on May 24, 1935.
Allama Iqbal had lived at Javed Manzil till his death on April 21, 1938, nine year ahead of his concept of a separate homeland for the Muslims was translated into reality under inspiring leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Pakistan had come into existence on August 14, 1947.
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah along with his illustrious sister Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah had visited Allama Iqbal at Javed Manzil in 1936.
Hindu leader Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was also a great admirer of Allama Iqbal and had visited him at the Javed Manzil.
Transformation of Javed Manzil, the last abode of Allama Iqbal, into the Iqbal Museum is also a story of great interest and will be narrated some other time in bit detail.
On display in Iqbal Museum are Allama Iqbal’s original degrees, about 60 books including Holy Quran, Eng-lish and Urdu books which had remained under his study, letters written and received , furniture, dresses, utensils as well letters and his own handwritten manuscripts etc.
So, there is lot to see for the researchers and scholars of Iqbaliyat at the Iqbal Museum and also at the bungalow of late Dr Javid Iqbal on Main Boulevard in Gulberg Lahore where Jimmy Engineer’s mural of “Javid Namah” may be of some interest for many.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
