Throughout history, prophets, poets and philosophers have appeared to remind human beings of their true nature --- a nature that consists of a temporal as well as a heavenly element. They have attempted to rekindle in the human beings the Divine Spark which is an integral part of their makeup. Speaking of this Divine Spark, the Qur’an notes that when Allah (SWT) created the first human being, He breathed His own spirit into this new creation (Al-Hijr 15:29 & Al-Sajdah 32:9). Consequently, human nature is not ‘‘human,’’ it is a ‘‘humanness’’ that has an element of the Divine in it. But after having been created ‘‘in the best conformation’’ (Al-Teen 95:4), the human being was reduced ‘‘to the lowest of the low’’ (Al- Teen 95:5). The question now arises as to whether the human individual can again rise to the original noble heights at which he/she was created.
Iqbal
argues that khudi
is the root of
all existence, an entity which may appear to be perishable but which can attain
immortality. The human ego or ‘‘I’’ has the potential of achieving permanence
as an element in the constitution of the universe provided that it adopts a
certain mode of life. The ego can evolve, progress, and succeed as well as
degenerate, atrophy, and fail.
The
human ego has the ability to grow by absorbing the elements of the universe, of
which it appears to be an insignificant part, as well as the ability to incorporate
the attributes of Allah (SWT). Iqbal argues
that the human ego has a central place in the universe, while it is, at the
same time, intimately linked with the Ultimate Ego, or God Himself the ego has
to pass through three stages which Iqbal describes in Asrar-e-Khudi. These three stages can be
seen as the different spiritual phases through which the ego has to pass in its
journey of spiritual ascension:
• Ita‘at, or obedience to the Divine
Law;
• Dabt-e-Nafs, or self-control, which is the
highest form of self-consciousness or egohood;
• Niyabat-e-Ilahi, or the vicegerency of God
Even
though these three stages in the spiritual progression of the human ego superficially
resemble Nietzsche’s three stages of the metamorphosis of the spirit, they are
not the same. The fact that Nietzsche does not even accept the reality of the
human ego is itself the most pressing evidence that the three stages in the development
of the Iqbalian khudi
are not identical
with the three stages in the development of the Nietzschean spirit. Iqbal goes
on to note that the existence of the ‘‘I’’ cannot be rejected just because it
cannot be proven on intellectual grounds because the human ego is not a purely
intellectual entity --- its existence is also rooted in inner experiences.
Since
attaining permanence depends upon perfecting the self and bringing it in accord
with the Divine Will, Iqbal appropriately exhorts that one should ‘‘know’’ his
or her inner self. ‘‘Know thyself’’ is an exhortation that has been made
numerous times before by many others; the problem is not in the exhortation
itself but in its approach. According to Iqbal, all distinctly philosophical problems
have ultimate solution in the self, but, unfortunately, it is this very self
which is still ignored. The reason underlying the ignorance of the self is the fact
that the self is thought of as being a material entity. But the human being is not
only a material being, he/she also possesses a non-material component
In
other words, there is an element in the composition of the human being that
manifests itself and experiences reality quite differently from the bodily
element of the human composition --- this non-corporeal element is the human
soul. Together, the body and soul exist as a unit. Thus, the Iqbalian ‘‘self’’
is an entity in which the body and the soul have to work together. Both have to
grow together and have to work harmoniously if the personality of an individual
is to be strengthened. The body and the soul are indispensable for the needs of
each other
When
the human being forgets this Spark of Divinity within, he/she falls prey to the
false sense of personal liberty --- a liberty which, in reality, is the worst
form of slavery. Having lost sight of the Divine Spark within, the human being
inevitably loses sight of all higher moral and ethical principles and, as a consequence,
his/her life becomes totally subservient to the animal instincts of bodily
flesh. As a result of neglecting the awareness and realization of the Divinity within,
the Divine Spark fades away and eventually it is extinguished altogether.
The Iqbalian
khudi, cannot fulfill its true potential
if the individual avails him/herself only of the resources of science and
philosophy. For Iqbal it is only religion that can provide us with the intimate
and holistic knowledge of Reality --- the type of knowledge that is an
essential prerequisite for the realization of our humanity.
Khudi
requires the
coupling of will
to power and belief, eventually realizing itself in the form of yaqeen or a deep inner conviction. In fact, it is
undaunted
conviction
that serves as the pivotal point for
the ‘‘self’’ to act and react to the sensual temptations of life. However, this conviction will not actualize itself unless
the individual understands that his/her life has a purpose, and that this
purpose has an individual as well as a collective dimension The evolution and
ascension of the ego is not merely a detached, personal, and individual event --- this spiritual
development has a
collective
dimension too that cannot be ignored.
Iqbal notes that a great deal of sacrifice and benevolence is
required on the
part of a
person in order to bring the individual,
self-preserving ego in harmony with
the collective ego. Consequently, the guiding principle in life cannot be one of conflict between the ‘‘self’’
and other
‘‘selves’’ if
the dynamic process of thedevelopment of khudi is to take place This constant interaction
between the
individual ego
and the environment provides the
ideal opportunity for self-evaluation. But one should not lose sight of the fact that
the initial
emphasis is on
the individual ego. Only that individual
ego which has attained a degree of self-realization
and self-understanding will be
able to genuinely understand and constructively
engage with other individual egos.
This is another way of saying that only that ego which has learned
self-respect, self love, and
self-affirmation will be able to extend
respect and love to other selves, and also affirm their dignity and autonomy In the context of Iqbal’s
philosophy,
then, the
progress of the individual human being
depends on his/her relationship to the self, to the family, to the society, and ultimately to God. The gradual
realization of
this intricate
and delicate web of relations will
lead the individual to realize his/her fullest potential and
significance.Ultimately, with the rise of ego-hood on Iqbalian terms, the
individual can become the architect of human destiny
Why should I ask the sages regarding my
origin?
It is my ultimate destiny that I am
reallyconcerned about.
Elevate your khudi to such heights that before
every decree
God Himself asks you: ‘‘Tell me, what is
your wish?’’
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