By: Dr. Maqsood Jafri
Reviewed
By: Dr. Waheed- uz- Zaman
This book was sent to me by the author few days ago, along with his book of poetry
روزنِ دیوارِ زنداں
I pay tribute to him for his kind courtesy and kindness.
I have gone through both books but will have to limit myself to the first one. I know Jafari Sahib for at least thirty-four years, without having a chance to meet him. He is a great teacher, philosopher and multilingual poet.
He is a genious scholar of great repute, who shuffles between Islamabad and New York. I have met his admirers, students and participated with him in distant talks.
This book deals with Allama Iqbal’s point of view of the modern world. It is a brief, comprehensive and easy to read book and one may go through it in one sitting. The book is written with a great passion.
It talks about Khudi, which he takes as ego and deals with multiple dimensions of human psyche, mind, personality, identity, willand dynamicity. That is will and force-vitale.
He deals with Iabal’s criticism on the western democracy and his suggestions to add spiritual and moral dimesnsion to it, for the sake of perfection, accountability and improving their civic and economic standards. Such a ruler may seek goodwill of people and blessings of the creator. It to serve and not to rule.
The book deals with Iqbal’s affection to his ancestral land of Kashmir. He deals with the plight of people and Iqbal’s active politico- philosophical role in the solution of their problems and alleviating their miseries. Iqbal deals with spiritual, demographic and cultural aspects that wretched land and terrified nation.
He talks about Iqbal’s role in guiding and liberating the Indian Muslims from the yolk of colonialism, poverty, oppression and impending danger of enslavement by the Hindu majority. He is heedful of à gloomy future of the nation, if the national identit of the Muslim nation is not guaranteed.
The book deals with the issue of immortality and life after death. To Iqbal, death a human virtue making him distinct from God is a station and not end. Khudi would take him to the life of eternity and joy.
The back page is written by Dr Shahzad Qaisar, who is a philopher and son of a great scholar. Dr Shahzad is known to me and he is distantantly related to my in-laws, as her brother’s wife was his niece. He is cousin of my dearest friend Sajid Feroz. He wrote in the admiration of this valuable book.
