ALLAMA IQBAL’S THEORY OF ART (POETRY) AND JALIL AALI’S INTERPRETATIONS

Abstract

The primary objective of art, according to Allama Muhammad Iqbal, is not "Art for Art’s sake" but "Art for Life's sake." He rejects poetry that merely serves as a means of auditory pleasure, lulling humans into a slumber of negligence and making them indolent. For Iqbal, a poet is not someone cut off from society—a secluded spectator—but rather a "seeing eye" of the nation. The purpose of art is to give a voice to silent lips and to infuse eternal warmth and life into dead hearts.

Allama Iqbal defines true beauty as that which creates a "storm" within a human being. According to him, a true poet’s work possesses "blood of the heart" ( khoon-e-jigar ), profound empathy, and the impact of a warm breath ( nafas-e-garam ). He evaluates poetry based on the criteria of "profit and loss" (sood-o-ziyan)—asking whether the work benefited the nation or caused harm, and whether it performed a miracle or provided a transformative principle for the world.

Jalil Aali, while explaining this theory of art, considers the poet to be the "protector of the nation." According to him, Iqbal's art is alive and dynamic; he views Iqbal's literature as "pro-life" (Sood-mandi) literature. In his view, Iqbal's art does not merely draw strength from its historical roots or engage in mere imitation; instead, it calls for creativity. He believes Iqbal is not just a poet of the past but a contemporary who harmonizes ancient principles with modern demands. He argues that the foundation of Iqbal's art is Love (Ishq) and Action, a quality that distinguishes Iqbal from other poets and elevates him to a "prophetic" (paighambar-ana) stature.

Iqbal’s art is not a mere play of words; it is a mission of love and awakening. Following Jalil Aali’s interpretation, art is the guardian of a nation's civilization and a living tradition that transforms a people into "Shaheen".