Muhammed İkbal’in Şiirinde Direniş ve Protest Söylem
Bu araştırma, Muhammed İkbal’in şiirlerinde sergilediği protest duruşu ve bu duruşun, özellikle Müslüman milletler ve Doğu toplumları üzerindeki etkisini incelemektedir. İkbal, sömürgecilik, İngiliz emperyalizmi ve kölelik sistemine karşı güçlü bir protest ses olmuş ve şiirlerinde adaletsizliklere karşı duyduğu rahatsızlığı dile getirmiştir. Şiirleri, yalnızca bir direniş çağrısı değil, aynı zamanda toplumsal uyanışı teşvik eden etkili bir araç olarak işlev görmüştür. İkbal, özellikle Müslüman toplumların Batı emperyalizmi karşısında bilinçlenmesi gerektiğini vurgulamış, şiirlerinde uyanış ve harekete geçmeleri için telkinlerde bulunmuştur. Farsça ve Urduca şiirlerinde, toplumsal adaletsizlikler ve cehalete karşı gösterdiği sert eleştiriler, bireylerin benlik bilincini geliştirmeye yönelik çağrılarla birleşmiştir. Bu çalışmada, İkbal’in şiirlerinde öne çıkan protest temalar, seçilen şiir örnekleri üzerinden analiz edilmiştir. Yapılan inceleme sonucunda, İkbal’in hem Farsça hem de Urduca şiirlerinde, öncelikle bireyin benlik bilincini geliştirmeye odaklandığı ve toplumsal farkındalık yaratma amacı güttüğü gözlemlenmiştir. İkbal’in şiirlerinde, sömürgecilik ve emperyalist baskılara karşı direniş çağrıları, adaletsizlik, hak ihlalleri ve cehalete karşı gösterilen sert tepkiler ve Müslüman toplumları harekete geçirmeye yönelik güçlü mesajlar öne çıkmaktadır. Ayrıca Batı’nın kültürel hegemonyasına ve eğitim sistemine yönelik eleştirilerde bulunarak, bilgiye ve özgür düşünceye dayalı bir bakış açısı sunduğu tespit edilmiştir. İkbal’in şiirleri, Batı’nın maddi üstünlüğünü ve tahakkümünü sorgularken, aynı zamanda İslam’ın özüne dönüşü hedefleyen bir bilinç inşasına katkıda bulunmaktadır.
Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s Poetry
This research analyses the protest stance that Muhammad Iqbal presents in his poetry and the impact in this stance, particularly on Muslim nations and Eastern societies. Iqbal became a strong voice of protest against colonialism, British imperialism, and the system of slavery and expressed his discomfort with injustices in his poetry. His poetry functioned not only as a call for resistance but also as an effective tool for promoting social awakening. Iqbal especially emphasized the need for Muslim societies to become conscious of Western imperialism, urging them to awaken and take action through his poetry. In his Persian and Urdu poems, his strong criticisms of social injustices and ignorance are combined with calls for the development of individuals’ selfness. In this study, the prominent protest themes in Iqbal’s poetry are analyzed through selected poetry samples. As a result of the analysis, it has been observed that Iqbal’s poems, both in Persian and Urdu, primarily focus on improving the selfness of the individual and aim to raise social awareness. In Iqbal’s poems, there could be seen calls for resistance against colonialism and imperialist oppression, strong reactions to injustice, rights violations, and ignorance, as well as powerful messages to mobilize Muslim societies. He also criticized the cultural hegemony and education system of the West, presenting a perspective rooted in knowledge and free thought. While Iqbal’s poems question material superiority and domination of the West, they also contribute to the construction of a consciousness that aims to return to the essence of Islam.
This study provides a comprehensive examination of the protest themes in Muhammad Iqbal’s poetry and how these themes are reflected in his literary works. This text discusses Iqbal’s influence on Muslim and Eastern societies in particular, while also portraying his place and significance in protest literature. Muhammad Iqbal is considered not only a famous philosopher and poet, but also a prominent Muslim reformist. Therefore, throughout his works, it can be seen that he often addressed Muslim societies.
Iqbal was a close witness to the destruction caused by British imperialism on the Indian subcontinent. This destruction was not limited to the exploitation of the country’s natural resources and labor but also led to social and cultural collapse. In particular, after the struggle for independence in 1857, increasing repression and persecution intimidated and discouraged the people. The oppressive behavior of local rulers and beys who collaborated with the British administration deepened people’s despair. In addition, the superstitious discourses of religious authorities and their approach, which led the people into ignorance, caused the despair in society to become insurmountable. On the other hand, economic problems such as hunger, poverty, and unemployment accelerate social degeneration. In an atmosphere in which society was affected by these multiple crises, Iqbal called upon people to strive to change the existing order.
His works, while critical of the imperialist powers of the time, contain strong messages concerning the need for Muslim societies to become aware, resist, and defend their own identities. In this context, Iqbal emphasized not only the quest for social and political freedom but also the importance of spiritual and cultural awakening. According to Iqbal, one of the basic conditions for liberation from physical bondage is the end of mental and cultural bondage. This approach was also evident in his philosophical reflections on the relationship between individuals and society.
Iqbal used rich metaphors in his poetry to indoctrinate a sense of responsibility to his readers. These metaphors contain strong calls for individual action and social consciousness. His poems criticize phenomena such as imperialism, colonialism, injustice, and ignorance for their destructive effects on humanity. In the context of the social and cultural destruction caused by British imperialism in India, his themes of freedom and awakening became more significant. In this respect, Iqbal’s works functioned as a powerful literary tool that encouraged both individuals and societies to mobilize.
Iqbal wrote most of his works in Persian. This preference can be seen as an attempt to ensure that his messages would resonate across a wider geographic area. In this context, an analysis of Iqbal’s works written not only in Urdu but also in Persian in terms of protest literature will contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of his literary and intellectual legacy. Accordingly, the article analyzes Iqbal’s Persian works Asraar-e Khudi (یدوخ ِ رِارسا), Rumooz-e Bekhudi (یدوخ ےب ِ زِومرِ), Payaam-e Mashriq (قرشم مِایپ), Zaboor-e ‘Ajam (مجع رِوبزِ), Javed Naama (ہمان دیواج), Musafir (رفاسم), Pas Cha Bayad Kard (درک دیاب ہچ سپ); Urdu works Baang-e Daraa (ارِد ِگِناب), Baal-e Jibreel, (لیربج لِاب), Zarb-e Kaleem (میلک بِرض) and Armaghaan-e Hijaz (زِاجح نِاغمرِا) in both Urdu and Persian. The protest-themed poems in these works are analyzed thematically to understand Iqbal’s critical approach to social, political, and cultural issues and the messages he presented in this context. Among the most prominent protest themes in Iqbal’s works are imperialism, colonialism, injustice, oppression, persecution, ignorance, religious fanaticism, and labor exploitation. While Iqbal strongly advocates resistance to these negative elements and the quest for liberty, he also calls for a social awakening against ignorance.
Concerning the main findings of this study, three general conclusions can be drawn.
First, Iqbal’s poems, both in Persian and Urdu, emphasize the development of individual self-awareness. This shows that individual awareness is seen as the beginning of a transformation process that triggers social awareness. Iqbal prioritized the philosophy of the ‘selfness’ and considered the inner development of the individual as the cornerstone of freedom. According to him, the development of the individual ‘selfness’ will make it possible not only to seek personal freedom but also to take an active role in the construction of the social structure. This understanding encompasses a process that begins with the spiritual and intellectual transformation of the individual and extends to the reconstruction of society. In his poetry, Iqbal deals with this transformation process at both the individual and the social level while creating strong links between these two levels.
Second, Iqbal’s poems emphasize that Muslim societies should not simply adopt a passive attitude in the face of imperialist powers. Instead, he stressed that they should resist external pressures by protecting their cultural and spiritual values. According to Iqbal, Muslim societies have been in a deep state of oblivion for a long time, and this oblivion has led them backwards both socially and culturally. This revolutionary stance in the poet’s works led him to be seen as a guide who went beyond being just a man of letters. In this context, Iqbal’s poems are not only of literary value but also ideological manifestos that guide society and strengthen the belief in liberty and justice. Iqbal used his literature as a wake-up call to Eastern societies and the Muslim world while contributing to raising social consciousness through his poetry.
Third, in Iqbal’s works, there could be found clear calls for Muslims social resistance both toward foreign colonial forces and opportunist inner religious authorities. In that sense, his works were not limited to individual or social criticism, but were also aimed at developing the Muslim peoples’ power of resistance and strengthening their will to resist oppressive authorities. Iqbal argues that the way out of this situation is for societies to rebuild their identities by returning to their core values and deep-rooted beliefs. According to him, this process should begin with individual and social awareness and turn into an outward awakening through active action.
In conclusion, it is clear that Iqbal’s poetry is not only limited to individual development but also contains strong messages about the need for society to become conscious and fight against the imperialist powers. His literary works should be considered a cornerstones of protest literature and an important reference point not only for Muslim communities in Pakistan and India but also for all Eastern societies.
