Hafez of Shiraz

See also Chapter 36, 'Hafez of Shiraz' in The Republic of Rumi: a Novel of Reality

When Sir Syed Ahmad Khan used theatre for raising funds for the poor students of his community, he finished his appeal to the audience on lines from the great Persian poet Hafez of Shiraz, invoking upon the cup-bearer to pour the wine of spiritual insight and bring ecstasy.

Years later, when Iqbal embarked on his mission to lead the community, he called upon the metaphorical cup-bearer at the beginning of Secrets and Mysteries (1915-1922) in lines that were clearly reminiscent of the lines from Hafez used by Syed. Hence Iqbal’s admiration for Hafez was not merely personal: it was embedded in that spirit of renewal that was sweeping through the life-bed of his community in his times.

This relationship between Hafez and collective rejuvenation becomes apparent again in the landmark poem ‘The Dawn of Islam’ (see Chapter 48 in A Novel of Reality), which ends on a quotation from Hafez. Other tributes to Hafez, direct as well as indirect, may be found all over the works of Iqbal, especially in The Message of the East (1923) and The Blow of Moses (1935).

Interestingly, this unique devotion to Hafez was marred with a period of temporary hostility: while finalizing the first installment of Secrets and Mysteries for the press in the summer of 1915, Iqbal hastily added a criticism of Hafez and cited him as a chief example of the kind of poetry that weakens the life impulse in societies. For about a year and a half he defended his point of view against public outcry but eventually modified his opinion in the light of this feedback, and withdrew the criticism of Hafez from the second edition of the poem in 1918.