National poet

Memorable verses of Iqbal displayed as backdrop during the historic annual session of All-India Muslim League in Lahore in March, 1940. The Quaid and Liaquat Ali Khan can be seen on extreme right and right (respectively) while Chaudhry Khaliquzzaman (left) speaks in support of the "Pakistan" Resolution. See also Chapter 109, 'The Collective Ego' in The Republic of Rumi: a Novel of Reality

Throughout the 1940s, “Iqbal Days” remained a popular ploy for developing solidarity among the Muslims of the sub-continent. These days did not necessarily mark the anniversary and could be celebrated anytime in the year. On one such occasion, on December 11, 1944, the following statement by the Quaid-i-Azam appeared in Dawn, the Muslim League newspaper:

To the cherished memory of our National Poet Iqbal, I pay my homage on this day, which is being celebrated in commemoration of that great poet, sage, philosopher and thinker, and I pray to God Almighty that his soul may rest in eternal peace. Amen!

Though he is not amongst us, his verse, immortal as it is, is always there to guide us and to inspire us. His poetry, besides being beautiful in form and sweet in language, presents to us a picture of the mind and heart of this great poet, and we find how deeply he was devoted to the teachings of Islam. He was a true and faithful follower of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), a Muslim first and a Muslim last. He was the interpreter and voice of Islam.

Iqbal was not merely a preacher and philosopher. He stood for courage and action, perseverance and self-reliance, and above all faith in God and devotion to Islam. In his person were combined the idealism of the poet and the realism of the man who takes a practical view of things. Faith in God and unceasing and untiring action is the essence of his message. And in this he emerges truly Islam. He had an unflinching faith in Islamic principles, and success in life meant to him the realization of one's "self", and to achieve this end the only means was to follow the teachings of Islam. His message to humanity is action and realization of one's self.

Although a great poet and philosopher he was no less a practical politician. With his firm conviction and faith in the ideals of Islam, he was one of the few who originally thought over the feasibility of carving out of India such an Islamic state in the North-West and North-East Zones which are historical homelands of Muslims.

I wholeheartedly associate myself with the celebrations of this “Iqbal Day”, and pray that we may live up to the ideals preached by our National Poet so that we may be able to achieve and give a practical shape to these ideals in our sovereign state of Pakistan when established.