A poet of eternal relevance

This paper is a modest attempt to reflect on the essential message of Iqbal, the poet of humanity and what relevance it has for our contemporary times. We are living at a time in which mankind has made vast strides and progress in almost all fields of life. But with all these advancement in knowledge, science and technology and the information revolution, it is a tragedy to see that this is also the age of crisis, wars and bloodshed, armed aggression, social and economic injustice, human rights violation, alcoholism and drug addiction, sexual crimes and psychological disorders, increasing suicides and the disintegration of the family. All these are symptoms of a sick and decadent society, which is drifting aimlessly like a ship in an uncharted ocean. Modern man has alienated from himself and had lost the meaning and purpose of life. Really speaking, the political problems, the conflict between nations, violence and crime, environmental crisis are external manifestations of the inner crisis of the contemporary societies, manifested in social and economic injustice and the violation of human rights, denial and deprivation of the fundamental freedom of man, social disparity and inequality and in turn are causing social tensions and conflicts in human societies all over the globe. It is in this context, that Iqbal’s concept of dignity of man and the sanctity of human personality and freedom assumes significance.