Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander
Author Faiz Ahmad Fayaz
Publisher Meezan Publishers, Srinagar Kashmir.
Year of Publication 2009
Price Rs 300
Pages 262
Allama Iqbal or Sir Muhammad Iqbal is the household name in the subcontinent. More than five thousand tomes have been published on his Philosophy, Thought and Poetry and their number is increasing day by day depicting the fact that the desire and love for his thought has not died down yet which is a testimony of immortality of his work.
The present book under review is yet another addition to the works on Iqbal, and it sheds light on a unique topic i.e. Relationship between Righteous Company and Iqbal’s thought. The word Company in Islamic Connotations does not depict a narrow use of the word but it symbolizes a tryst with piety, peace and love which brings one nearer and dearer to his Creator (ALLAH) which exemplifies itself in the Love for the Creation.
Prof Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi in his favorable appreciation for the book rightly points out that only “influential religion is not desirable until it is not discovered and prevalent among content souls”. The author has through well research brought to fore the couplets of Iqbal’s poetry both in Persian and Urdu which portray and lay emphasis on the importance of having good God fearing friends. The author has divided the book in three broad chapters;
Opening Chapter deals with the emphasis which Islam lays down for having a righteous Company in the Light of Holy Quran and Prophetic Hadith (Ahadith). Second and last one deal with the Iqbal’s thought regarding righteous and evil Company in the light of his own life and poetry. Author rightly points out the relationship which Allama enjoyed with various pious and learned men (Pirs) and is of the opinion that everybody for his salvation must acquire the guidance and company of some Pir, so that he may not be distracted so as to be a victim of Pitfalls laid down by Satan, though at the same time he emphasis the need of reading good books as from the company of books man learns a lot. He is also not for some kind of blind following, hero worship or cult formation around the personalities of these godly men (Pirs) as Iqbal too was aware of such ‘ungodly God men’ who adorn the garb of piety to deceive and make fools out of common masses.
A person’s ‘Khudi’ must be of that stature so that it can differentiate between the right and wrong. Also the role of parents in the upbringing of Allama cannot be underestimated, which left an indelible mark on his personality, but in the present materialistic world of cut throat competition when both the parents are so busy to fill their coffers more and more, that leaves no time for the children who are then left in the hands of servants or maids to be brought up and during adolescence they usually fall prey to a number of vices.
The book is a must read for all those who wish to know and attain the virtues of righteous company and desire to gain, learn and live for the same
Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is Writer-Activist and presently student of M.A Political Science Kashmir University.