Six Influential Women in the Life of Allama Iqbal

 

Six Influential Women in the Life of Allama Iqbal

–Sahil Sharifdin Bhat  

Urdu: Wujood-e-zan se hai tasveer-e-kainaat mein rang,

Ussi ke saaz se hai zindagi ka soz-e-daroon.

Translation: The colours of the universe's picture are from the existence of woman; the inner warmth of life comes from her melody.

Introduction: Muhammad Iqbal married three women, but he performed nikah with Sardar Begum twice for a special reason. After their first nikah, he received anonymous letters accusing her of having a bad character. Because of these rumours, she did not come to live with him for about three years. Later, when he found out that the accusations were false, he performed the nikah again and brought her to Lahore. She was considered the most beautiful of his wives and became his favourite. She was an orphan and descendant of a Kashmiri family and living with her relatives in Lahore. His other two wives were not very close to him, as those marriages had been arranged mainly by his family. Although Allama Iqbal was a genius, he was not very successful in choosing a likeable wife.

 1. Imam Bibi (Mother)

- She was the deeply religious and gentle mother of Iqbal.

- Iqbal grew up under her strong moral and spiritual influence in ''Sialkot''.

- Her piety greatly shaped his spiritual thinking and respect for mothers.

- After her death in ''1914'', Iqbal wrote the famous emotional poem “Walida-e-Marhuma ki Yaad Mein” (In Memory of My Late Mother).

-There are no famous preserved letters between them, but he often spoke of her influence in his writings. 

2. Mukhtar Begum (First Wife)

- Iqbal married her around 1895? in an arranged marriage when he was young.

- Their relationship remained distant and they later separated, though they were never formally divorced.

- She lived mostly away from Iqbal after the separation.

- There is little record of personal correspondence between them.

-Iqbal reportedly considered the marriage unsuitable and forced upon him, though he never formally divorced her.

 3. Sardar Begum (Second Wife)

- Iqbal married her in 1913.

- She became the mother of his famous son, Javed Iqbal and daughter, Muneera Bano.

- She lived with Iqbal in Lahore and cared for him during his later years of illness.

- Their relationship was stable and supportive, though not widely documented through published letters.

4. Karim Bibi (Third Wife)

- Iqbal married her in 1910.

- She came from a respected family and had a brief marriage with him.

-The relationship did not last long and they later separated.

- Very little correspondence or historical material survives about their relationship.

 5. Atiya Fyzee (Friend)

- Iqbal met her in 1907 in London while studying in Europe.

- She was an educated and progressive Indian Muslim woman and writer.

- They developed an intellectual friendship and exchanged many letters discussing poetry, philosophy and society.

- Her diaries and letters describe meetings with Iqbal and reveal his personality during his student days in Europe.

- Some scholars believe their friendship had emotional depth, though it remained intellectual.

 6. Emma Wegenast (Friend)

- Iqbal met her around 1907 in Germany, likely in Heidelberg while learning German.

-She was a German woman who helped him learn the language and understand European culture.

- Iqbal wrote several affectionate letters to her after leaving Germany.

 These letters show admiration and emotional warmth, and some scholars think she inspired certain romantic elements in his poetry.

 Their correspondence continued for some time after Iqbal returned to India.

Note: Allama Muhammad Iqbal is deeply admired in Iran, India, Turkey and Pakistan, but he is almost banned in Saudi Arabia.

References:

1- Letters and diary of Atiya Faizi. Translation by Zia uddin Ahmad Burni. Iqbal Academy, Karachi, Pakistan, 1969.

2- “Zikr-e-Iqbal”, Abdul Majeed Salik, Chaman Book Depot, Delhi, India (p. 95)

3- “Iqbal and his elder son, Aftab Iqbal”, Rasheeda Aftab, Ferozesons Karachi, Pakistan, 1999 (p. 80)

4- “Apna garebaN chaak”, Javed Iqbal, Sang-e-Meel Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, 2002 (p. 20) 

    ©️  A Rare Photograph Of Allama Iqbal