Allama Muhammad Iqbal

Allama Muhammad Iqbal was a poet, philosopher, and politician who is widely regarded as the spiritual father of Pakistan. He is also known as the poet of the East and the sage of the Ummah. He wrote poetry in Urdu and Persian, and is considered to be one of the greatest poets of the modern era. His poetry is infused with Islamic thought and values, and expresses his vision of a cultural and political ideal for the Muslims of British India. He also wrote several books on philosophy, such as The Development of Metaphysics in Persia, The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, and The Secrets of the Self. He was a strong advocate of Islamic revivalism and Pan-Islamism, and inspired many Muslim leaders and movements across the world. He was also one of the founding members of the Muslim League, the political party that led the Pakistan Movement. He delivered the famous Allahabad Address in 1930, in which he proposed the idea of a separate Muslim state in northwestern India. He also composed the Tarana-e-Milli (Anthem of the Community), which is the national anthem of Pakistan. He was knighted by the British government in 1922, and was awarded the title of Allama (learned) by his admirers. He died in 1938, after suffering from a throat infection for several months. He was buried in Lahore, where his mausoleum is a national monument.