Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s Poetry

This research analyses the protest stance that Muhammad Iqbal presents in his poetry and the impact in this stance, particularly on Muslim nations and Eastern societies. Iqbal became a strong voice of protest against colonialism, British imperialism, and the system of slavery and expressed his disco...

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Main Author: Nebahat Turan
Format: Article
Language:Arabic
Published: Istanbul University Press 2025-04-01
Series:Şarkiyat Mecmuası
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/DA80296ABF044064A389029F1BD07703
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author Nebahat Turan
author_facet Nebahat Turan
author_sort Nebahat Turan
collection DOAJ
description This research analyses the protest stance that Muhammad Iqbal presents in his poetry and the impact in this stance, particularly on Muslim nations and Eastern societies. Iqbal became a strong voice of protest against colonialism, British imperialism, and the system of slavery and expressed his discomfort with injustices in his poetry. His poetry functioned not only as a call for resistance but also as an effective tool for promoting social awakening. Iqbal especially emphasized the need for Muslim societies to become conscious of Western imperialism, urging them to awaken and take action through his poetry. In his Persian and Urdu poems, his strong criticisms of social injustices and ignorance are combined with calls for the development of individuals’ selfness. In this study, the prominent protest themes in Iqbal’s poetry are analyzed through selected poetry samples. As a result of the analysis, it has been observed that Iqbal’s poems, both in Persian and Urdu, primarily focus on improving the selfness of the individual and aim to raise social awareness. In Iqbal’s poems, there could be seen calls for resistance against colonialism and imperialist oppression, strong reactions to injustice, rights violations, and ignorance, as well as powerful messages to mobilize Muslim societies. He also criticized the cultural hegemony and education system of the West, presenting a perspective rooted in knowledge and free thought. While Iqbal’s poems question material superiority and domination of the West, they also contribute to the construction of a consciousness that aims to return to the essence of Islam.
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institution Kabale University
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publisher Istanbul University Press
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series Şarkiyat Mecmuası
spelling doaj-art-2a54fd4d6a1343649799c00a229c45e52025-08-20T03:52:52ZaraIstanbul University PressŞarkiyat Mecmuası2717-69162025-04-014624927410.26650/jos.1594561123456Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s PoetryNebahat Turan0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7371-1642İstanbul Üniversitesi, İstanbul, TürkiyeThis research analyses the protest stance that Muhammad Iqbal presents in his poetry and the impact in this stance, particularly on Muslim nations and Eastern societies. Iqbal became a strong voice of protest against colonialism, British imperialism, and the system of slavery and expressed his discomfort with injustices in his poetry. His poetry functioned not only as a call for resistance but also as an effective tool for promoting social awakening. Iqbal especially emphasized the need for Muslim societies to become conscious of Western imperialism, urging them to awaken and take action through his poetry. In his Persian and Urdu poems, his strong criticisms of social injustices and ignorance are combined with calls for the development of individuals’ selfness. In this study, the prominent protest themes in Iqbal’s poetry are analyzed through selected poetry samples. As a result of the analysis, it has been observed that Iqbal’s poems, both in Persian and Urdu, primarily focus on improving the selfness of the individual and aim to raise social awareness. In Iqbal’s poems, there could be seen calls for resistance against colonialism and imperialist oppression, strong reactions to injustice, rights violations, and ignorance, as well as powerful messages to mobilize Muslim societies. He also criticized the cultural hegemony and education system of the West, presenting a perspective rooted in knowledge and free thought. While Iqbal’s poems question material superiority and domination of the West, they also contribute to the construction of a consciousness that aims to return to the essence of Islam.https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/DA80296ABF044064A389029F1BD07703muhammad iqbalprotest literatureresistance literatureurdu literaturepersian literature
spellingShingle Nebahat Turan
Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s Poetry
Şarkiyat Mecmuası
muhammad iqbal
protest literature
resistance literature
urdu literature
persian literature
title Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s Poetry
title_full Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s Poetry
title_fullStr Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s Poetry
title_full_unstemmed Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s Poetry
title_short Resistance and Protest Discourse in Muhammad Iqbal’s Poetry
title_sort resistance and protest discourse in muhammad iqbal s poetry
topic muhammad iqbal
protest literature
resistance literature
urdu literature
persian literature
url https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/DA80296ABF044064A389029F1BD07703
work_keys_str_mv AT nebahatturan resistanceandprotestdiscourseinmuhammadiqbalspoetry