‘Allama Iqbal’s Eulogy of the British

The above represents the viewpoint of the Promised Messiah (as). Since his detractors allege that his praise for the British is a proof of his being the British agent, it is instructive to see what they themselves had said in that regard. The most notable among these, whose person has been particularly advertised in this government publication, is ‘Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal. Let us see what he used to say and write about the British in his time and what were his sentiments and thoughts about them.

He wrote an elegy on the death of Queen Victoria, in which he said:

The Monarch’s coffin is on the move,
Get up Iqbal, (and grind thyself to dust) Then spread thy dust on funeral route, Thy reverence for the Queen to prove.

What’s in a name, ‘tis tragedy supreme
We’ll name this (tragic) month as Muharram

This means that according to Iqbal, one may give any name to the month in which Victoria died, however, the fact remains that the tragedy of her death was no less than the tragedy which occurred in Muharram when almost fourteen hundred years ago the grandson of the Holy Prophet (sas), Hazrat Imam Hussain (ra), was martyred. He further develops this theme and says:

They say, “It’s festival of Eid, today” Who cares about Eid, be that as it may!
O God, (if Thou to prayer listeneth) Do grant that we be visited with death!

So this is the Mujahid-e-Millat [the Stalwart of the Nation] ‘Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal, who is considered to be the topmost among the list of the opponents of Ahmadiyyat! And he was in the vanguard of those who accused the Promised Messiah (as) of being implanted by the British, only because he had praised them. He goes much further and says:

O India! from thy head is lifted now, The Wing of God’s Mercy, (alack-a-day!)
Gone is now, one who shared thy people’s grief,

Now heavens shake as mourners for her cry,
‘Tis the funeral of Thy Adornment, now gone by!1

The Promised Messiah has been accused of calling the British ‘The wing of God’s mercy’ whereas ‘Allama Iqbal himself has used the same term ‘wing of God’s mercy’ in this eulogy.