کلامِ اقبال (اُردو) کے عروضی مطالعات کا ایک جائزہ

A REVIEW OF PROSODIC STUDIES OF IQBAL’S URDU POETRY

Abstract

Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938), one of the most distinguished philosopher-poets of the twentieth century, occupies a central position in modern Urdu literature. Although he occasionally downplayed his engagement with the technical intricacies of poetry—presenting verse merely as a vehicle for his philosophical and spiritual message—such remarks appear to reflect his concern that excessive attention to form might overshadow meaning. A close examination of his Urdu poetry, however, reveals a remarkable command of poetic craft and a sophisticated engagement with the science of prosody (ʿIlm al-ʿArūḍ). Iqbal’s verse not only embodies the established aesthetic and structural conventions of classical Urdu poetics but also demonstrates innovative rhythmic and metrical variations that extend beyond traditional theoretical formulations. Through the dynamic interplay of rhythm, cadence, and semantic intensity, he reconfigured the temperament of classical metres to serve a transformative intellectual and spiritual vision.

This study critically reviews major prosodic analyses of Iqbal’s Urdu poetry, with particular reference to the contributions of Syed Waqar Azim, Gyan Chand Jain, Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, Hafeez Siddiqi, and other scholars. It identifies methodological limitations and interpretative inaccuracies in their approaches while simultaneously acknowledging the distinctive strengths of their scholarship. By reassessing existing prosodic studies, this paper aims to contribute to a more precise and theoretically grounded understanding of Iqbal’s metrical artistry within the broader framework of Urdu literary criticism.