Seminar IQBAL & PRESENT DAY PROBLEMS AT UOG (PART-6).mpg

Iqbal visualized a state which is based on Social Democracy. He believed in Ijtihad and embedded the modern concept of state and government with the Islamic thought and tradition. Pakistan is a proof of his Ijtihadi thinking. His concept of nationalism is very original and innovative. Most of religions thinkers were against the creation of Pakistan. Here a nation is born first and its geographical boundaries and state created afterwards. He believed that land belonged to God and there was no rationale for the existence of feudal. He believed in redistribution of state land to landless peasants. He visualized a polity which could cater to the needs of the oppressed and the exploited. Islamic state should give 5 fundamentals rights to citizens: Food, Clothing, House, Education and Medical facilities. These ideas were expressed by Dr. Javed Iqbal in a seminar arranged at University of Gujrat (UOG) in collaboration with Iqbal Academy Pakistan. Justice (r) Dr. Javed Iqbal chaired the function whereas Vice Chancellor UOG Prof Dr Mohammad Nizamuddin was the Chief Guest. Dr M. Sohail Umer, Director Iqbal Academy, Dr. Ejaz Akram Associate Professor from the faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities LUMS Lahore, and Dr. Tahir Hameed Tanoli, spoke on the occasion.
Prof Dr. Nizamuddin in his keynote address welcomed the speakers, guests and dwelled on the significance of the seminar. He termed Iqbal as a great world scholar and praised his encyclopedic knowledge and vision. But his vision stands unimplemented todate. His lectures "Reconstruction of Islamic thought in Islam can be a locus for reforming our state. We need to deliberate on his political and socio-economic vision of an egalitarian state. Prof Dr. Ejaz Akram from LUMS talked in detail about the basic sources of Islamic jurisprudence and attributed God, the Quran, and the Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as the ultimate source of Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic polity and state. Mr. Sohail Umer from Iqbal Academy deplored the tendencies of anti-Ijtihad in certain dogmatic section of Muslims. He claimed that Iqbal believed in Ijtihad which had been in practice all along in the history of Islam. He believed that the creation of Pakistan is a testimony of Ijtihad as envisaged by Allama Iqbal.
In the second session Dr. Ejaz Akram presided and talked on Issue "Iqbal, Democracy and Present Problems." Mr. Khursheed Ahmad Nadeem opined that Iqbal believed in democracy and was in conformity with modernism. However his vision was a spiritual democracy which was propitious to the growth of a complete human being. It is the Mongols and Iranins embrace of Islam that perpetuated anti democratic and authoritarian ethos in Islam. Mr. Ammar Khan Nasir spoke on the need for a dialogue with the orthodox sections who were ignorant of the modern developments and Ijtihad in Islam which led to the creation of Pakistan. The seminar was attended by the dignitaries of Gujrat intellectuals, faculty and students