His quest for truth has great lessons for all to learn, Dr. Javid Iqbal writes on a philosophical interaction of Iqbal with Einstein!

The shaping of ‘Human Personality’ like Iqbal absorbed the interest of Einstein. Although Einstein’s philosophical discourse ‘Out of my later days’ was published much after Iqbal had left the scene; Iqbal had a measure of ‘Einstein’ purely from his scientific works. Iqbal died in 1938, when the world had still to come to grips with the philosopher in the scientific garb, which Einstein ultimately turned out to be. The keen observer in Iqbal had a premonition of what was coming. He had known enough of Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato Aristotle, Archimedes, Ibn Sena (Avicenna) and Razi (Razez) to know that there has to be a marriage of ‘Anfas’ and ‘Afaq’; the Quranic terms for philosophy and science respectively.

Eureka! I have found it, cried Archimedes, a euphoric cry, as the truth got revealed in his swim to find it. The truth, that weight of the gold equals the water it displaces. ‘Afaq’ the science involved in shaping the universe could never be divorced from ‘Anfas’ the philosophy that shaped the universe and infused it with life and vitality, in order to lend it maintenance and sustenance. ‘Anfas’ the spiritual element would prevail, whatever the materialistic world may have against it. Einstein like Archimedes got to the truth. In Einstein’s case; truth of the light that illuminates the universe!

In a moving Persian poem, Allama Iqbal, the poet of the East while paying tribute one of greatest scientist of the West, elevates his work from a purely scientific to a spiritual realm. He addressed him in moving terms in a poem captioned ‘Hakim Einstein’ [in Islamic lore ‘Hakim’ is a man of wisdom] an honorific reserved for those on a high pedestal, intellectually.

Allama Iqbal’s poem on Einstein has six couplets…literary gems, denoting Iqbal’s deep understanding of contemporary events, progress of human thought right from the earliest times and their implication for the future. In the opening couplet Iqbal takes note of Einstein’s Jewish origin and links him to the religious lore of Jewish prophet’s quest for seeing the light, the light that enlightens the universe. Iqbal asks Einstein:
(1) Jalwa Mei Khast Manand Kalim Na Saboor
Ta Zameer Mustir Ou Kashood Asrar-e-Noor!
Translated form:-
                   Ye wanted to see light a la Kalim 
                   Secret of light lastly did ye claim!

‘Kalimulah’ is one of the ‘Quranic’ attributes of ‘Moses’ in lieu of having spoken to ‘Allah’ on ‘Mount Sinai’ (koh-e-tur in Al-Quran) where he saw the ‘NOOR’ the light, that illuminates the universe ‘Noor-e-Ilahi’ (the Light, that is Divine) The root word of ‘Kalim’ is ‘Kalma’ the spoken word. Einstein, in his theory of relativity, discovered the scientific basis of light. He calculated the speed of light to be; 1, 86,172 miles/sec. Iqbal makes a note of that in the second couplet:
(2) Az Faraz Asman Ta Chashim-e-Adam Yek Nafs
 Zood Parzade Ki Pardazeesh Nai Ayad Dhar Shaour!
Translated form:-
                   A breath it taketh in descent from sky
                   Conceivth nay mind, a speed so high!
The couplet would get elucidated, as we move ahead. But first the other couplets and main points of Einstein’s theory of relativity need to be put in for holistic understanding of the subject matter.

The four couplets, following are difficult to translate in poetic form and denote the prowess and various facets of universal light:
(3) Khalwat ou Dhar Zogal Tera Fam Andar Magak
Jalwatish Sozad Darakhtay Ra Choun Khas Balay Tur!
The light, as it pierces the earth (Andar Magak), in its dark shades (Khalwat ou) brings forth minerals like black coal (Zogal Tera Fam) while as in bright shade (Jalwatish) the thermal effect burns (Sozad)  a tree like dry thicket (Darakhtay Ra Choun Khas) as it did on TUR/ Mount Sinai (Balay Tur)!
 The couplet alludes to the burning tree, when Moses saw the light face to face, the light that is ‘HIM’!
 Allah Noor-us-Samawat wal Arz/Ard…Allah is the Noor/Light of the sky and earth [Al-Quran/24:35]
(4) Bay Tagir Dhar Talsami Choun va Chand va Beesh va KumBartar az Paast va Buland va Dheer ou Zood va Nazd ou Dhoor!
The light that illuminates the universe remains without a change and beyond the magic (Bay Tagir Dhar Talsami) of calculations (Choun VA Chand) of more or less (Beesh VA Kum), it is much above than high and low (Paast VA Buland); early or late (Dheer Ou Zood); near or far (Nazd ou Dhoor)!
(5)Dhar Nahadeesh Tar va Sheed va Suaz va Saaz va Marg va Zeest 
Ahrman Az Suoz Ou va Ze Saaz Ou Gabriel va Hour!
The light attaches no importance to (Dhar Nahadeesh) occult and the apparent (Tar va Sheed); Satan/Lucifer (Ahrman) is its melancholy (Suoz Ou) and Gabriel and Houri (Gabriel va Hour) its melody (Ze Saaz Ou)!
(6) Mun Che Goyam Az Muqam Oun Hikim Nukta Sanj
     Kardah Zortashta Ze Nasal Musa va Haroon Zahoor!
What could I tell you (Mun Che Goyam) of the elevated status (Az Muqam) of that thoughtful ‘Hakim’ (Oun Hikim Nukta Sanj) alluding to Einstein, another Zoroaster (Kardah Zortashta) born (Zahoor) in the family (Ze Nasal) of Aaron and Moses (Musa va Haroon)!
 Zoroaster (900-800 B.C) the ancient Iranian Prophet, was the first to put forth the concept of ‘Noor’. Moses and Aaron are the Jewish prophets; Einstein belonged to their faith!

Main elements of theory of relativity are:-
(a) Matter and energy getting transformed
(b) Matter gathering mass in motion, changes to electron and thence to light
(c) Diversion of light, with matter coming in its way
(d) Light travels at 1,86,172 miles/sec and the sun rays weigh 160 tonnes/ day.

Einstein’s concept of relativity was in tune with Iqbal’s philosophical approach, everything in universe is relatively placed, however there is but one reality, one universal truth; that is the Ultimate/Infinite and that is HIM, the Lord of the Universe! The speed of light…1; 86,172 miles/sec elucidated in the second couplet is mind bogging. It comes to a mere breath; the time taken by the light to descend from high up in the sky. Mind cannot conceive it, as the time in our notice is the ‘Serial time’. It engages our physical self, which rather remains caged in it. It has a past, present and a future. It is related to our material needs. The real time or the time related to universal pattern is related to our ‘Valued self’ or the values, which never change. These are values, which are enduring and endearing; do not change from one age to another. Such are the values that shape human personality.

Having realised what he has put in the hands of politicians and generals, Einstein developed genuine fears on its misuse and proliferation. In his concluding essay; ‘Out of my later days’ Einstein makes out that mind and the ‘thought process’ however refined is not enough to shape human personality unless there is ‘belief’. Mind and the ‘thought process’ in vernacular, we may call ‘Aql’ which Iqbal felt sets calculating merely pros and cons:
   ‘Aql’ Ha Takmeen va zun’… merely calculating and thinking
 While as ‘Ishq’ is ‘Husn Zun’ that means ‘Ishq’ call it love, devotion, belief is ‘Husn’ [beauty] of ‘Zun’ [thought]! ‘Ishq’ works wonders without caring for pros or cons. Call it ‘Instinct’ if you may. Iqbal says!
 ‘Aql Ha Ibn-ul-kitab; Ishq Ha Um-ul-kitab’ {Ibn-ul-kitab (borne of book) Um-ul-kitab (bears the book)}
In other couplet of rare beauty, he alludes to the legend of Syedena ‘Ibrahim’ (Abraham in Judeo-Christian lore) being asked to jump in the blazing fire of ‘Nimrod’ in order to prove the veracity of his belief in ‘Almighty Allah’. He takes the plunge; however it is the ‘Ishq’ which acts, while as ‘Aql’ remains calculating, whether to jump or not:
              Ba Khatar Atish Namrod Mai’n Koud Padah Ishq
               Aql Ha Mahvah Tamasha Lab-e-Bam Abhi!
However Iqbal is not averse to accepting the role of ‘Aql’ which he calls ‘Pasban’ merely a guard:
                  Ba shak Rahai Dil Ka Pas Pasban Aql
              Laikin Kabhi Khabi Usay Tanha Bi Chud Da
‘Dil’ in poetic lore is taken as the seat of ‘Ishq’ as brain/mind is the seat of ‘Aql’ 
                   Aql may Guard and Guide the Ishq
                   However; leave it alone now and then!
Einstein in his last testament reached the same conclusion! It takes much more than merely ‘Aql’ to shape human personality.
Yaar Zinda, Sohbat Baqi [Reunion is subordinate to survival]

(Feedback on: Iqbal_drji6217@yahoo.co.in or javid.iqbal46@gmail.com)

Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST