Muhammad Iqbal's Reconstructed Islam

Abstract

Muhammad Iqbal is little known to Western political theorists, yet he was one of the most brilliant thinkers of modern times and presented a vision of human nature and society of extraordinary power and insight, and a specifically Islamic vision that has inspired Muslim political thinkers and leaders across South Asia and the Middle East.  Unfortunately, the analyses of Iqbal's political theory available in English do not address the elements of his political vision with adequate theoretical depth and comprehensiveness.  This article attempts to provide a more adequate theoretical map of that vision through a close consideration of three of Iqbal's most important works: The Secrets of the Self, The Mysteries of Selflessness, and The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam.