Hi Friends!
On this 146th birth anniversary of Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal, “the Poet of the East” and “the Messiah of the Ummah”, Hilal for Kids in this edition has carried a few articles that eulogize his achievements and contribution to particularly instilling leadership qualities in our youth. His words have the magical power to inspire generations and shape futures. His journey of self-discovery, idea of educating and equally empowering the boys and girls, and unwavering pursuit of justice continue to inspire young leaders. Leadership is not merely about power and authority; it is about making a positive impact on society and leaving a lasting legacy.
Dear Friends!
We are really lucky to have amongst us the priceless treasures like that of Iqbal and Jinnah. It will be unfortunate if we do not go deep into the message Dr Iqbal conveys to us through his sublime poetry or prose. He was indeed a great man; we owe him not only respect and honor but also indebted in terms of following his vision and thought in true letter and spirit. Let’s promise on this birth anniversary of Allama Iqbal that we shall study Iqbal, assimilate his vision and disseminate his message to younger generations. 
    The question is why Iqbal needs to be understood? The brief answer is, firstly as a nation, Allama Iqbal gave us three things: one, not merely he dreamed of a separate homeland, but put forward concrete contours of an independent state in Southwest Asia, called Pakistan; two, his political wisdom led him to dedicate his words of wisdom to awaken the Muslims of subcontinent in order to create a new culture in Asia; and three, he stressed upon the unity of Ummah with single proximity of countries from Egypt to Central Asia. 
    Secondly, on political front, he played three unprecedented roles. One, above all, Dr Iqbal gave us an outstanding leader, an unparalleled statesman and unrivaled politician, who is now known as Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. He wrote dozens of letters and pursued Barrister Jinnah urging him to come back from England and lead the Muslims of subcontinent, who were in search of identity. Two, through his political wisdom, poetry and correspondence, Iqbal gathered political leaders of heterogeneous ideas, ethnicities and divides under one roof. He urged upon them to join All India Muslim League under the leadership of Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Three, Iqbal strengthened the Quaid’s hands by handing him a youthful force of students from all over the Muslim majority subcontinent whom he had already infused in the spirit of shaheen (eagle) and passion of khudi (selfhood) through his highly inspiring poetry.
Dear Friends!
You see, Iqbal wasn’t an ordinary; he was a revolutionary who is born in centuries. He was the man who broke the shackles of old taboos; he rejected the idea of man’s “Fall from Eden” as a sin, but regarded the advent of human beings on Earth as a glorious event. Secondly, he rejected the idea of correcting things from top. Rather, the young ones, children and students of every age became his focus of attention. He considered them as the real game changers. His poetry, even today, continues to call upon you – the Alpha Generation of this century – to solely focus on your character building through education, and by infusing in you the fearless courage and passion, tolerance and selflessness. 
    You know what was the most favorite thought of Iqbal? He repeatedly had said: “The ultimate aim of one’s ego (selfhood) is not to see something, but to be something.” So, to be something, it is very important to thoroughly study Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal and follow his thought in true sense and essence. You must not forget that his dream of creating a separate homeland – an independent country – has come true, but his prime objective of building the most vibrant nation on earth is yet to be achieved. Let us rejuvenate the spirit of Iqbal’s ‘shaheen’ in ourselves, like our forefathers did during the struggle for Pakistan. The same spirit is needed to make Pakistan a strong and developed country where national unity and religious tolerance, harmony and cohesiveness prevail, which becomes the citadel of peace, perseverance and prosperity. Ameen

Farooq-uz-Zaman