ALAMA IQBAL Born

Born 9  November 1877

Allama Muhammad Iqbal was born on November 9, 1877, in the city of Sialkot, which was then part of British India and is now located in Pakistan. He was born into a deeply religious family of Kashmiri origin; his ancestors had migrated from Kashmir to Punjab several centuries earlier. His father, Sheikh Noor Muhammad, was a humble tailor known for his spiritual piety, while his mother, Imam Bibi, was a compassionate and wise woman who played a significant role in shaping Iqbal's early character and values. From a young age, Iqbal showed a keen interest in learning and was enrolled in a traditional Islamic school where he studied the Qur’an and classical Arabic. Later, he attended the Scottish Mission School in Sialkot, where he excelled academically and developed a strong foundation in literature and philosophy. Influenced by his teachers, especially the renowned Orientalist Sir Thomas Arnold, Iqbal's intellectual curiosity flourished. His birth not only marked the beginning of a life that would profoundly influence the spiritual and political awakening of Muslims in the Indian subcontinent, but also the emergence of a poet-philosopher who would go on to articulate the dreams and identity of a future nation.