Islam as a Moral and Political Ideal, Muslim Community: A Social Study, Stray Reflections: A Critical Study of Common Aspects

Abstract

This article examines the common themes found in three of Iqbal’s works: (i) Islam as a Moral and Political Ideal (1909), (ii) Muslim Community: A Social Study (1910) and his Diary Entries in(iii) Stray Reflections (1910). A study of these writings not only reveals Iqbal’s core concerns and intellectual orientation but also highlights the thematic intersections among them. Fundamentally, these texts demonstrate that Iqbal directed his intellectual focus toward the revival of the Muslim Ummah and the advancement of the concept of Islamic nationhood. Key ideas that emerge across the three works include: the reconstruction of the Muslim individual and society, the rearticulation of Islamic theology (Ilm al-Kalam) and jurisprudence (Fiqah), the development of a dynamic and historically grounded framework for teaching the Prophet’s life in Muslim educational institutions, and the reformation of Muslim character in accordance with the demands of the modern age—all in pursuit of the "man of tomorrow" who would give concrete form to Iqbal’s envisioned ideal society. These are the central themes that permeate all three writings.