Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938) was a prolific writer who authored many works covering various fields and genres such as poetry, philosophy and mysticism. He expressed his ideas in many forms and this article deals with his educational philosophy. His philosophy has tremendous significance not only for Pakistan educational system, but also for the entire world. His basic concept of education is based on the teaching of the Quran. To him the superior, reliable and faultless source of knowledge is only this one. His whole educational thought is based and revolves on his concept of Khudi. He had a unique concept of education that carries the vital significance being the contribution of both modern and ancient thoughts. His well balanced thoughts are based upon the strong roots of Islamic teachings on one side and being progressive and coping with the modern scientific age on the other side. He has been very categorical in expressing his views about the education, its nature, and philosophy in his poetical works, articles and speeches. He also wrote various letters to different people and discussed the educational phenomenon in detail.
Iqbal was against of that educational system which was implemented in Indian subcontinents under the influence of colonial rule. His vision was not limited to the current deteriorated condition of his age, but also holds solutions to the prevalent problems of the Muslim societies. He was of the opinion that education is primarily a social process and this process constitutes one of the main dimensions of any philosophy of education. He believed that the material world is a reality and one can achieve the spiritual and moral development while committed with the material world. He also subscribed to the view that there must be harmony between the material and spiritual elements in man, which educational theory should consider. He valued intellect, but he criticized contemporary thought for overstressing it at the expense of intuition or love. From Iqbal's writings, the good man is creative and original, for creativity is the most precious and distinctive gift of man. He must be able to use his intelligence to harness the forces of nature for his own good and also to increase his knowledge and power. In addition, the good man lives his life in the name of the Lord, dedicating his powers and knowledge to working out his purpose and thereby deserving himself for the position of God's vicegerent on earth. In relation with the aims of education, Iqbal, emphasized the proper development of the individuality of man and maintained that an individual should be exposed to all kinds of formative and challenging experiences. He underscored the importance of freedom, which allowed for experimentation with the environment, for the exercise of choice and discrimination in the use of methods and substance, and for learning by direct, first-hand experience. Despite his emphasis on the individual, Iqbal did not ignore the role of the community and its culture in the give-and-take dynamics with the individual.
Background.
Mohammad Iqbal philosophy has tremendous significance not only for Pakistan educational system, but also for the entire world. Iqbal is not only a renowned thinker on education; he, in fact, practiced his thought. He taught in the institutions of higher learning both in the sub-continent and European world. His contribution as an active member of All India Muhammadan Educational Conference, Anjuman-i-Himayat-i-Islam, Punjab Educational Conference and other educational forums further established him as an eminent educationist. According to an eminent educationist Saleem aptly interprets Iqbal's concept of individual and community. To him, the overriding objectives of both (the community and the individual) are the same, that is, eradication of evil and establishment of a just moral order in this world. There is, so to say, natural cooperation, rather than inimical confrontations between the community and the individual. The nucleus of Iqbal's theory of education on which the rest of his thought structure builds is the concept of good will (khudi) that strengthens the individual's innate powers. In this sense, education (talimo-tarbiyah) is to unfold the hidden best potentials of the individual's and to channel those to attain goodness, Educationist about change for goodness. In this perspective, if an individual or a nation tries to withdraw from struggle or become passive, their individuality (khudi) will lose color or strength and their talents will remain unrealized. For achieving the aims of education, Iqbal considers curriculum as the most important element of the educational process. His curriculum model is based on the following points. The foundation of education is to examine and critique the world research, and finally develop its own viewpoint. Iqbal states that "our duty is to carefully watch the progress of human, and to maintain an independent critical attitude towards it, Education system structured on mere instinctual needs without purification (on the criteria of absolute knowledge) will produce a mal-adjusted and split-personality. Only meeting the right and just natural needs of spirit (ruh), mind (aql), and body (jasad) will develop a balanced healthy personality. Without axiological emphasis, education would be either useless or destructive. In this perspective, education is never value-free. On the whole, education is holistic, harmonious and balanced only if it is spread over the whole life i.e. life-here to life-hereafter. Education advocating for mere life-here having no link with hereafter is distorted and faulty. Iqbal's philosophy and theory of education coordinate the whole process of education, particularly its four essential elements viz. (a) aims of education; (b) curriculum; (c) teacher's role and methodology; and (d) evaluation.
The aims of education in accordance with Iqbal's philosophy are to Produce a true personality (maumin) by strengthening his unique individuality (khudi) in order to play his destined role in the world to meet the diversified challenges of all times. The theme of Iqbal's thoughts of education which is the remaining of his that paradigm which constructs the perception of positive will (ego) that combine strongly the individuals inner self power. In this sense knowledge is to disclose the hidden potentialities of the individual and nationalized them for achieving excellence, The purpose of education is to inspect and critic the world research and lastly to organize its own thoughts. According to Iqbal human duties are to cautiously see the zenith of human beings conception and to retain a liberal critical behavior towards it.
Educational Aims.
Education aims are primarily a phase of values. They are conscious or unconscious value judgments. These judgments involve thinking in metaphysics and epistemology. Educational aims take their root from philosophy. Iqbal's philosophy is the philosophy of the self. He prizes and stresses self or individuality. Hence in Iqbal's view the highest or ultimate aim of all educational effort as well as other social efforts is to develop strengthen the individuality of all persons. In other words, the ultimate aim of the man is his life as well as in education is the actualization and realization of the open, infinite possibilities within, without and before him. The highest ideal is a continued life with the highest quality of knowledge, power, perfection, goodness, vision and creativity. But the ideal at this level is not a fixed one. As one acquires more of the qualities of the ideal, it shifts its place to a still higher level. It does not mean only the development of the inherent possibilities of man, but in a great measure the individual's power to absorb into himself, for the reconstruction of his experience, power, personality, and the enrichment of his life, the influence of the universe external to him. Sense, reason, intellect, and intelligence are the evolved instruments for this purpose. Hence according to Iqbal, the cultivation of any of the faculties like reason, intellect, and intelligence is not the aim of education; rather they are the means of the ideal of continuation and enrichment of life. According to Iqbal, the statement the ultimate aim and the description of its various aspects into objectives education as continuous life of good health, perfection, power, knowledge, goodness, vision, creative and original activity, and other values of his philosophical system for the development of individuality would not be enough. He recognizes the need for more proximate, immediate and specific objectives which when realized become resource to achieve the ultimate aim with more vigor and enthusiasm. He encourages freedom of thought and originality for the achievement of something unique.
The actualization of specific objectives becomes a means and refers to immediate while the ultimate aim. The value of ultimate aim as the development of individuality is supreme because, through suggestion and direction, it controls the selection of more proximate aims, and their execution. The development of individuality can be accelerated by the formulation of new creative purposes and objectives which always determine the direction of man's activity and evolution. Hence by means of motive force of unceasing and creative desires and ideals the individual builds his selfhood, culture, and institutions. Education would defeat its purpose of the development of free, creative and unique personalities if the educational system discourages the formation of new ideals and objectives. These objectives according to Iqbal, grow out of dynamic, forward - moving activity of the individual in relation to his environment, culture heritage, ongoing experience and projected ideals. The objectives depend also upon the nature of the pupil, social institutions, contemporary life with due regard to the activities of children and adults for the development of their personalities and character and preparation for vocation. They emerge from the present experience and man's problems of meeting the constant need of dynamic environment; his desire to achieve ideals by changing the environment to his needs with the help and direction of his will, intelligence , and valuable surviving traditions and principles of the past. Our duty is carefully to watch the progress of human thought, and maintain an independent critical attitude towards it".
Growth and development of individuality in active and purposeful participation in life, through the agency of education, requires a material and cultural environment. There is need of intense and manifold activity on the part of growing individual which must be carried out in vital contact with the whole of his material and cultural environment. The social setting provides the individual with such a whole some environment. Man doesn’t live to himself alone. On the contrary basis, he lives among his fellows in a social structure. He realizes his ideals in participation in not simply as it is, but also as it is becoming and ought to be. Iqbal's concept of an ideal society is a democracy of more or less unique individuals towards which they all should move progressively for their mutual rejuvenation. Such a social organized environment, to Iqbal's mind, is not the end but the means to each individual's effort to realize his idea of his unique personality. Of course, society does not exist for individual's selfishness but for mutual help through cooperative effort of all its members. Education develops individuality by bringing about a dynamic and progressive interaction between the individual and the society with the object of adjusting them to each other. Mohammad Iqbal, in spite of his learning and wide reading, is no mere echo of other men's ideas, but is distinctly an original thinker.
To realize the broad educational aims and values as framed by Iqbal, the teacher will have to plan specific objectives for classroom activities. Of course, when these aims and values are expanded to this length a detailed, the merge with the curriculum its self. According to Iqbal, then, the specific objectives will not be one or many in a specific number but a multitude as framed by teachers and pupils. Iqbal would like these aims to be based on democratic principles. they should not be enforced from outside. The pupil and teacher should be free to make, choose and accept them. In other words, they should be meaningful to those who use them. Iqbal would disapprove of the determination of aims of one individual or group by another individual or group, because he has great regard of the individuality of each person and even urges him to make his purposes and ideals himself.
Further, aims arise out of the actual and concrete situations and are selected by the teacher and the pupil from among the various alternatives. The end of these intelligently projected ideals gives an insight or vision and becomes an instrument in guiding