Philosophy of Nature, Ecosophy, and Ecotheology in Muhammad Iqbal’s Thought
No. 6 (2023-08-22)Author(s)
-
Antonio de Diego GonzálezUniversidad de Sevilla (España)ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9403-6340
Abstract
Muhammad Iqbal (1873-1938), widely recognized as the preeminent Muslim philosopher of the twentieth century, possesses an illustrious legacy of profound philosophical and poetic works. His extensive body of work reflects a deep engagement with the pressing issues of his time and a sincere dialogue with the contemporary world. In his critique of dehumanizing tendencies and the forgetfulness of the divine within the modern world, Muhammad Iqbal accords nature a preeminent role. In the Qur’an and the Sunna, nature is depicted as a manifestation of Allah’s signs and symbols. This notion is exemplified in the Prophet Muhammad’s statement that “the whole earth is a Mosque,” emphasizing the sacredness inherent in the Earth. Iqbal builds upon this concept, redefining the role of nature and restoring its significance in both the physical and metaphysical realms for believers. For Iqbal, nature is not merely material and finite but also a manifestation of divine attributes, serving as a space of remembrance (tadhkira) and worship (‘ibāda) beyond its material appearance. In his writings, he explored nature’s role in human development, offering an opportunity to re-know (ma‘rifa) reality (ḥaqīqa), to advance in existence, and to live in the absolute. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of nature and Iqbal's contributions to Ecosophy —in the panikkarian sense of the term— and to Ecotheology through an analysis of primary sources.
References
Bukhari, I. (1997). Sahih Bukhari. Ed. en árabe de M. Muhsin Khan. https://sunnah.com/bukhari
Corán (Antonio de Diego, trad. propia inédita). (1924). El Cairo, lectura de Ḥafṣ.
De Diego González, A. (2022). ¿La razón o el corazón? Un comentario filosófico al poema ‘aql-u-dil de Muhammad Iqbâl. Sadra. Revista de Filosofía Islámica, 4, 8-20.
De Diego González, A. (2023). The challenge of Muhammad Iqbal’s philosophy of khudi to Ibn ‘Arabi’s metaphysical anthropology. Religions, 14(5), 683. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14050683
Faber, R. (2008). Ecotheology, ecoprocess, and “ecotheosis”: A theopoetical intervention. Salzburger Theologische Zeitschrift, 12(1), 75-115.
Guénon, R. (2023a). Obras completas: vol. II. La crisis del mundo moderno. Ed. Javier Alvarado. Sanz y Torres.
Guénon, R. (2023b). Obras completas: vol. IV. El reino de la cantidad y los signos de los tiempos. Ed. Javier Alvarado. Sanz y Torres.
Iqbal, M. (1923). Asrār-o-Ramūz. Karimi Press.
Iqbal, M. (1924). Bāng-i Drā. Karimi Press.
Iqbal, M. (1932). Javīd Nāma. Karimi Press.
Iqbal, M. (1935). Bāl-i Jibril. Taj Company.
Iqbal, M. (1936). Ḍarb-i Kalim. Kutab Khana Talu-e Islam.
Iqbal, M. (2002). Iqbal collected poetry. Iqbal Academy Pakistan.
Iqbal, M. (2006). Stray reflections: The private notebook of Muhammad Iqbal. Iqbal Academy of Pakistan.
Jenkins, W., Evelyn Tucker, M. y Grim, J. (eds.). (2017). Routledge handbook of religion and ecology. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315764788
Khalid, F. M. (2002). Islam and the environment. En T. Munn (ed.), Encyclopedia of global environmental change (pp. 1-8). John Wiley & Sons.
Kripal, J. (2022). El vuelco. Epifanías de la mente y el futuro del conocimiento. Atalanta.
Lane, E. W. (1984). Arabic-English lexicon (vol. 7). Islamic Texts Society.
Nasr, S. H. (1996). Religion & the order of nature. Oxford University Press.
Panikkar, R. (1999). El espíritu de la política. Homo politicus. Península.
Panikkar, R. (2022). Ecosofía. La sabiduría de la tierra. Ed. Jordi Pigem. Fragmenta.
Pérez Prieto, V. (2023). Hacia una ecoteología. Fragmenta.
Pigem, J. (2022). Tècnica i totalitarisme. Digitalització, deshumanització i els anells del poder global. Fragmenta.
Saldi, L., Mafferra, L. y Barrientos Salinas, J. A. (2019). Ontologías en disputa. Diálogos entre la antropología y la arqueología para la problematización de paisajes regionales. Antípoda. Revista de Antropología y Arqueología, 1(37), 3-26. https://doi.org/10.7440/antipoda37.2019.01
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Antonio de Diego González
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.