As Pakistan observes Iqbal Day 2025, the nation turns once again to the timeless philosophy of Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938). A poet, philosopher, and visionary whose doctrine of Khudi (Selfhood) remains one of the most profound intellectual responses to the crises of identity, dependence, and stagnation facing the modern Muslim world.

This year’s national theme, “Yeh Ghazi Yeh Tere Purasrar Banday” (These are the Warriors, these are Your Mysterious Servants), reflects the urgency of Iqbal’s message. It challenges the youth to rediscover the divine strength within the same mysterious power that transforms a passive individual into a purposeful agent of change.

Khudi: The Fire Within

At the heart of Iqbal’s philosophy lies Khudi, often misunderstood as arrogance or self-centeredness. In Iqbal’s thought, it represents the divine spark (Ruh) within every human being It is the breath of God that endows man with purpose, will, and creativity.

In his groundbreaking Persian work Asrar-e-Khudi (The Secrets of the Self), published in 1915, Iqbal rejects philosophies that encourage passivity or self-annihilation. He saw such stagnation as the root cause of the Muslim world’s decline. Instead, he called for Self-Affirmation which is a revolutionary act of realizing one’s inner potential and aligning it with divine will.

Iqbal’s message was never theoretical. For him, Khudi was a living, dynamic force, one that grows through struggle, action, and conviction. He wrote,

“Man is not dust; he is the breath of God. His will is destiny itself.”

The Three Stages of Selfhood

Iqbal outlined the development of Khudi as a three-stage journey, which is a spiritual arc that transforms potential into power:

1. Self-Awareness (Shuoor-e-Khudi): Recognizing one’s divine origin and purpose, the realization that every soul carries a unique mission.
2. Self-Control (Tadbeer-e-Khudi): Channeling one’s energy through discipline, moral action, and alignment with higher principles.
3. Self-Realization (Kamaliat-e-Khudi): Attaining spiritual excellence and becoming the Vicegerent of God,  a being who acts with wisdom, love, and justice.

This constant motion from awareness to mastery reflects Iqbal’s belief that life’s measure lies in struggle, not ease. To stop striving, he warned, is to die spiritually.

Iqbal’s Intellectual Evolution: The East and the West

Iqbal’s idea of Khudi was shaped by his engagement with both Eastern spirituality and Western philosophy. During his studies in Europe, he studied Nietzsche, Kant, Goethe, and Bergson, yet found Western rationalism devoid of spiritual warmth.

Through this synthesis, Iqbal created a philosophy that blended Eastern soul with Western intellect. His Payam-e-Mashriq (Message of the East), written in response to Goethe’s West, Eastern Divan, was a declaration that the East still held the “warmth of life”, a spirituality the West had lost.

Khudi and Comparative Philosophy

To prevent misinterpretation, Iqbal’s Khudi must be seen apart from Western models of selfhood.

• Maslow’s self-actualization pursues human happiness and fulfillment; Khudi pursues Divine pleasure and purpose.
• Nietzsche’s Übermensch seeks power without moral restraint; Iqbal’s Mard-e-Mo’min wields power tempered by love (Ishq) and faith (Iman).

For Nietzsche, power was an end in itself; for Iqbal, it was a means to serve humanity. The Mard-e-Mo’min stands disciplined and compassionate,  a spiritual conqueror who embodies the perfect balance between might and morality.

The Shaheen: Symbol of Struggle and Independence

To translate Khudi into an image the youth could grasp, Iqbal introduced the Shaheen (Falcon). An embodiment of dignity, independence, and ceaseless flight.

The Shaheen:

• Rejects dependence: It hunts its own prey, never relying on leftovers.
• Lives above materialism: It soars beyond earthly attachments.
• Prefers hardship over ease: Choosing “rocky heights” over palace domes.

In Iqbal’s immortal words,

“Tu Shaheen hai, parwaz hai kaam tera; Tere samne aasman aur bhi hain.”
(You are an eagle; flight is your vocation. Before you lie many skies yet to conquer.)

This symbolism serves as both metaphor and command to rise through effort, to reject conformity, and to pursue excellence with faith and courage.

Khudi as a Blueprint for Modern Revival

Beyond philosophy, Khudi holds practical power for national progress. In today’s world, it translates into entrepreneurial self-reliance, moral leadership, and intellectual sovereignty.

Iqbal’s teachings encourage Pakistan’s youth to move beyond dependence on external aid or validation to build, create, and innovate from within. In a geopolitical sense, Khudi remains a philosophy of resistance and a framework for dignity and self-determination against oppression and colonial legacies.

Historically, it provided the moral justification for the demand for a separate homeland for Muslims of the subcontinent. Today, it continues to inspire resistance movements and intellectual revival across the Muslim world.

Iqbal Day 2025: A Call to the Youth

As universities, literary councils, and cultural institutions celebrate Iqbal Day 2025 with competitions and seminars under the national theme

“Yeh Ghazi Yeh Tere Purasrar Banday,” 

One message stands above all:

Iqbal’s “fire within” is not borrowed; it must be built, disciplined, and mastered.

His vision demands that every young Pakistani rediscover that divine flame to rise above despair, to lead with conviction, and to embody the Khudi that turns existence into purpose. For Iqbal, awakening the self is the first step toward awakening a nation.