CONCEPT OF "KHUDI". by Dr.ZiaUllah Zia

CONCEPT OF "KHUDI"

by Dr.ZiaUllah Zia

    Although "khudi" simply means "self", yet Allama Iqbal has given it a unique positive sense that differs from the old literary use of that word in the negative sense of "arrogance". This essay is an attempt to give the interpretation of "khudi" as portrayed by Iqbal and it would be definitely an essence of my life long study of Iqbal's literature.

      Each & every thing in this universe has a nucleus that controls its functions and integrates its structure. Without that a body disintegrates,loses its proper function and can not exist at its own , independently. This is where the central control of this body exists. 

        The same is the case with a human being. Each and every human being has a unique personality that does not coincide with other fellow beings. Each personality has a central core or nucleus that controls the whole person. That is his or her original self by which all of one's liking or disliking is controlled. This is "Khudi".

Iqbal says:

خودی کا نشیمن تیرے دل میں ہے

فلک جس طرح آنکھ کے تِل میں ہے

     Khudi dwells in your heart in the same way as the sky reflects in the pupil of the eye.This means that although khudi looks like a minute central point, yet it is so vast and limitless as the heavens above.

Khudi is a potential energy of each & every thing:

کرن چاند میں ہے شرر سنگ میں

یہ بے رنگ ہے ڈوب کر رنگ میں

    Same as a beam of light in the moon and spark in the stone remains hidden as a colourless thing, but still immersed in colour.

This means that khudi is a hidden entity, but it is the actual essence of a conspicous  being.

       Khudi derives its strenght from 2 sources, one is Aql (intellect) and the other is ishq (passion). If it gets its force from Aql, then it is an envious thing even for the arch angel Gabriel, who used to bring the divine messages to the prophets and if it gets  strenght from ishq then it is as much destructive for the whole world order as is the horn of the angel Israfeil that will announce the last day to destroy the universe:

خودی ہو عقل سے محکم تو غیرتِ جبرئیل 

اگر ہو عشق سے مُحکم تو صورِ اسرافیل

    Very often, Iqbal uses the term Aql (Cunning mind making lame excuses) in the negative sense, which hesitates to perform the assigned duties, whereas Ishq is that passion and driving force which is concerned just to perform an assigned task, without undue pondering over the consequences of that action.....But here Iqbal has used the term Aql (intellect) in the positive sense ie that deep creative and meditational thought that makes a person to reach the right conclusions in a right direction thus bringing a person closer to the divine perspective.

        Iqbal says that a wave of breath (life) is like a sword and khudi is the sharp edge of this sword of life ie actual working force of life, without which a sword is useless:

یہ موجِ نفس کیا ہے تلوار ہے

خودی کیا ہے تلوار کی دھار ہے 

       In the simple words our life is meaningless without strenghening our khudi (internal core of self).

     The material interests, in the Quranic terms are called " Al-shahawaat" (الشہوات) and these are quite detrimental to the development of khudi. Contrarily, Al-Salaat (الصلوۃ ) is beneficial to the development of a self. Quran says:

زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ الشَّهَوٰتِ مِنَ النِّسَآءِ وَالۡبَـنِيۡنَ وَالۡقَنَاطِيۡرِ الۡمُقَنۡطَرَةِ مِنَ الذَّهَبِ وَالۡفِضَّةِ وَالۡخَـيۡلِ الۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَالۡاَنۡعَامِ وَالۡحَـرۡثِ‌ؕ ذٰ لِكَ مَتَاعُ الۡحَيٰوةِ الدُّنۡيَا ‌ۚ وَاللّٰهُ عِنۡدَهٗ حُسۡنُ الۡمَاٰبِ 

(3:14)

   Although people feel attraction in loving the worldly interests of their wives, sons, abundant ornaments of gold & silver & special horses & cattle & farms etc..... yet all that  is merely a material to be utilised in the life of this world only, whereas Allah has the best return. 

     The real slaves of God always have a different approach towards life  that is not of a material kind:

اُولٰٓئِكَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِمۡ مِّنَ النَّبِيّٖنَ ....وَمِمَّنۡ هَدَيۡنَا وَاجۡتَبَيۡنَا‌ ؕ اِذَا تُتۡلٰى عَلَيۡهِمۡ اٰيٰتُ الرَّحۡمٰنِ خَرُّوۡا سُجَّدًا وَّبُكِيًّا 

فَخَلَفَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ خَلۡفٌ اَضَاعُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَاتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَوٰتِ‌ ۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَلۡقَوۡنَ غَيًّااِلَّا مَنۡ تَابَ وَاٰمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًـا فَاُولٰٓئِكَ يَدۡخُلُوۡنَ الۡجَـنَّةَ ....تِلۡكَ الۡجَـنَّةُ الَّتِىۡ نُوۡرِثُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا مَنۡ كَانَ تَقِيًّا (63-19:58)

    These were the people that Allah had rewarded them among the prophets....... and among those to whom We had guided and responded. When our signs & verses were read to them they fell while prostrating and weeping. Then came their next generations, who wasted their (such feelings of) salat, by chasing their worldly interests. Such people will soon go astray, save for those who returned, have faith and performed well deeds, then they are those who will get entry to heavens.....the heavens that will be granted to our slaves who have "Taqwa".

       Taqwa is a property by which a person refrains from worldly attractions, getting afraid of Allah Almighty and thus develops his internal being stronger & stronger and reaches a point where his inner self is able to survive and progress in eternal and everlasting life. This is the point about which Iqbal says:

ہو اگر خود نگر و خود گر و خود گیر خودی

یہ بھی ممکن ہے کہ تو موت سے بھی مر نہ سکے

      If "khudi" is analytical and observant of ones own self, able to develop ones own personality and has the potentials to conquer his own being, then there is a possibility that you would not die even after your physical death.

(To be continued later, if appreciated).