Myth Of Selfhood The “Khudi” Concept

Understanding the Concept of “Khudi”

For the first time, Doctor Allama Muhammad Iqbal, “Peot of the Subcontinent”, presented the concept of Khudi in Asrar-e-Khudi, which he addressed to the youth of the nation. Before Iqbal’s philosophy, every writer or scholar presented Khudi “selfhood” as egoistic and selfish, but Allama Iqbal totally changed this thought in a beautiful and concise manner. At the moment, people criticise this concept and they refer to it as an egoistic thought. Later, scholars and academicians started proper work on this concept of Khudi for the sake of deep and clear meaning. They found Khudi from a different angle or perspective when they dived into Iqbal’s full emblem. Because Allama Iqbal was harshly criticised by the religious and conservative classes, even famous Pakistani poets worked on Khudi and understood the truth about the concept. Because earlier scholars were unable to comprehend and apply the true meanings of Khudi.That is why they called Khudi “to think of yourself as better and superior”, which was not the actual concept.

What selfhood “Khudi” Concept Teaches Us?

Basically, khudi & selfhood are the purpose of the existence of all mankind and everything. Iqbal’s khudi is not about that a man should be egoistic. Even when a person knows himself, he becomes a person who doesn’t criticise others, and also, a man looks upon his own weaknesses and drawbacks. That’s why Iqbal’s emphasis on falsfai khudi, because this helps us to know the exact purpose of life. The significance of “self” in one’s life is the source through which a human can bring themselves closest to Allah, or in simple terms, to the ultimate. Allama Iqbal went so deep to understand the true meaning of khudi, “self,” that the average person would be unable to do so. Because of the khudi concept in the emblem of Iqbal, he faced high criticism in the subcontinent by religious people, but he kept going to share his thoughts with people. He presented the self concept in a unique way, but not everyone could understand him because he used high-imagination words as he was an ocean of knowledge.

Iqbal wrote a book, Asrar-e-Khudi, just to present the “self” concept for the motivation of young people. He used Shaheen as a source to make Khudi’s “selfhood” concept more clear and concise. The reason for choosing Shaheen is that this bird has a different quality that no other has. Shaheen does not want only pigeons or doves to calm his hunger. This bird flies high and looks for different opportunities. Also, the eagle “Shaheen” is the dervish of the bird world because it doesn’t make nests to live in. According to Wasif Ali Wasif, these mentioned above attributes of Eagle forced Iqbal to use them as a source for the youth’s motivation. Shaheen was born with farsightedness and a critical eye. That is the reason the verbatim eagle eye is known throughout the world. Shaheen has the ability to see beyond the mountains and assess current events. Shaheen flies at a high altitude, so he doesn’t get food like other birds. I mean to say that Shaheen doesn’t eat leftovers like other grouped birds do. Iqbal wrote, “O falcon, don’t get scared of stormy weather. They come to keep you flying to great heights. “ It’s the symbol of “Khuddari”, the ability to recognise yourself and make your own way in life. That is the great lesson which one must understand from the self “Khudi” concept.

Core Aspects Of Falsfa-I-Khudi:

According to Allama Muhammad Iqbal, in order to understand your purpose of existence in the world, one must understand and know oneself. Because Allah says, “There are hints for strong believers on Earth and in themselves. Why don’t you see it? “ After this quote, it gets clear that transparency of your heart is the first step towards self “khudi”. Transparency of heart cannot be achieved unless one knows himself properly. First you have to recognise yourself, your talent, mistakes, setbacks, and all aspects which relate to your personality. The youth of a nation can change the world in a positive way because they get to know themselves. That’s why Iqbal addressed the youth, because they’re the assets of the nation.

It must be notified that, “Allah says I’m a hidden treasure and I want humans to know me by knowing themselves, that’s why I created them. “ So now there should be no question about Khudi and Iqbal’s philosophy, as Allah has cleared it up that the only way a man can know me is to know himself completely. When one gets to know his own self, then he can accomplish anything in this world, as Shaheen accomplished all his hunting and flights. Therefore, Khudi “selfhood” is significant to give one purpose in life, because without it, life is useless. According to the “Khudi” mentality, the ideal approach is to grasp the cause of one’s being in the world. He advises young people to emulate Shaheen, who is the most powerful of all the birds. Iqbal stated in support of the Falsfa-I-Khudi, “I like tough young people who bring starts down.”In simple words, when one gets to know himself, then nothing can distract him from his ambitions and goals. That’s how the khudi concept works in different aspects of one’s life.

“Khudi” Selfhood Myth Through Islamic & Real Life’s Ideology:

Allah created mankind and this whole world so that all human beings would find the hidden treasure which is kept by Allah. This hidden virtual/ultimate treasure can only be found when people get to know themselves internally. Allah says,”Those who get to know themselves can know me easily because there are symptoms of Allah’s absolute power in ourselves.” Khudi “selfhood” brings awareness of reality because when one gets a taste of selfhood, all inner abilities, talents, and drawbacks are highlighted. Therefore, Khudi is significant in Islam because it’s the only way to keep human beings from criticising others instead of themselves. According to Wasif Ali Wasif, “every problem starts when we criticise others instead of looking at our own mistakes and setbacks. This is also the reason why many people don’t correct themselves. On the other hand, Allah gave us the mind and the ability to think. That is why we must look at ourselves and think of problems’ solutions in a positive way. Once, Sultan Salahud-Din Ayyubi R.A. stated that “no doubt Allah’s help and assistance are with us, but we must have to consider our abilities and skills to win the war”. That statement made it crystal clear that Khudi is all about self accountability. Selfhood makes us capable of knowing what the purpose of our lives is and why we have been sent to this mortal world. What should we do in our life with a positive attitude? Khudi “selfhood” brings positivity to one’s life because when he gets to know himself, he stops complaining about other external factors instead. That’s what Khudi “selfhood” is all about in Islam, which can be understood by the above-quoted examples.

Conclusion Of Khudi:

Khudi “selfhood” is the best way to know the purpose of the existence of human beings in this mortal world. It is Khudi which makes capable humans reach their ultimate goal, which is to know Allah. Khudi “selfhood” gives a reason for living and also a meaning through which many evils can be eradicated. The reason is that when we only look at ourselves, instead of others’ mistakes, we wouldn’t be notified. As per the above mentioned, Allah says in the Quran that there are so many hints or symptoms for strong believers, but it is your duty to think and see all of them. Khudi “selfhood” is the way to know hidden talents and skills or drawbacks in ourselves because Khudi is also self accountability. Though it’s not egoistic and selfish, it is the way to achieve the ultimate goal in life.

Category: Education