Iqbal's Theory Of Active Resistance Research Paper

his mind and heart constantly reminding him of his helplessness and frustration. As a result, his inner self is shattered by these inner gloomy emotions. In the words of Sartre:

If he shows fight, the soldiers fire and he is a dead man; if he gives in he degrades himself and he is no longer a man at all; shame and fear will split up his character and make his inmost self-fall into pieces(Fanon,1963:13).

The result of this physiological violence is either the native accepts the unacceptable social order and falls victim to many spiritual and mental disorders or he raises the flag of rebellion against the oppressor. In this way, the native is pushed to take up arms i.e., violence against oppression. But for Fanon there is nothing wrong in it.

However, the concept of active resistance is not an individualistic concept given by Iqbal, rather, it is the promulgation of a very fundamental principle of Islamic teachings called Jihad. The inspirational reservoir of Iqbal’s philosophy of resistance is the teaching of Islam. The word Islam has come from the root word ‘Salamah’ which means peace and Islam has always been the religion of peace. But unlike other major world religions, there is a well defined concept of Jihad or resistance against tyranny, oppression and evil temptation in the theoretical framework of

If soul of man becomes defiled,

Of conscience clean it gets bereft:

It soon forgets high aims and ends,

No taste refined in it is left. (Iqbal,Zarb-i-Kaleem,trans. Akbar Ali,1983:71)

Long before Frantz Fanon, Iqbal had reached the same conclusion about the moral bankruptcy of European civilization and its downfall. Iqbal was proclaiming such a judgment at time when European colonialism in general and British colonialism in particular was at its Zenith. Iqbal says:

O Western world’s inhabitants, God’s world is not a shop

What you are considering genuine, will be regarded counterfeit

Your civilization will commit suicide with its own dagger

The nest built on the frail branch will not be durable.

(Iqbal,Bang-i-Dara,trans, Khalil,1991:223)

Despite having their different ideological inclinations, Iqbal and Fanon share one thing in common, i.e., their uncompromising call for resistance against the forces of tyranny and oppression. Both Frantz Fanon and Mohammad Iqbal are against the imperial west for its anti-human and materialistic nature. Both of them are quite convinced that the evil activities and policies of it will cause the downfall of the western