شروحِ کلامِ اقبال (اُردو) از یوسف سلیم چشتی کا تحقیقی و تنقیدی جائزہ

A RESEARCH AND CRITICAL REVIEW OF SHURUH۔E۔KALAM۔E۔IQBAL (URDU) BY YOUSUF SALEEM CHISHTI

Abstract

This research paper presents a critical and analytical study of Yousuf Saleem Chishti’s elucidation on Allama Iqbal’s (Urdu) poetry. Chishti, a contemporary and close associate of Iqbal, devoted much of his life to explaining Iqbal’s philosophical and poetic ideas. He authored comprehensive commentaries on Iqbal’s major Urdu works—Bang-e-Dra, Bal-e-Jibril, Zarb-e-Kalim, and Armaghan-e-Hijaz—employing an in-depth approach that combined traditional scholarship with spiritual insight. His commentaries reflect vast knowledge of Islamic theology, Western and Eastern philosophies and Sufi metaphysics. The paper examines Chishti’s scholarly style, his use of linguistic, poetic, and rhetorical devices, references to Quranic verses, Hadith, classical poetry, and mystic philosophies. It also evaluates his identification of Iqbalian terminologies, historical references, and explanatory techniques. While acknowledging Chishti’s deep intellectual and spiritual commitment, the study also highlights shortcomings such as occasional factual inaccuracies, over-reliance on memory, and editorial oversights. Overall, the paper underscores Chishti’s unique role in making Iqbal’s complex thought accessible to a broader Urdu readership and his significant contribution to Iqbal studies in the subcontinent.