افغانستان میں اقبال شناسی کی روایت: ڈاکٹر عبدالرؤف رفیقی کی علمی و تحقیقی خدمات کا تنقیدی جائزہ

THE TRADITION OF IQBAL STUDIES IN AFGHANISTAN: A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE SCHOLARLY AND RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS OF DR. ABDUL RAUF RAFIQI

Abstract

This study critically examines the scholarly contributions of Professor Dr. Abdul Rauf Rafiqi in establishing and advancing the tradition of Iqbal Studies in Afghanistan. While Iqbal scholarship has flourished across South Asia, Rafiqi’s work is distinctive for systematically documenting the intellectual, cultural, and literary reception of Allama Muhammad Iqbal among Afghan scholars, poets, rulers, and thinkers. His seminal book Afghanistan mein Iqbal Shanasi ki Riwayat has become a foundational source, offering a comprehensive analysis of Iqbal’s influence on Afghanistan’s socio-cultural and intellectual landscape. Rafiqi demonstrates that Afghan engagement with Iqbal began during the poet’s lifetime, when his ideas were embraced not merely as literary achievements but as a call for Islamic revival, freedom of thought, and national identity. Afghan intellectuals honored Iqbal as “Shair-e-Islam” and integrated his philosophy into educational, literary, and social discourse. By situating Iqbal’s thought within Afghanistan’s historical and cultural context, Rafiqi highlights the resonance of Iqbal’s admiration for figures such as Ahmad Shah Abdali, Jalaluddin Rumi, Jamaluddin Afghani, Khushhal Khan Khattak, and others. His research also traces the evolution of Iqbal Studies in Afghanistan across three distinct phases (1938–1950, 1951–1977, and 1978–2002), documenting the contributions of both Pashto and Persian-speaking scholars. Beyond literary analysis, Rafiqi’s work underscores Iqbal’s symbolic role in Afghan national consciousness and the broader Islamic world. This critical review affirms Rafiqi’s pioneering role in preserving and promoting Iqbal’s intellectual legacy in Afghanistan, thereby enriching the corpus of Iqbal Studies and strengthening Indo-Afghan cultural ties.