Adhan of the True Believer

Allama Muhammad Iqbal and the Bilalian Spirit of Islam

Abstract

This paper examines the Islamic call to prayer, or Adhan, from the standpoint of being the ideal symbolic embodiment of some of the major themes present in the philosophical teachings of Muhammad Iqbal. As such, the idea of the ideal Islamic individual, as expressed both in the Quran and in the earliest days of the faith, is explored and developed along these lines. Key concepts such as Khidr, Khudi, and the poetic or lyrical use of the eagle are highlighted here and are tied in within a wider Islamic philosophical context.