Allamah Iqbal, the renowned poet-philosopher of the twentieth century, applied his poetry as a tool to express his philosophical, religious, and spiritual ideology (Azhar, 1961). This is particularly reflected in his Philosophy of the Self or “KHUDI” which refers to the divine spark within humans that can be transformed through multiple stages in becoming God conscious (Khan, 2019). Multiple references to natural phenomena are masterfully weaved into his philosophical works (Ahsan, 2000). The author has explored the application and links of the florae used in Allamah Iqbal’s works. Subsequently, the purpose of this project was to understand how florae have been used in Allamah Iqbal’s poetry and prose including how individual plants are linked and connected in his works in expressing his doctrine of Khudi (the Self) as well as his concept of education.
The methodology involved the interpretive paradigm where a theoretical qualitative analysis with a 7-step approach was formulated. This was based on a Gadamerian hermeneutics approach for the proper interpretation of Allamah Iqbal’s doctrine within its specific context as intended by the author. Fundamentally, it was shown that there was a link between Allamah Iqbal’s use of botanical elements and his Philosophy of the Self. After a thorough exploration of the texts and poetry of Allamah Iqbal, the author was able to explore more than one hundred botanical elements mentioned in the works of Allamah Iqbal that were directly or indirectly linked to his philosophy of Khudi. The practical implications of the doctrine of Khudi are numerous because this is associated with the concept of life. This research study introduced a unique area of Allamah Iqbal’s works i.e., a botanical study of his works both prose and poetry and its connection with his doctrine of Khudi in developing a comprehensive model of education.
Overall, this research study can be applied to the educational policy of modern times and by combining botanical themes with doctrine of Khudi and education, it opens a charming space for exploration, particularly within the context of Allamah Iqbal’s philosophical thoughts. The author addressed the knowledge gap that despite extensive scholarship there remains a lack of deep, systematic understanding about how Allamah Iqbal’s use of botanical imagery functions as an essential conduit for his doctrine of Khudi and his concept of education. The study bridges this gap by providing a comprehensive, context-sensitive interpretive framework for appreciating and applying these richly layered natural symbols. Further, this study has contributed to the cultural psychology of Islam by means of establishing an awareness upon scholars’ attitudes toward and sense of connection to the Islamically-rich philosophy of Allamah Iqbal.
The relevance of this study transcends religious boundaries as it incorporates universal aspects of Allamah Iqbal’s literature. The natural symbols (eagle, tulip, etc.) resonate with global traditions with significance in both Western and non-Western cultures. The cross-cultural and metaphysical aspects also contribute to comparative literature – non-Islamic scholars can use these findings as a framework of examining poetic complexity in other traditions. Further, the study also expands on elements of human identity, transformation, and growth as related to an educational framework. These universal ideas are relevant to both secular and religious contexts as they are directly intertwined within the broader academic fields of philosophy of education and psychology.