Allama Iqbal was born in British India, which is known nowadays as Pakistan on November 9th 1877. Iqbal had a Muslim upbringing and at the age of four converted to Islam. Iqbal went to school in Pakistan but ended up going to study in Cambridge in England and also Germany after a period of travelling. Iqbal became a solicitor and set up his own law practice though he focused on politics, economics, history, philosophy and religion.
Iqbal is best known for being a positive influence on Islam across the world and he delivered a series of lectures on the religion he felt so passionately about. These lectures were published. Iqbal also wanted the creation of a northwestern state for Indians. Iqbal also worked closely with a number of Muslim writers and poets and his birth date the 9th of November is a holiday in Pakistan.
Iqbal wrote a number of books on history, religion and philosophy and is best known for a book called Asrar-e-Khudi which brought him a knighthood and is also remembered in song in Iran and Afghanistan. He is also recognised as Pakistan's national poet.
