“…I was unable to visit Pakistan again, but this didn’t stop me from continuing to write about Allama Muhammad Iqbal, whom I value as the most enlightened Muslim thinker of the 20th century, for almost all the following years,” notes Professor Marietta Stepanyants in her article “Russian-Pakistani Philosophical Ties”. It was Iqbal, his son Javed, and the founder of the specialized congress who became key figures in the philosophical dialogue between the USSR (and later Russia) and Pakistan.
A special role in this dialogue was played by Muhammad M. Sharif (1893–1965), the founder of the Pakistan Philosophical Congress, where the Soviet delegation had the opportunity to participate. A recognized authority among Muslim philosophers of the Indian subcontinent, he personally presented his monographs to the participants of the 1961 congress. “M. Sharif claimed that the entire Universe and every body in it consist of the smallest indivisible particles, which he calls monads. … Development in them proceeds through the movement of the “Me” through the “not-Me” or, rather, the “not-yet-Me” <...> into a more developed “Me”, writes Stepanyants.
As the researcher explains, this interpretation of the Islamic worldview in terms of Western philosophy served an important purpose: achieving mutual understanding. This approach not only clarified traditional Islamic concepts, but also expressed new horizons for gaining different cultural experiences.
Already in the post-Soviet era, Professor Stepanyants had the opportunity to participate in the preparation of the East-West Philosophers' Conference. At the VII forum, held by the University of Hawaii in 1995, the speakers represented mainly Western, Chinese, Indian and Japanese philosophy.
“Using my right as the head of the Program Council, I decided to ensure the participation of intellectuals from the hitherto ignored Muslim world,” recalls Stepanyants, “by inviting experts from Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and Iran as plenary speakers.” The most fascinating presentation was by Javed Iqbal, son of the world-famous Muhammad Iqbal, who has many years of legal practice and parliamentary experience in his native country.
According to the professor, Javed's speech successfully debunked two stereotypes. The first was about the fundamental incompatibility of the Islamic legal system with democracy. Referring to the historical example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ , Javed drew attention to how the head of the new state discussed with his companions all issues not related to the Revelation. The Quran commands: "... And consult with them about matters. And when you have made a decision, then trust in Allah ..." (Surah "The Family of Imran", ayat 159).
The second myth concerned the exclusivity of Western democracy as the only path to justice. In contrast to this thesis, representatives of non-Western traditions – including delegates from the USSR, Muslim countries, India, China, and Korea – convincingly demonstrated the possibility and necessity of a democratic system that organically takes into account local cultural and religious characteristics.
Javed recalled that his father Muhammad Iqbal was the only thinker who used the expression “spiritual democracy” to define the Islamic state. If the state is an integral part of Islam, this concept becomes a departure from the conventional wisdom. According to Iqbal, the traditional literature on Islamic political order was composed at a time when the world of Islam was affected by absolute monarchy.
Professor Marietta Stepanyants admits that Pakistan has always been personified for her by Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Over the course of six decades of her scientific work, she has invariably turned to the study of his philosophical legacy. It is symbolic that she titled her 2022 article, addressed to future generations of researchers, with a line from Iqbal’s famous poem “Secrets of the Self” — “…The Voice of the Poet of Tomorrow.” Today speaks of cooperation between Russia and Pakistan not only in science, but also in education.
Joint projects are being developed on climate change, higher education after COVID-19, online distance learning, academic exchange, and Pakistan's accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Network University. Russia provides an annual quota for training in areas in demand by the Pakistani economy. Last academic year, the number of quotas increased — currently, more than 380 Pakistani students are studying at Russian universities, 90 of them under quota.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council