Converging Visions, Diverging Paths

A Comparative Study of Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Syed Abul A‘la Maududi in Modern Islamic Thought

Abstract

This paper explores the intellectual trajectories of Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938) and Syed Abul A‘la Maududi (1903–1979) under the theme “Converging Visions, Diverging Paths in Islamic Thought.” Both thinkers were pivotal in shaping the modern Islamic intellectual renaissance in South Asia. They shared a common concern over the decline of Muslim identity and the disintegration of Islamic spiritual vitality under colonial, secular, and materialist influences. Yet, their methods and emphases diverged significantly. Iqbal, a philosopher-poet, emphasised the spiritual and intellectual reconstruction of the Muslim self through his concept of khudi (selfhood) and his dynamic reinterpretation of Islamic metaphysics. He envisioned Islam not as a closed legal structure but as a living, evolving spiritual ideal rooted in the principle of tawḥīd (Divine Unity). Maududi, in contrast, formulated a systematic socio-political philosophy centred on ḥākimiyyat-e-ilāhiyyah (Divine Sovereignty) and the reestablishment of an Islamic order as the practical embodiment of faith.

This paper argues that Iqbal provided the philosophical and spiritual foundations for Muslim revival in the modern age, whereas Maududi operationalised these ideals into a structured program for societal reform. By examining their convergences and divergences, the study demonstrates how both thinkers contributed uniquely to the ongoing project of Islamic intellectual renewal, offering complementary paths toward reasserting the spiritual and moral autonomy of the Muslim world. Their legacies continue to resonate in contemporary Islamic movements and discourses seeking harmony between faith, reason, and modernity.