This work is a selection of poetry by one of Persia's most influential poets. Muhammed Iqbal is one of the foremost poets and philosophers of the Indian sub-continent. His Persian and Urdu poetry, with its deep philosophical insights and literary beauty, has enthralled generations of readers.

This is a highly informative yet accessibly-written introduction to the life and works of the poet-philosopher-politician Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), who as President of the Muslim League played a vital role in the birth of Pakistan, and is revered today as the country's spiritual founder. In discussing Iqbal's philosophy, and analyzing his poetry and prose at some length, Mustansir Mir suggests that Iqbal represents a paragon for modern Muslims, caught as they are between tradition and modernity.