THE WISDOM OF THE PHARAOHS
EXPLANATORY NOTE

Here Iqbal describes the, state of Muslim society as it existed under bondage to the British imperialism in the Muslim world generally and in the South-Asian subcontinent in particular. The basic point, according to him, is that the Muslims of today are unfortunately divorced from the refreshing source of their faith. Their attachment to it is only superficial; they talk fondly of the deeds of glory of their ancestors and write books about them, but fail miserably to follow in their footsteps and live up to the ideals of their faith.

Under the influence of Western civilisation, pursuit of material ends has become the sine qua nun of modernism. Devoid of any contact with their spiritual source, people live their life from day to day, trying to satisfy their bodily cravings.

The educational system is devised to promote the interests of the foreign rulers, and the so-called religious leaders too promote� the welfare of the rulers than that of the people to whom they belong. In the history of the subcontinent many instances can be quoted where religious scholars sided with the British against the millat, and so interpreted the Shari�ah as to suit the interests of the imperial rulers. Those educated in modern schools and universities are cut off from their cultural moorings and are therefore, more interested in the affairs of the body than in spiritual development.