Is Iqbal's thought a copy of Nietzsche? (Support or denial)

Abstract

This research article critically examines the long-standing academic debate regarding the alleged intellectual dependency of Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s philosophy on Friedrich Nietzsche’s theories. Early Western critics and orientalists, such as R.A. Nicholson and E.G. Browne, often labeled Iqbal’s concept of Khudi (the Self) as a mere Eastern adaptation or "copy" of Nietzsche’s Ubermensch (Superman). However, this study refutes these claims by conducting a deep comparative analysis of their respective foundational sources and metaphysical goals. While Nietzsche’s Superman is a biological byproduct of Darwinian evolution and a reaction to the "death of God," Iqbal’s Mard-e-Momin (the True Believer) is firmly rooted in Quranic revelation, the Prophetic model, and the spiritual legacy of Sufi thinkers like Rumi and Al-Jili. The research highlights that Nietzsche’s "Will to Power" is essentially amoral and materialistic, advocating for an aristocratic elitism that disdains the common man. In contrast, Iqbal’s concept of power is balanced by divine law, spiritual discipline, and universal human equality. The article argues that Iqbal’s philosophy is an original reconstruction of Islamic thought rather than a borrowed Western idea, as evidenced by Iqbal’s own writings where he characterizes Nietzsche as a "Western Madman" (Majzub-e-Farangi) whose "heart is a believer but whose brain is an infidel." Ultimately, the study concludes that despite shared terminology regarding struggle and vigor, the spiritual vicegerency (Niabat-e-Ilahi) of Iqbal and the atheistic Superman of Nietzsche remain two fundamentally opposing poles of thought.