Iqbal and the Poetics of Awakening

Delivered by his grandson, Walid Iqbal, this lecture explores Muhammad Iqbal’s poetics of awakening, centered on his idea of khudi. Khudi: the self as something cultivated through love, striving, and creative action. It considers how Iqbal’s poetry fostered dialogue across languages, traditions, and civilisations, particularly through his engagement with Rumi and European thinkers. Taking place at Trinity College, the event also reflects on Iqbal’s Cambridge connections and his enduring vision of beauty as a means of renewing both the self and the bonds between people. Please note that doors will close shortly before the advertised time, so we request that you arrive 15 minutes before the start time. About Walid Iqbal Walid Iqbal is a Pakistani lawyer, legislator, and academic. Before his time in public service, he built one of Pakistan’s leading corporate law firms. He has taught law and economics for over a decade at LUMS, Government College University Lahore, the Punjab Group of Colleges, and Harvard University. A grandson of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, he comes from a family deeply rooted in public service and scholarship. About The Cambridge Festival of Islamic Arts The Cambridge Festival of Islamic Arts runs from 19 to 29 November 2026, bringing performances, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops to Cambridge's historic colleges, museums, and cultural spaces. Open to everyone, the festival celebrates the beauty and diversity of Islamic arts, and, fifty years on from the landmark 1976 World of Islam Festival, carries that spirit into our own time. Find out more at cfia.co.uk.