By:Dr. Zeeshan Hussain
New York
I hope you are doing well. I wanted to take some time to share a personal note with you along with what I would call a small literary review and reflection after spending time with your books “The Message of Iqbal” and “Independent Ideas”.
Reading these works was interesting for me not only because of the ideas themselves, but also because of the stage of life I am currently in. As I read through them, I found myself doing something that I think meaningful books often cause readers to do. I was not simply reading words on a page. I found myself stopping, reflecting, and connecting the ideas with my own experiences and thoughts.
My reflections on “The Message of Iqbal”:
What stood out to me most was the discussion surrounding selfhood and the strengthening of the inner self. I appreciated the distinction between strengthening the self and strengthening the ego because those two things are often confused in today’s world. Society constantly pushes people toward status, image, comparison, and external measures of success, while true inner strength often receives less attention.
Your interpretation of Iqbal made me think deeply about the challenges many people face today. We live in a world filled with information, endless stimulation, and constant noise, yet many people continue struggling with anxiety, uncertainty, distraction, and overthinking. It made me wonder whether some of these modern struggles are not simply problems of knowledge or intelligence, but also problems of purpose and inner grounding.
One thought that stayed with me was this: perhaps people today are not suffering because they think too little, but because they think endlessly without a stronger anchor guiding those thoughts. I found that idea particularly meaningful. It is really the matter of pride for the author that this book was published by Iqbal Academy, Lahore with the Preface of eminent intellectual and senior bureaucrat Dr. Shahzad Qaiser. On the cover of title the pic of author with the son of Dr. Allama Iqbal is a memorable pic. The friendly relations of the author with Dr. Javaid Iqbal strengthens their intellectual harmony and personal relationship.
My reflections on “Independent Ideas”:
I found this book highly relevant to the times we live in. We now live in an era where information spreads instantly and opinions often travel faster than genuine reflection. People increasingly inherit viewpoints before taking the time to question or examine them.
What I appreciated was the encouragement toward independent thinking. I felt that the book quietly reminds readers that real intellectual growth requires effort and honesty. It asks people not to accept ideas merely because they are popular or widely repeated, but to examine them and think deeply. This books carries the excellent laudatory commentary of established personalities such as the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, Dr. Javaid Iqbal, Ms. Linda Barto of North Carolina, America, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed. Moreover, the scholarly comments of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on the author’s two books” The Message of Iqbal” and his book of Urdu columns/ articles titled “ چراغِ افکار” is a special commendable note.
This felt particularly important in an age where technology and algorithms increasingly shape what people see and sometimes even what they think.
On a personal level:
As you may know, I also published my own book, Breaking the Chains of Overthinking: A Practical Guide to Mental Clarity that I published in 2025. While reflecting on your books, I noticed an interesting connection between the themes you explore and some of the themes that have interested me personally.
My book focuses on mental patterns that trap people in cycles of overthinking, while your books led me to think more deeply about whether many mental struggles are also connected to questions of purpose, self development, and inner direction. I found myself reflecting on whether overthinking itself may sometimes be the result of becoming disconnected from a stronger center within ourselves.
I think one of the greatest compliments that can be given to any author is that their work creates thought beyond the final page. Your books did that for me. They did not simply present ideas. They created reflection and raised deeper questions.
I wanted to share these thoughts with you as a reader who sifts wisdom from books like your theses two books. These books speak volumes and establish you as a modern philosopher in the arena of progressive and rational thinking.
