Gurmani Center
The Gurmani Center for Languages and Literature (GCLL) was established in 2010 with the generous support of the Gurmani Foundation to promote the study and research of Pakistani languages, including Arabic and Persian. Since its inception, the Center has grown into a leading hub for academic and cultural activities. It has hosted international conferences, published groundbreaking scholarship in the field of vernacular humanities, and offered a diverse range of courses in Pakistani languages.
One of the Center's flagship initiatives is the annual publication of Bunyad, a research journal recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) as one of the top-ranked journals in Urdu studies. Beyond publishing, the GCLL regularly invites artists, poets, calligraphers, and fiction writers to showcase their work and conduct workshops on creative writing, research methodologies, and related themes.
Due to its extensive contributions, the Gurmani Center has become a cornerstone of the vibrant intellectual and artistic life not only on the LUMS campus but also in the broader cultural landscape of Lahore.
How to Read Iqbal
The Gurmani Centre for Languages and Literature (GCLL) cordially invites you to an insightful session titled "How to Read Iqbal."
Muhammad Iqbal remains one of the most influential thinkers of the South Asian intellectual tradition. Yet, reading Iqbal today raises important questions about how we approach his poetry and philosophical writings, interpret his ideas, and engage with the intellectual traditions that shaped his thought. How might we move beyond familiar readings of Iqbal to explore the philosophical, religious, literary, and historical dimensions of his work? What interpretive approaches can help us understand his writings in the context of modernity, religion, and the wider Persianate and South Asian worlds?
Bringing together perspectives from religious thought and Persian literary traditions, this discussion will explore different ways of reading Iqbal and reflect on the continuing relevance of his ideas for contemporary readers.
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Speakers:
Nauman Faizi is an Associate Professor of Religion at LUMS. His research interests include philosophy of religion, hermeneutics, semiotics, and modern Islamic thought. His book, God, Science, and Self: Muhammad Iqbal’s Reconstruction of Religious Thought (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2021), offers a sustained engagement with Iqbal’s philosophical reconstruction of religious thought.
Fatima Fayyaz brings an extensive background in medieval Central Asian hagiographical literature, modern Afghan-Persian literature, and Persianate codicology. Her work emphasizes the cross-cultural connections of Central Asian Sufis across the South Asian region. Her ongoing research includes studying the influence of Ferdowsi Tusi’s Shahnameh on the lyrical poetry and prose of the later Mughal period, offering a deep understanding of the Persian literary heritage that profoundly influenced Iqbal.
Date: Friday, 13th November 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Venue: Auditorium A-11, Academic Block, LUMS
Registration Link: https://forms.gle/4Qhd7wBt3YreZvLN8