Mohammad Iqbal's Dynamic Panentheism: A Synthesis of Ego, Freedom, and Divine Immanence in the Reconstruction of Islamic Thought
Pharos Journal of Theology July 17, 2026 Emi Triani, Edy Suprayetno
Mohammad Iqbal's panentheism reconciles divine transcendence and immanence with human freedom and agency. Unlike absolute monism, his view affirms the distinct, substantial reality of the human ego (khudi) that matures through a dialectical relationship with a personal, creative God who is both vertically transcendent and horizontally immanent. The cosmos is real and interior to God's self-actualizing life. This framework harmonizes divine endurance, human agency, historical purpose, and causality and destiny. Beyond metaphysics, it counters Muslim fatalism by grounding an ontology of empowered participation, ethical co-creation, and human vicegerency, aiming to revitalize Islamic civilization against modern challenges.