How did Muhammad Iqbal believe Muslims could achieve reform?

Muhammad Iqbal believed that reform in Muslim society could be achieved by strengthening the individual through three successive stages: obedience to the law of Islam, the practice of self-control, and the acceptance of the idea that every person is potentially a vicegerent of God (na’ib or mu’min). He emphasized that the life of action should be preferred over ascetic resignation, condemning the "self-negating quietism" of classical Islamic mysticism, which he viewed as a symptom of decadence.12

To infuse new vitality into the Muslim community, Iqbal advocated for the following:

• Exercise of Ijtihad: He argued that Muslims should utilize ijtihād—the principle of legal advancement—to devise new social and political institutions suitable for the modern age.1
• Creative Self-Affirmation: He maintained that creative self-affirmation is a fundamental Muslim virtue, encouraging individuals to serve causes greater than themselves, modeled after the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the first believers.1
• Engagement with Modernity: He insisted that Muslims must understand modern science, philosophy, and social and political systems to effectively address the challenges of the contemporary world.2