Why did Muhammad Iqbal favor active living over ascetic withdrawal?

Muhammad Iqbal favored active living over ascetic withdrawal because he viewed creative self-affirmation as a fundamental virtue and a necessary component of Islamic life. He strongly condemned the "self-negating quietism" found in classical Islamic mysticism, which posited that spiritual perfection is achieved through passive contemplation.1

Instead, Iqbal argued that a rightly focused individual should unceasingly generate vitality through active interaction with the purposes of God. In his view, the life of the Prophet Muhammad served as a paradigm for this approach, demonstrating that true self-realization is found through the sacrifice of the self in the service of causes greater than the individual, such as the ideals of brotherhood and justice. By prioritizing action, Iqbal sought to address the "anguish of Muslim powerlessness" and encourage the community to reform and devise new social and political institutions through the exercise of ijtihād (legal advancement).1