Allama Iqbal's Mother Imam Bibi

Iqbal's mother Imam Bibi(died1914) was a worldly-wise woman with pious habits and supervised the cottage industry of caps and strings which were sold at her husband's shop in the front room. She was good in saving money and was later able to help orphaned girls from the neighbour hood.Amazingly after her times, she was quite averse to superpositions and would often criticise her youngest daughter's leaning towards the healing. She was also capable of putting her foot down and could take offence in her opinion
was ignored. For instance, when an unfriendly neighbour was dying of plague and requested a visit of 'Nur Muhammad' to ask forgiveness , Imam Bibi opposed the idea.. Her husband had to please a  wife who wouldn't speak to him in addition to combating the risk of plague when he returned home(and fortunately succeed to both counts).

Although usually good natured and generous, Imam Bibi could also be haughty on occasions-a poorer cousin stopped visiting her after her son was called inferior to Iqbal.On the whole Imam Bibi 's temperament seem to have provided her younger son with a much-needed balance against the otherworldly tendencies inherited from the father.

Iqbal has two elder sisters 'Talay Bibi'(1870-1902), and Fatima Bibi; and two younger ones, Karim Bibi (died 1958) and 'Zaynab Bibi'. Karim was next to him in order of birth and closest to him as he shared hi sense of humour and easygoing attitude towards life. 'Zaynab' was  reserved and superstitiously religious (Karim would taunt her as 'Moulvi Sahib'). Fatima and 'Zaynab' both faced  stresses in marriage at some point.