Agenda
Family
First of all, we will learn about the family of Shah Waliullah to get an idea of his personality.
Sheikh Wajihuddin
Sheikh Wajihuddin was the grandfather of Shah Waliullah.
He served as an important officer in the army of the Shah Jehan, the fifth Mughal emperor.
Shah Abdur Rahim
Shah Abdur Rahim was the father of Shah Waliullah.
He was a prominent Islamic scholar of Delhi, and had great reputation.
Shah Abdur Rahim was associated with the completion of Fatawa-e-Alamgiri, compiled during Aurangzeb’s reign.
He was also a founding member of the Madrassa Rahimiya in Delhi.
Shah Abdul Aziz
Shah Abdul Aziz was the eldest son of Shah Waliullah.
He aquired education from his father and was influenced by his beliefs.
He was a great Islamic scholar and one of the leading figures during his time.
He was also the one who taught Syed Ahmed Barelvi at the Madrassa Rahmimya.
Birth
Shah Waliullah was born on February 21, 1703 in Dehli.
As discussed earlier, he was the son of Shah Abdur Rahim, the founder of Madrassa Rahimiya.
Shah Waliullah belonged to a respected religious family in the subcontinent.
Name
Now let’s discuss about the name of Shah Waliullah.
By birth, he was given the name of Qutub-ud-Din, which means leader of the faith.
Due to his piety, he was given the title Waliullah, which means friend of God.
His surname was Dehlawi as he was born in Delhi.
Early Life
At the age of 7, Shah Waliullah became Hafiz-e-Quran (one who memorizes the Quran).
Soon afterwards, he was able to master Arabic and Persian letters.
Upon reaching the age of 14, Shah Waliullah was married.
And at the age of 16, he completed the standard Hanafi curriculum of law, theology, geometry, arithmetic, and logic.
Later Life
Death of Father
Shah Abdur Rahim, the father of Shah Waliullah died in 1718.
After his death, Shah Waliullah started teaching at the Madrassa Rahimiya.
Stay in Arabia
In 1724, Shah Waliullah went to Arabia to perform Hajj (pilgrimage) and further his studies.
During his stay in Arabia, he was influenced by Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim.
He thought deeply about the problems faced by the Muslims in the subcontinent.
Back to Delhi
He returned to Delhi in July 1732.
From then Shah Waliullah started to improve the conditions of Muslims in the subcontinent as you will read later in the chapter.
Shah Waliullah died on August 10, 1762. He was aged 59 years at the time of his death.
Problems and Beliefs
Religious Beliefs
1. Quranic Teachings
Problems
Now, you need to keep in mind that…
Persian was the main language of the Muslims in the subcontinent, whereas, the Quran was in written Arabic.
It was difficult for local Muslim population to understand the meaning of Quranic verses.
Beliefs
Shah Waliullah pointed out that most of the problems faced by Muslims were due to incomplete knowledge of Quran.
He believed that it was necessary that Quranic teachings become more accessible to the people.
2. Islamic Principles
Shah Waliullah believed that it was essential to follow the spiritual and moral principles of Islam.
He asked Muslims to condemn the un-Islamic practices which they had been following under the influence of hindus and other religious groups.
He belived that Muslims should follow Islamic principles in all areas of society, be it politics, economics or daily lives of people.
3. Sectarianism
Problems
Muslims were dividing themselves into sects (religious groups).
This led to an increase in the internal conflicts within the Muslim community
Shia-Sunni Tension
The worst internal conflict was existing amongst the Shias and the Sunnis.
Some Sunnis even believed that the Shias were not even Muslims.
Although Shah Waliullah himself was a Sunni, this view was firmly rejected by him.
Beliefs
Shah Waliullah studied and discussed the whole question very objectively.
He believed that Muslims should focus on the basic principles of Islam.
He said that Muslims should put aside their differences to create a more united community.
Political Beliefs
4. Mughal Empire
While he was in Arabia, Shah Waliullah thought deeply about the the problems faced by Muslims in the Mughal Empire.
He came to the conclusion that only spiritual and moral regeneration could rescue the empire from decline.
This point is really important as it is the reason why Shah Waliullah revived Islam in the very first place.
5. Muslim Unity
This point relates to the Sectarianism point that we discussed earlier but in politics.
Shah Waliullah believed that the Muslims leaders should unite together.
This would make them politically strong and Muslims would be less vulnerable to attacks from the non-Muslim forces.
Works / Contributions
Religious Services
1. Translation of Quran (1738)
Shah Waliullah wanted Quranic teachings to become more accessible to the people.
He translated the Quran into Persian so that Muslims could easily understand its meaning.
He was the first person in the subcontinent to translate the Quran.
Hence, he faced much criticism from the ulama (Islamic scholars) but this did not stop him.
Later, his son, Shah Abdul Qadir Dehlawi translated the Quran into Urdu.
2. Writings
Shah Waliullah was a productive writer and he wrote extensively on:
- Fiqh – Islamic jurisprudence
- Hadis – traditions of Prophet (PBUH)
In addition to translating the Quran, Shah Waliullah has written a total of 51 books:
- 23 books in Arabic
- 28 books in Persian
His most famous works are:
- Hujjat Allah al-Baligha
- Izalat-ul-Akhfa
- Khilafat-ul-Khulfa
Hujjat Allah al-Baligha
The Conclusive Argument of God
- It is considered to be the masterwork amongst all of his other writings.
- Shah Waliullah deeply discusses the fundamental principles of Islam.
- According to Shah Waliullah, the mark of the perfect implementation of the Sharia was the performance of jihad.
Izalat-ul-Akhfa
Removal of Ambiguity
- It is one of the most important works of Shah Waliullah.
- Shah Waliullah writes a commentary and explanation of the Quran.
Khilafat-ul-Khulafa
Caliphate of [Early] Caliphs
3. Solving Sectarianism
Solutions
- Shah Waliullah wrote an account on the first four Khalifas (Caliphs) of Islam in a way that was acceptable to both the Shias and the Sunnis. This helped to heal the division between them.
- In his writings, Shah Waliullah would often highlight how minor and petty the controversies were between the various schools of thought in Islam.
Political Services
1. Cause of Mughal Decline
The real greatness of Shah Waliullah lies in identifying the causes of the decline of the Mughal Empire.
Not only that, he also tried to find remidies to counteract them.
2. Letters to Muslims
He wrote to various Muslim leaders to unite under the banner of Islam and stop Muslims from declining.
He persuaded Ahmed Shah Abdali to intervene and rescue the Mughal empire.
It was partly his influence that Ahmed Shah Durrani came to India and fought the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.
Economic Services
Shah Waliullah was concerned about the prevalent economic system.
1. Adl and Tawazun
He laid great emphasis on adl and tawazun.
Adl means justice and tawazun means balance.
So here his goal was to encourage social justice and equilibrium.
2. Peasants and Craftsmen
He emphasized that the labor of the peasants and craftsmen should be justly rewarded for their contribution to the economy.
3. Fair money system
He urged traders and businessmen to adopt a fairer system of trading and making money.
Importance / Influence
1. Islamic Revival
- Shah Waliullah brought an Islamic revival at a time when the Muslim position was in decline.
- He made the Muslims realize that they could only rise if they followed Islamic principles.
2. Writings
- Shah Waliullah’s writings helped to spread Islamic knowledge across the subcontinent.
- His writings focused on the fundamental principles of Islam and were accepted by various sects.
- As a result, different sects in the subcontinent were united through his writings.
- The majority of his writings were in Persian and were easily understood by Muslims.
- After his death, his writings were preserved and even translated into many languages.
3. Madrassa Rahimiya
- Madrassa Rahimiya was one of the most influential institutes of Islamic education.
- Shah Waliullah himself taught at the Madrassa and later his sons carried forward his work and teachings.
- It played a vital role in teaching Islamic principles and researching Islamic thought.
- Many upcoming Muslim leaders, including Syed Ahmed Barelvi, were educated at the Madrassa Rahimiya.
4. Importance of Jihad
- Shah Waliullah emphasized the importance of jihad (armed struggle) against a common enemy.
- He wrote to various Muslim leaders to unite under the banner of Islam and stop Muslims from declining.
- He persuaded Ahmed Shah Abdali to intervene and rescue the Mughal empire.
5. Defeat of Marathas
The Marathas from the south were a very serious threat to the Mughal Empire.
Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor had spent 25 years of his life trying to defeat them but he was unsuccessful.
The defeat of the Marathas in the Third Battle of Panipat marked an end to the constant threat Mughals had to face.
6. Inspiration
During his lifetime, Shah Waliullah became a role model for Muslims to follow.
Even after his death, many future Muslims were inspired by him.
He is known as the Father of Islamic Revivalist Movements in the subcontinent.
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