Shahwaliullah
Early Biographical Details
• Born on 21 February 1703 during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir
• Real name was Qutub-ud-Din
• Later became known as Shah Waliullah because of his piety
• His father was Shah Abdul Rahim, who founded the Madrassa Rahimiya in Delhi
• After the death of this father Shah Waliullah began teaching at the Madrassa
• Went to Arabia to perform Hajj and to further his studies
• He studied under the famous scholar Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim
• Later became known as Shah Waliullah because of his piety
• His father was Shah Abdul Rahim, who founded the Madrassa Rahimiya in Delhi
• After the death of this father Shah Waliullah began teaching at the Madrassa
• Went to Arabia to perform Hajj and to further his studies
• He studied under the famous scholar Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim
Beliefs
Weak leadership of Mughal Empire
• During his time in Arabia, Shah Waliullah thought deeply about the problems faced by Muslims in the Mughal Empire.
• The Empire was in decline and Muslims were disunited and vulnerable to attacks on their religion
• Shah Waliullah realized that reform could not come from the weak leadership in Delhi and that it had to come from within the Muslim community itself
• The Empire was in decline and Muslims were disunited and vulnerable to attacks on their religion
• Shah Waliullah realized that reform could not come from the weak leadership in Delhi and that it had to come from within the Muslim community itself
Reasons of problems of Muslims Community
Incomplete knowledge about Islam
• He believed that many of the problems of the Muslims resulted from their incomplete knowledge of the Quran and about Islam in general and it was necessary that Quranic teachings become more accessible to the people
Moving away from the Islamic Principles
• All political, social and economic behavior should be based on Islamic principles.
• It was essential to follow the moral and spiritual principles of Islam in order to create a good society.
• Un-Islamic principles were not acceptable in any area of society whether politics, economics or just the day-to-day lives of the individual Muslims.
• It was essential to follow the moral and spiritual principles of Islam in order to create a good society.
• Un-Islamic principles were not acceptable in any area of society whether politics, economics or just the day-to-day lives of the individual Muslims.
Sectarian division amongst Muslim Community
• A major problem for the Muslim community was the way it was divided into sectarian groups, such as Sunnis and Shias. Shah Waliullah wanted them to concentrate on the fundamental principles of Islam and put aside their differences, believing that this would create a more united community
Work
Role Model
• Shah Waliullah worked hard to ensure that he was a role model for other Muslims. His deep understanding of the Quran, Hadith, Fiqah and Tassawuf made him a highly knowledgeable scholar at an early age
Translation of Quran into Persian
• Since he believed that an emphasis on Quranic teachings was vital to Muslims, he translated the Quran into Persian.
• Few Muslims spoke Arabic and so the Quran had not been widely studied previously
• Now it could be understood by a larger number of Muslims
• The Ulemas criticized Shah Waliullah, but his work proved very popular
• Later his two sons, Shah Abdul Qader and Shah Rafi, translated the Quran into Urdu, which meant that many more people could study it
• Few Muslims spoke Arabic and so the Quran had not been widely studied previously
• Now it could be understood by a larger number of Muslims
• The Ulemas criticized Shah Waliullah, but his work proved very popular
• Later his two sons, Shah Abdul Qader and Shah Rafi, translated the Quran into Urdu, which meant that many more people could study it
Wrote 51 Books
• Shah Waliullah wrote fifty-one books in Persian and Arabic including Hujjat Alfah, al-Baligha and Izalat-Akhfa
United Sunnis and Shias by writing books
• He also wrote an account of the first four caliphs of Islam in a way that was acceptable to both Shias and Sunnis. He hoped that this would help to heal the division between them
Work in bringing social justice
• His writings brought him great fame and prestige and enabled him to have influence in other areas including economics
• He emphasized the need for social justice and for peasants and craftsmen to be truly valued for their contribution to the economy
Work in bringing social justice
• His writings brought him great fame and prestige and enabled him to have influence in other areas including economics
• He emphasized the need for social justice and for peasants and craftsmen to be truly valued for their contribution to the economy
Uniting Muslim Community against external threats of Marathas and Sikhs
• One of Shah Waliullah’s most important contributions to the Muslim community was his organization of opposition to the Marathas, who were threatening to over-run the Mughal Empire from the south and Sikhs who were attacking in the north
• Shah Waliullah wrote to all the Muslim nobles calling on them to join together to save the Mughal Empire.
• It was partly his influence which helped to persuade Ahmed Shah Abdali of Persia to intervene.
• He joined forces with local Muslim leaders and defeated the Marathas at the Battle of Panipat in 1761.
• However, despite encouragement from Shah Waliullah, the Muslim leaders did not unite to take advantage of the defeat of the Marathas. Perhaps if they had done so, the Muslims would not have soon found themselves under non-Muslim rule
• Shah Waliullah wrote to all the Muslim nobles calling on them to join together to save the Mughal Empire.
• It was partly his influence which helped to persuade Ahmed Shah Abdali of Persia to intervene.
• He joined forces with local Muslim leaders and defeated the Marathas at the Battle of Panipat in 1761.
• However, despite encouragement from Shah Waliullah, the Muslim leaders did not unite to take advantage of the defeat of the Marathas. Perhaps if they had done so, the Muslims would not have soon found themselves under non-Muslim rule
Importance
Shah Waiiullah’s contribution towards Islamic revival was extremely important for a number of reasons:1st Thinker to address the root cause of all Muslim Problems
• He was one of the first Muslim thinkers to state that the decline of the Mughal Empire and the vulnerable position of the Muslims were due to a neglect of the principles of Islam. He believed that if the decline in the position of the Muslims was to be stopped, there had to be spiritual and moral regeneration
Madrassa Rahimiya played a vital role in teaching Islamic principles
• He showed how this regeneration might take place. The Madrassa Rahimiya continued to play a vital role in teaching Islamic principles and researching Islamic thought
Translation of Quran into Persian increased awareness about Islamic teachings
• His writing in Persian made Islamic teaching available to large numbers of Muslims who had not been able to understand Arabic. He believed that Muslims could only prosper it they followed proper Islamic customs and did not indulge in social evils.
• Shah Waliullah provided the inspiration for all Muslims to lead a pure life, based on the belief that anti-social attitudes incurred the displeasure of God
Writing books on Caliphs increased unity and harmony between Sunnis and Shias
• He also showed that a Muslim revival could only take place if there was an acceptance that sectarian division was to stop.
• Muslims had to concentrate more on the basic principles of Islam, and not allow the differences between them to lead to conflict. He tried to build bridges between the different Muslim sects and to unite the community.
• Shah Waliullah provided the inspiration for all Muslims to lead a pure life, based on the belief that anti-social attitudes incurred the displeasure of God
Writing books on Caliphs increased unity and harmony between Sunnis and Shias
• He also showed that a Muslim revival could only take place if there was an acceptance that sectarian division was to stop.
• Muslims had to concentrate more on the basic principles of Islam, and not allow the differences between them to lead to conflict. He tried to build bridges between the different Muslim sects and to unite the community.
Uniting Muslims against threats from Marathas and Sikhs
• He tried to do this by organizing opposition to the Marathas and uniting Muslims by emphasizing the importance of Jihad against a common enemy
Continued legacy
• Shah Waliullah’s influence continued long after his death• His writings survived and got translated in many languages
• His Madrassa Rahimiya continued to flourish as his sons carried forward his work and teachings
• Many future Islamic leaders were inspired by him to fight for the good of the Muslim community
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