Shahwaliullah

SHAH WALIULLAH

(1703-1762)

●      INTRODUCTION:

Shah Wali Ullah was born on 21 February 1703 during the reign of Aurangzeb his real name was Qutub-ud-din but became famous as Shah Wali-Ullah his father was Shah Abdul Rahim who founded Madrassa Rahimiya in Delhi his father died in 1718.In 1724 Shah Wali Ullah went to Arabia to perform Hajj. He studied under famous scholar Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim and returned to Delhi in 1732. During the course of his education, he learned many of his books from his father and was inducted in the tradition of bayath (sacred vows) by his father and by the age of 17 was permitted by his father to provide spiritual guidance and reform his fellow Muslims. After 14 months of stay in Arabia, two hajj pilgrimages and learning the books of hadith from the scholars of the holy cities, Shah Waliullah finally returned to India in early 1145 H.E. the journey to home lasted six months and he reached Delhi on Friday 14 Rajab 1145 H.E. on reaching home, he started teaching again and writing until his death three, decades later.

●      BELIEFS:

He believed that the Muslims were facing decline not because of weak leadership but because of Muslim community itself. He believed that many Muslims did not have complete knowledge of Quranic teachings. A major problem was that Muslims were divided into Shias and Sunnis and fought with themselves. It was necessary to follow Islamic teachings into every aspect of life.

●      WORK:

He worked hard to ensure that he was a role model for every Muslim. He translated Quran into Persian because many people were unfamiliar with Arabic. Later his sons, Shah Abdul Qader and Shah Rafi, translated Quran into Urdu so more and more people could gain Islamic knowledge. He wrote fifty one books in Persian and Arabic. Amongst the most famous were Hujjatullah-ul-Baligha and Izalat-Akhfa. He also wrote an account of the first four caliphs of Islam in a way that was acceptable to both Shias and Sunnis. In economics he emphasised the need for social justice and for peasants and craftsmen to be truly valued for their contribution to the economy. His 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. It was to call together the divinities among Muslims and unite them for Jihad. He wrote a letter to Afghan King Ahmad Shah Abdali and joined local forces with local Muslim leaders and defeated the Marathas in the third Battle of Panipat in 1761. However, despite encouragement from Shah Wali Ullah, 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. (three battles of panipat i. 1526- Babur Vs. Ibrahim Lodhi. Ii. 1556 Akbar Vs. Hemo, iii. 1761 Ahmad Shah Abadli Vs. Maratha)

●      IMPORTANCE:

Shah Wali Ullah was one of the first thinkers to state that the decline of Mughal Empire and the vulnerable position of the Muslims were due to a neglect of the principles of Islam. He showed how this regeneration might take place. The Madrassa continued to play a vital role in teaching Islamic principles and researching Islamic thought. He believed that Muslims could prosper if they followed proper Islamic customs and did not indulge in social evils. His writing gave large number of Muslims a chance to study their religion and understand its teachings. He gave Muslims inspiration to lead a pure simple Life. He showed that Muslims had to concentrate more on basic principle rather than finding the difference which would lead them in the conflict among them. He tried to oppose Maratha and unite the Muslim under a common enemy. Many future leaders were inspired by his teachings. And fight for the good of Muslim community.