Give an account of the life and services of Shah Waliullah. How did he save the Indian Muslims from political annihilation and religious degeneration? (CSS 2016)
Shah Waliullah (1703-1762)
I. Background
- Weak rulers after Aurangzeb.
- No ruler to sustain Muslim rule.
- Islam had no linchpin to connect the Muslims together.
- At that time when Islam was going down, Shah Wali Ullah gave his services.
- Army demoralized; nobles weak.
- Invaders were humiliating the Mughal army.
- For example, Nadir Shah and Marathas.
- Hinduism rising and pressure on the Muslim empire.
- 1739 Nadir Shah attacked and plundered.
- Moral depravity.
- The morality of Muslims was weak. People were leaving Islam.
Therefore, a reformer was needed.
II. Services
a. Religious
- Quran translation into Persian.
At that time, Persian was the language of the educated and the intelligentsia in the subcontinent.
Therefore, he translated the Quran into Persian so that its message could reach a large number of people.
- Concept of Ijtihad.
Ijtihad is to interpret Islam.
If on some things, Quran and Sunnah are silent then we must use our intellect and think through those things.
- Against blind following of orders.
- Call for Unity.
Called for all Muslims of the subcontinent to unite.
b. Political
- No hereditary politics.
- Hereditary politics is when rule passes from father to son and so on.
- Shah Waliullah talked about it at the time of the Mughal Empire.
- Merit-based decision making.
- People should be appointed based on merit.
- These ideas were introduced by the British later in the entire region.
- Shah Waliullah was ahead of his time and provided Muslims with this vision.
- Self-consciousness for Political Consciousness.
Impacts of Shah Wali Ullah:
The efforts of Shah Walli Ullah had multi-dimensional impacts upon Muslim community in subcontinent.
- Propagator of the Muslim Regeneration: It is said that Shah Wali Ullah is propounder of Muslim regenerated movement. He put Muslims on a new track, which brought a major change in religious thinking of Indians particularly among Muslims He is also entitled as “Imam-ul-Hind
- Dissemination of True Spirit of Islam: According to S. M. Ikram, “His writings breathe a spirit of goodwill and are completely free from bitterness not only against minority groups within Islam but also against the non-Muslims He did more than anyone else to spread the Knowledge of true Islam amongst Muslims and make it a great spiritual and moral force.
- Steps against Sectarian Conflicts: Shah Walli Ullah told and widened scope of Islam from sectarian controversy to broader issue of nationalism. He wanted to abolish sectarian conflicts and controversies among the Muslim population in India, so that unity could be maintained among them.
- Founder of a Separate State: Waheed-uz-Zaman also recognized him greatest father of Pakistan, because of his concept of unity of Muslims and prospect of establishing an Islamic order Hafeez Malik opines “He laid the foundation of religio-political philosophy which is still alive in Pakistan. In fact, he is to Pakistan as Martin Luther to Germany
- Training of A galaxy of Scholars: Shah Wali Ullah had four sons, Shah Rafi-ud-Din Shah Abdul Aziz, Shah Abdul Ghani and Shah Abdul Qadir. He trained a galaxy of scholars like Shah Rafi-ud-Din, Shah Ismail Shaheed, Syed Ahmad Shaheed, Mulana Muhammad Ishaq Shah Abdul Qadir
- Influence upon Sir Syed Ahmad Khan: Some historians claim that his religious message and writings impressed Sir Syed Ahmad Khan in the religious matters. And Sir Syed Ahmad Khan adopted his policy of toleration and tried to implement it in subcontinent vii. Understanding of Quran: In the social and intellectual matters, Shah Walli Ullah translated Quran in Persian, which enlarged understanding of Quran and its tafsir. This was his intellectual services for Muslims regeneration in subcontinent.
- Political uplift of Muslims: Shah Wali Ullah made efforts for the political uplift of Muslims of India. Shah Wali Ullah was responsible for awakening in the community the desire to regain its moral fervor and maintain its purity.
Conclusion:
From the above-mentioned discussion, it may be concluded that his teachings created awareness of the present dangers and what the future had for the Muslims of the subcontinent. “Shah Wali Ullah’s position as a theologian and traditionalist is undisputed and unrivalled in the subcontinent.” His services and contributions made a live Muslim society and played his role for the regeneration of the Muslims in the sub-continent, “He lived in 18th century, but his outlook and approach to the problem of his age belongs to 20th century”.
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