Shah Waliullah

Jamil Ahmad

Dr. Iqbal, the poet of the East, has charcterized the celeberated Mughal
Emperor Aurangzeb as tarkashi maa raa khudangi akhareen (the last arrow in
the quiver of Muslim power in India). The anti-Islamic forces which had
raised their head during the reign of the irreligious Emperor Akbar and later
found their champions in Jahangir and Dara Shikoh, were, to a great extent,
checked by Aurangzeb, the most honest, conscientious and able Muslim
monarch that ascended the throne of Delhi.
With his passing away in 1707 started the political chaos which later
culminated in the distintegration of the Muslim power in the subcontinent.
This political disintegration which was the result of spiritual confusion
encompassed the socio-economic spheres also. Aurangzeb's successors were
too weak and incapable of facing the rebellious forces emerging on all hands.
At such a critical period of Muslim history was born Shah Waliullah, one of
the greatest religious thinkers produced by Muslim India who contributed
immensely to the reintegration of the structure of Islam.
Shah Waliullah was born in 1703 AD four years before the death of
Aurangzeb. His grandfather, Sheikh Wajihuddin, was an important officer in
the army of Shah Jahan who supported Prince Aurangzeb in the war of
succession. His father, Shah Abdur Rahim, a sufi and an eminent scholar
assisted in the compilation of "Fataawa-i-Alamgiri"---the voluminous code of
Islamic law. He, however, refused an invitation to visit the Emperor and
devoted his energies to the organization and teaching at `Madrassa
Rahimia'---a theological college which he had established and which, later,
played an important part in the religious emancipation of Muslim India and
became the breeding ground of religious reformers and `Mujahids' like Shah
Abdul Aziz, Syed Ahmad of Bareli, Maulvi Abdul Haiy and Shah Ismail
Shaheed. Writing about the teachings of Shah Abdur Rahim and his brother,
Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi observes: `The essence of the teaching of the two
brothers was the effort to discover a path which could be traversed together
by the Muslim philosophers (the Sufis and the Mutakallims) and the Muslim
Jurists (Faqih).'
Shah Waliullah received his early education from his illustrious father, who
was his teacher as well as his spiritual guide. Being a precocious child with a
retentive memory he committed the Holy Quran to memory at an early age of
7 years. On the death of his father in 1131 AH when he was hardly 17 years
old, he started teaching in his father's `Madrassa-i-Rahimiya' and carried on
the work for 12 years when he left for Arabia for higher studies. He was a
brilliant scholar; during fourteen months' stay in Makkah and Madina, he
came into contact with the oustanding teachers of Hejaz. His favourite
teacher was Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim of Madina, from whom he
obtained his Sanad (Degree) in Hadith. The Sheikh was an erudite scholar,
possessing encyclopaedic knowledge; Shah Waliullah benefitted much from
him too and speaks highly of his piety, independence of judgement and
scholarly talents.
During his stay at Makkah, Shah Waliullah had a dream in which the Holy
Prophet (sws) commanded him to work for the organization and emancipation
of the Muslim community in the subcontinent. He, therefore, returned to
Delhi on July 9th, 1732 and started his work in real earnest. His was an uphill
task in a period when Muslim India was passing through the most critical
phase of its history and its entire social, political, economic and spiritual
fabric was torn to pieces. On his arrival in Delhi, he started training pupils in
diverse branches of Islamic learning and entrusted them with the missionary
work of enlightening people with the true nature of Islam. He embarked upon
the task of producing standard works on Islamic learning and, before his
death in 1762, completed a large number of outstanding works on Islam.
He rose to be a great scholar of Islamic studies, endowed with saintly
qualities. So great was his dedication to work that according to his talented
son Shah Abdul Aziz: `...he was rarely ill and once he sat down to work after
Ishraq (post-sunrise prayers) he would not change his posture till midday'. He
was a real genius, an intellectual giant who set himself to the mission of
educating the misguided Muslim masses with the true spirit of Islam. His was
the task of the revival of Islam in the subcontinent which had been clouded
with mystic philosophy and to bring it out in its pristine glory. He was a
humble devotee to this cause, who resisted all temptations of personal glory.
His activities were not confined to spiritual and intellectual spheres only.
He lived in troubled times and witnessed during his lifetime about a dozen
rulers occupying the throne of Delhi. Endowed with a keen political insight,
he observed with deep anguish the breaking up of Muslim power in the
subcontinent and wrote to leading political dignitaries like Ahmad Shah
Abdali, Nizam ul Mulk and Najibuddaula to stop the rot which had set in the
political life of Muslim India. It was on account of his call that Ahmad Shah
Abdali appeared on the field of Panipat in 1761 and put an end to the
Marhatta dream of dominating the subcontinent.
Shah Waliullah was a prolific writer. It is in the realm of Islamic learning
that he made a lasting contribution and within a period of 30 years produced
more than 50 works of outstanding merit, both in Arabic and Persian
Languages. Some of these are still unsurpassed in the whole domain of
Islamic literature. His most valuable service to the cause of Islamic learning
was that he codified the vast store of Islamic teachings under separate heads.
Both in thought and prediction, his works occupy an outstanding place. As a
reformer and as a propounder of theories dealing with socialism, he may be
considered as the forerunner of Karl Marx.
His works may be classified into six categories. The first deals with the
Holy Quran. It includes his translation of the Holy Book into Persian, the
literary languages of the subcontinent of those times. According to him, the
object of studying the Holy Book is `to reform human nature and correct the
wrong beliefs and injurious actions'. The second category deals with Hadith,
in which he has left behind several works including an Arabic and Persian
Commentaries on "Mu'atta", the well-known collection of the traditions of the
Holy Prophet (sws) compiled by Imam Malik. He attached great importance
to this collection of traditions by Imam Malik, even greater than those of
Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim. He is an outstanding Muhaddith
(Traditionist) and links of all modern scholars of Hadith in the subcontinent
may be traced to him. Foremost among these modern Traditionalists was his
son and successor Shah Abdul Aziz and Syed Murtaza Bilgrami. Shah
Waliullah wrote a number of books and pamphlets dealing with Hadith. The
third category deals with `Fiqh' or Islamic Jurisprudence, which includes
"Insaaf-fi-bayaan-i-Sabab-il-Ikhtilaaf" which is a brief but a very interesting
and informative history of the Islamic Jurisprudence of the last five centuries.
The fourth category deals with his works based on mysticism. The fifth
category pertains to his works on Muslim philosophy and Ilm-i-Kalam. He
also wrote a pamphlet on the principles of Ijtihad (independent interpretation)
and Taqlid (conformity). In his "Principles of Ijtihaad" he clarifies whether it
is obligatory for a Muslim to adhere to one of the four recognized schools of
Islamic Jurisprudence or whether he can exercise his own judgement. In the
opinion of Shah Waliullah, a layman should rigidly follow his own Imam but
a person well versed in Islamic law can exercise his own judgement which
should be in conformity with the practice of the Holy Prophet (sws). But the
most outstanding of all his works "Hujjat-Ullah-il-Baalighah" which deals
with such aspects of Islam that are common among all Muslim countries. In
its introduction he observes: `Some people think that there is no usefulness
involved in the injunctions of Islamic law and that in actions and rewards as
prescribed by God there is no beneficial purpose. They think that the
commandments of Islamic law are similar to a master ordering his servant to
lift a stone or touch a tree in order to test his obedience and that in this there
is no purpose except to impose a test so that if the servant obeys, he is
rewarded, and if he disobeys, he is punished. This view is completely
incorrect. The traditions of the Holy Prophet (sws) and consensus of opinion
of those ages, contradict this view.' The sixth category deals with his works
on the Shia-Sunni problem which had become somewhat acute in those days.
His writings on this subject have done a great deal in simplifying this
problem. His theories pertaining to economics and socialism are of
revolutionary nature and he may be considered as the precurser of Karl Marx.
Writing about his works in the History of the Freedom Movement, Sheikh
Muhammad Ikram states: `Shah Waliullah wrote learned works and initiated
powerful and beneficial movements, but perhaps no less important are the
invisible qualities of approach and outlook, which he bequeathed to Muslim
religious thought in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. His work is characterized
by knowledge, insight, moderation and tolerance, but the quality on which he
laid the greatest emphasis, in theory and in practice, was Adl or Adalat
(justice, fairness). His works and views bear ample testimony to the ways he
observed this principle in practice and he lost few opportunities of
emphasizing in theory its role in maintaining the social fabric.'
Shah Waliullah introduced several reforms in religious and economic
spheres. He was first to translate the Holy Quran in a popular language, a
practice which was later usefully followed by others. His own son, Shah
Abdul Aziz, translated the Holy Book into Urdu, the language of Muslim
masses in India. There had been a conflict between orthodox Islam revived
under Mujaddid-Alif-Sani, championed by Aurangzeb and heterodoxy
introduced by Akbar and championed by Dara Shikoh. The reign of orthodox
Aurangzeb had created aversion to Sufism and had led to the advent of
extreme puritanism. Shah Waliullah struck a mean between the two extremes
and retained the virtues of both.
He was born in an atmosphere deeply imbued with the spirit of Sufism. His
father was a well-known Sufi. In his early age, he came under the influence
of Ibni Taimiya, a great religious reformer. During his stay in Hejaz, he came
into contact with scholars who were influenced by Wahabism. This provided
a check to his blind following of Sufism. But like Wahabis, he did not totally
discard Sufism. He was aware of the services rendered by Sufis in
popularizing Islam in the subcontinent and the spiritual self developed by the
truly Islamic form of Sufism. But he was highly critical of the decadent and
traditional form of Sufism which borders on the verge of asceticism and is,
therefore, averse to true Islam. In his Wasiyat Nama (Will) he observes: `And
the next advice (Wasiyat) is that one should not entrust one's affairs to and
become a disciple of the Saints of this period who are given to a number of
irregularities'. Shah Saheb had urged for the reform and discipline of Sufism
and not its rejection. He wrote several pamphlets on this subject in which he
analyzed the evils and virtues of Sufism. `With these books', writes Maulana
Manazir Ahsan, `the disputes between the Sufis and the Ulema, provided one
is just, come to an end. By giving an Islamic interpretation to the Sufi
doctrines, Shah Waliullah removed the distaste which the Ulema had felt for
Sufism and the Sufis'. Shah Waliullah has, therefore, not only bridged the gulf
between the Sufis and the Ulema but also harmonized the differences
prevalent among different sects of Sufis. His principles on the subject were
put into practice in the great theological college of Deoband, which had
among its patrons such well-known Sufis like Maulana Rashid Ahmad
Gangohi and Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
Shah Waliullah set upon the mission of reforming the social and political
order of his day. Being a realist, he diagnosed the ills which had entered into
the body politic of Muslim society and suggested remedies. He criticised the
un-Islamic customs which had crept into Muslim society due to its contact
with Hinduism. He was particularly against excessive extravagance in
marriages, festivals and other ceremonies. He advocated the remarriage of
widows. He carefully analyzed the factors responsible for the economic
degeneration of the Muslim society during his time and proposed radical
changes in the economy of the Muslim society. He advocated wider
distribution of wealth on socialistic lines and in this way became the
forerunner of Karl Marx. In an illuminating chapter of "Hujjat-Ullah-il-
Baaligah", he outlined the evils of capitalism which brought about the fall of
the Roman and Sassanid Empires. He is highly critical of the economic
exploitation of the poor, which, in the past, had brought about many
revolutions and is the root cause of all troubles and unrest in the world. He
even criticised the Mughal rulers and nobility for their indolence and luxury.
Addressing the rapacious nobility of his time he observes: `Oh Amirs! Do
you not fear God? (How is it that) you have so completely thrown yourself
into the pursuit of momentary pleasures and have neglected those people who
have been committed to your care! The result is that the strong are devouring
the (weak) people..... All your mental faculties are directed towards providing
yourself with sumptuous food and soft-skinned women for enjoyment and
pleasure. You do not turn your attention to anything except good clothes and
magnificent palaces.'
Shah Waliullah was of the opinion that intellectual revolution should
precede political change. He did not contemplate a change in the political or
social set-up through a bloody revolution. He wanted to bring a revolutionary
change in the society through peaceful means. In his well-known book,
"Izaalat-ul-Khifaa", he discusses the ideology of the political revolution
which he envisaged.
No scholar of Mediaeval India had understood the various aspects of civics
as had been done by Shah Waliullah. He considered `self-consciousness' as a
prerequisite of `political consciousness'. He has dealt in detail the factors
which contribute towards the growth of civil consciousness in his immortal
work "Hujjat-Ullah-il-Baaligah".
Shah Waliullah was, perhaps, the only Muslim scholar of Mediaeval India
who realized the importance of economics in a social and political set-up. He
advocated the maintenance of economic equilibrium in the society and
strongly criticized the accumulation of wealth which leads to all sorts of evils
in the world. He had visualized a social order based on economic equality,
fraternity and brotherhood which are the principles governing Islamic
socialist practices during the time of the pious Caliphs.
Born in an age of decadence and chaos, Shah Waliullah strove for world of
peace and prosperity. He has made a singular contribution to the socio-
economic thought of Mediaeval India and visualized a Muslim society in
which the individual enjoyed the fullest freedom, consistent with the
maximum good of all. In such an ideal Islamic state, the ruler was to be
governed by the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. No economic exploitation was
to be tolerated in such a state and the individual was free to earn his living by
fair means.
His seminary, ‘Madrassa-i-Rahimiya’ became the centre of Islamic
Renaissance in the subcontinent, where scholars flocked from the four
corners of the country and after being trained, became the torch bearers of
freedom movement in the subcontinent. The "Madrassa" in fact, had become
the nucleus of the revolutionary movement for the reconstruction of religious
thought in Islam. It produced many zealous workers who carried on their
preacher's mission with a missionary zeal. Among these were Maulana
Muhammad Ashiq of Phulat, Maulana Norrullah of Budhana, Maulana Amin
Kashmiri, Shah Abu Saeed of Rai Bareli and his own son, Shah Abdul Aziz
who was initiated into the religious and political philosophy of his father.
Shah Waliullah played a vital role in the Indian politics of his times. He
was greatly instrumental in forging a united Muslim front against the rising
Marhatta power which was threatening the last vestige of the Muslim power
in northern India. It was he who wrote to Najibuddaula, and Nizam-ul-Malik
and finally invited Ahmad Shah Abdali who inflicted a crushing defeat on the
Marhattas in the third battle of Panipat in 1761. His letter to Ahmad Shah
Abdali inviting him to take up arms against the menacing Marhatta power in
India is one of the most important historical documents of the 18th century. It
surveys the political situation in the subcontinent and the dangers which
Muslim India faced from different quarters. He had choosen the most vivid,
capable and disciplined Muslim leaders of his time for combating the
Marhattas. Among these were Najibuddaula, the leader of the redoubtable
Rohilas and Ahmad Shah Abdali, the ruler of the brave Pathans. His efforts
towards forging a united front against the Marhattas were successful and the
defeat of Marhattas in the third battle of Panipat in 1761 provided a turning
point in the history of the subcontinent.
Shah Waliullah visualized an ideal state of the days of the Pious Caliphs
and strove to it. Analyzing his political thought, Iqbal states:

"The Prophetic method of teaching, according to Shah Waliullah is that,

generally speaking, the law revealed by a prophet takes especial notice of
the habits, ways and peculiarities of the people to whom he is
specifically sent. The Prophet who aims at all-embracing principles,
however, can neither reveal different peoples nor leave them to work out
their own rules of conduct. His method is to train one particular people
and to use it as a nucleus for the build up of a universal `Shariah'. In
doing so, he accentuates the principles underlying the social life of all
mankind and applies them to concrete cases in the light of the specific
habits of the people immediately before him." ("Reconstruction of
Religious Thought in Islam")

The movement of political as well as spiritual regeneration of Muslim

India did not die with Shah Waliullah. His talented son, Shah Abdul Aziz, and
his worthy disciples and successors, strove for the realization of his mission.
The torch of Islamic revival kindled by Shah Waliullah was kept aloft by his
worthy successors. The echo of the third battle of Panipat was heard in the
battle of Balakot. Both form the landmarks of the same struggle.
Shah Waliullah possessed a many-sided and versatile personality. His real
greatness lies in the cumulative effect produced by his writings, by the
contribution of persons trained by him and by the achievements of the school
of thought founded by him. In religious matters, he struck a mean between
extremes; in social affairs he strove to introduce in the Muslim society the
simplicity and purity of early Islam; in the sphere of economics he advocated
the revolutionary Islamic socialism and in the political field he forged a
united Muslim front against the non-Muslim forces which were threatening to
storm Muslim India.

(Extracted from "Hundred Great Muslims")