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Shah Wali Ullah

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Shah Wali-Ullah lits the Torch of Awakening

The Mughal Empire had started showing signs of decline after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 AD and by the time the eighteen century approached its fiftieth year, the process of the empire's dismemberment was already in full swing. Sikhs from the Punjab, Marhattas from Western India, Europeans from abroad and not to talk of Jats, and Rohilas, were all in the fray to take their piece of Indian cake. It was in these circumstances that in the person of Shah Wall-Ullah Dehlvi, emerged an Islamic scholar, a social thinker and a visionary.

Realizing internal decay and external threats faced by the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent, Shah Wali-Ullah through his scholarly writings and forceful lectures, lit the torch of Muslim Renaissance.

He was born in Delhi in 1703 AD and educated in a well known school of Islamic theology managed by his father Shah Abdur Rahim. After the death of his father he traveled to Hijaz (Now Saudi Arabia) for the purpose of performing Haj and to attain deeper knowledge of Hadith (Sayings and practices of the Prophet of Islam). He came back to Delhi in 1732 AD, and was soon able to make an impact as an enlightened Muslim theologian. He translated the Holy Quran into Persian which was official and literary language of India in those days. Following his example two of his sons, Shah Rafi-ud-Din and Shah Abdul Qadir rendered separately the holy book of Islam in Urdu, which was almost a lingua franca of the subcontinent. Thus a very successful effort was made to take the message of Ouran direct to the hearts and mind of Indian Muslims.

The grandeur of a Mughal emperor's darbar
Shah Wali-Ullah wrote besides others, a mind and soul inspiring book entitled, "Hujjat-Ullah-el-Balegha" which introduced rational approach towards interpretation of Islamic percepts in Islamic literature of the subcontinent. He stressed upon the Muslim traditional scholars that they could not stand up to the challenges of time unless they thoroughly adopted the principles of Ijtehad. (creative application of Islamic Principles and commandments in a given situation). Shah Wali-Ullah also had the ability and insight to see through the causes of the economic deprivation of the masses. He suggested some fiscal measures by adopting which a king (or state for that matter) could lead a society out of economic stagnation. He was also a keen observer of political turmoil, India was passing through in those times and its-negative effects on the Muslim inhabitants of the land. He was quick to comprehend the situation and was able to realise that if rising power of Marhattas took the hold of Northern India by capturing Delhi, they would waste no time in physical elimination of the Muslim masses through brutal massacre. Hence he wrote a letter to Ahmad Shah Durrani, the ruler of Kabul to come and help Muslims of India.

Eventually the famous Third War of Panipat was successfully fought in 1761 AD and an imminent danger faced by the Muslims was forcefully defused. Shah Wall Ullah died in 1762 AD. His thought and words had far reaching impact while his able sons (every one of them a scholar in his own right) carried further the torch of Islamic scholarship. Some of their pupils, grandsons and a host of sages and soldiers launched a fierce armed movement, now known as Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen. Intellectual impact of Shah Wali-Ul-lah's teachings was far wider and much deeper. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan while launchiung his Alligarh Educational Movement was undoubdetdly inspired by shah sahis' thoughts Famous school of Deoband is also known to be an offspring of Shah Wali-Ul-ulah. Shah Wali-Ul-ulan revolutionary and religious teaching. The torch of Muslim awakening lit by Sha Wali-Ul-Ulah was finally to be lead Indian Muslims of the Indian subcontinent towards the attainment of a free, sovereign homeland and first Islamic Republic by the middle of twentieth century.

Shah Wali Ullah directed his teachings towards reorienting the Muslim society with the concepts of basic social justice, removing social inequalities, and balancing the iniquitous distribution of wealth. He established several branches of his school at Delhi for effective dissemination of his ideas. In his book "Hujjat-ullah-il-Balighah", he pinpointed the causes of chaos and disintegration of Muslim society.

These were:

Pressure on public treasury, the emoluments given to various people who render no service to the state.
Heavy taxation on peasants, merchants, and workers, with the result that tax evasion was rampant. According to Shah Wali Ullah, a state can prosper only if there were light and reasonable taxes.

He wrote open letters to:

Mughal rulers, to give up their corrupt and inefficient practices.
Soldiers, to inculcate within them the spirit of Jihad.
Artisans, workers, and peasants, to remind them that the economic prosperity of the state depended on their labors.
The Emperor, asking him to teach a lesson to the Jats threatening the Mughal Empire. He also wrote and advised him not to give jagirs (land) to mansabdars who were not loyal to the state.
Masses, to be conscious of their duties and not to indulge in the accumulation of wealth.

Shah Wali Ullah tried to reconcile the basic differences amongst the different sections of the Muslims and considered the government as an essential means and agency for regeneration of the community. He wrote to Ahmad Shah Abdali; "...give up the life of ease. Draw the sword and do not to sheath it till the distinction is established between true faith and infidelity...".

His efforts resulted in the defeat of the Marhattas at the hands of Ahmad Shah Abdali and Najib-ud-Daula, in the third battle of Panipat in 1761.

Shah Wali Ullah was responsible for awakening in the community the desire to win back its moral fervor and maintain its purity. To rescue a community's conscience, belief and faith from destruction was no small achievement. Even after his death in 1762, his sons and followers carried on his work. Many future Islamic leaders and thinkers were inspired by his example.