Shah Waliullah Dehlawi

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Syed Quṭb ad-Dīn Aḥmad Walī Allāh ibn ‘Abd ar-Raḥīm al-‘Umarī ad-Dihlawī (Arabic: قطب الدين أحمد ولي الله بن عبد الرحيم العمري الدهلوي‎‎‎; 1703–1762), commonly known as Shah Waliullah Dehlawi, was an Islamic scholar, muhaddith and reformer.^[3][4]

Early Biographical Details

Shah Waliullah was born in 1703 to Shah Abdur Rahim, during the reign of Emperor Aurengzeb. He was known as Shah walliullah because of his piety. A prominent Sufi and scholar of Delhi. He memorized the Qur'an by seven. Soon thereafter, he mastered Arabic and Persian letters.^[5] He was married at fourteen.^[5] By sixteen he had completed the standard curriculum of Hanafi law, theology, geometry, arithmetic and logic.^[5] He lived during the time when Fatawa-e-Alamgiri^[6] was being compiled and he was asked to join the team of scholars that was working on it, however, credible sources reveal that he joined the team but for a very brief period of time and then he dissociated himself from the task. His father, Shah Abdur Rahim was the founder of the Madrasah-i Rahimiyah. Shah Abdur Rahim was on the committee appointed by Aurangzeb for compilation of the code of law, Fatwa-e-Alamgiri.^[7] His grandfather, Sheikh Wajihuddin, was an important officer in the army of Shah Jahan.

He had a son who was also a famous religious scholar, Shah Abdul Aziz.

Death and legacy

He died on Friday 29 Muharram 1176 AH/ 20 August 1773 at Zuhr prayer in Old Delhi, aged 59.

His works relate to aqidah and fiqh. He states:

"Some people think that there is no usefulness involved in the injunct 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 Prophet and consensus of opinion of those ages, contradict this view."^[6]

Works

• (The Sacred Knowledge), ed. D. Pendlebury, trans. G. Jalbani, The Sacred Knowledge, London: Octagon, 1982.^[8]
• Al-Khayr al-kathir (The Abundant Good), trans. G. Jalbani, Lahore: Ashraf, 1974.^[8]
• Hujjat Allah al-baligha (The Profound Evidence of Allah), Lahore: Shaikh Ghulam Ali and Sons, 1979. Considered his most important work. First published in Rae Bareily, India in 1286 Hijri.^[9]
• Sata'at (Manifestations), trans. into Urdu by S.M. Hashimi, Lahore: Idarah Thaqafat Islamiyya, 1989; trans. into English by G. Jalbani, Sufism and the Islamic Tradition: the Lamahat and Sata'at of Shah Waliullah, London.^[8]
• Lamahat (Flashes of Lightning), Hyderabad: Shah Wali Allah Academy, 1963; trans. G. Jalbani, Sufism and the Islamic Tradition: the Lamahat and Sata'at of Shah Waliullah, London, 1980. (One of the important writings on Sufism.)^[8]
• Fuyud al-haramayn (Emanations or Spiritual Visions of Mecca and Medina).^[8]
• Al-Tafhimat (Instructions or Clear Understanding), Dabhail, 1936, 2 vols. (One of the most comprehensive metaphysical works.)
• Al-Budur al-bazighah (The Full Moons Rising in Splendour).

Besides these he is also credited being the first to translate the Quran into Persian in the Indian subcontinent.^[4]

Shah Walliullah worked hard to ensure that he was a role model for other Muslims. His deep understanding of the Qur'an, Hadith, Fiqah and Tasawuf made him highly knowledgeable scholar at an early age. Since he believed that an emphasis of the Quranic teachings was made vital to Muslims he translated Arabic Qur'an into persian. Few muslims spoke Arabic and so the Qur'an had not been widely studied previously. The Ulama criticised Shah Walliullah, but his work proved very popular. In addition to translating the Quran, Shah Walliullah wrote 51 books in persian and Arabic. Amongst the most famous were Hujjat Allah al-Baligha and Izalat-Akhfa. He also wrote an account on the first four caliphs of Islam in a way that was acceptable to both Shias and Sunnis. he tried to heal the division between them. His writings bought him great fame and prestige and enabled him to have influence in other areas too. One of his most important contributions to the Muslim community was his organisation of opposition to the Marathas, who were threatning to over-run the Mughal Empire from the south. It was partly his influence which helped to persuade Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan to intervene. He joined forces with local muslim leaders and defeated the Marathas at The Battle of Panipat in 1761.

References