SHAH WALI ULLAH

Shah Wali Ullah, a great saint, scholar and reformer, was born in a pious family in Delhi on
21st February, 1703. He exerted a great deal for the moral, social and political uplift of
Muslims in India. His sincere efforts revived Islamic spirit amongst Muslims who were
heading towards a social disaster.
Shah Waliullah received his education at Madrassa Rahimiya, founded by his father Shah,
Abdul Rahim. He also taught there for 12 years. He proceeded to Arabia in 1724 to perform
Hajj. During his stay in Arabia he received higher education in religious disciplines. He .was
greatly influenced by Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim, a great scholar of the time. When he
returned to Delhi in 1732, the decline of the Mughal empire had already set-in.
SHAH WALI ULLAH'S MOVEMENT
Religious Reformation
During his stay in, Arabia political and social turmoil was rampant in the subcontinent. The
Mughal Empire gradually began to collapse. The religious groups were claiming their
superiority. Tussle between the Shias and Sunni sects was becoming a serious threat to the
Muslim society. The Marathas and Sikhs had become strong to create political problems for
the government. The rise of Maratha power promoted Hindu nationalism which accelerated
the social decay in the Muslim Society.
Shah Waliullah was extremely perturbed about the religious and social problems facing the
Muslim community. He quickly understood that there was a dire need for moral regeneration
of the Muslim community. Shah Waliullah correctly perceived that a strong and powerful
political and religious leadership at Delhi was needed to stop the decline pf the Muslim
community. He believed that most of the problems the Muslims faced were due to their
ignorance about Islam and the Holy Quran, He was of the view that Quranic learning would
broaden their vision, reduce sectarian strife and create a feeling of solidarity.
In his time the Muslims, generally were not conversant with the Arabic language. The
average Muslim, therefore had to rely upon the teachings and writings of the Muslim jurists
and the ologians. Shah Wali Ullah understood that the tenets of Islam could not be followed
properly without understanding the Holy Quran itself. He, therefore, translated the Holy
Quran into simple Persian language which was the language of his days. His translation
brought the knowledge of the Holy Quran within the reach of an average literate person who
found it easier to read and understand the Holy Quran in a language other than Arabic.
He adopted a balanced approach towards religious matters by removing misunderstanding
and hostility between Shias and the Sunnis. He provided a spiritual basis for national
solidarity and harmony. He presented Islam in a more rational way to make it acceptable for
the larger number of people.
Shah Waliullah stressed upon the rulers/nobles to enforce Islamic laws in their domains. He
educated the soldiers on the importance of Jehad and asked them to go for Jehad for the
glorification of Islam.

POLITICAL SERVICES
Apart from imparting religious education to Muslims, Shah WaliUllah also led the Muslims
to wage struggle for their political rights. After the death of Emperor Aurangzeb, the political
unity and stability of Muslims began to show signs of decadence. The Moghal Empire began
to crack and crumble as it fell into the hands of most incapable successors. The Moghal rulers
were no more in a position to withhold the supremacy of the Muslim rule which was gravely
jeopardized by the emergence of the Sikhs; Marathas and other non-Muslim forces. Shah
WaliUllah came forward to tackle this precarious situation. He brought the Muslim nobles
together and asked for the military assistance from them against Marathas. He then persuaded
the great Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Abdali to retrieve Muslim rule in India. Ahmed Shah
Abdali, on the call of Shah WaliUllah proceeded to India and engaged in battle with Marathas
at Panipat in 1761. The victory of Ahmed Shah Abdali at Panipat blasted the Marathas' might
and paved way for the revival of Islam in India to a greater extent.
WORKS OF SHAH WALI ULLAH
The major contributions of Shah WaliUllah were in the field of education and intellectual
development. He initiated a major move by which the students were given training to
undertake research and write on various aspects of Islamic learning and history. He himself
took part in this exercise and wrote fifty books on different topics. His outstanding work was
his translation of the Holy Quran in simple Persian language. He also wrote Khilafat-ulKhulafa in order to remove misunderstanding between Shias and the Sunnis.
After his death, his sons Shah Abdul Aziz, Shah Abdul Ghani, Shah Rafi-ud-Din and Shah
Abdul Qadir carried out the noble mission of religious education and Islamic preaching left
by their great father.