History

Religious Thinkers 

Shah WaliUllah (1703-1762)

Who was Shah WaliUllah? (4)

Shah WaliUllah was born on 21st February 1703, during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir. His father name was Shah Abdul Rahim who was the founder of Madarsa Rahimia. Shah Waliullah studied in Madarsa Rahimia. He went to Arabia for Hajj and for further Studies and came back in 1732. He was and scholar and a revivalist for Islam In India.

What were his beliefs?

During his time in Arabia, Shah Waliullah thought deeply about the problems faced by Muslims in Mughal Empire. The Empire was in decline and Muslims were disunited and vulnerable to the attacks on their religion. He believed realized that reform could not come from the weak leadership in Delhi and that it had to come from the Muslim community itself.

He felt that the Muslims faced many problems because of their level of knowledge about Islam and the Holy Quran. He encouraged them to concentrate on Quranic teachings.

A major problem was that Muslims were divided into sectarian groups such as Shias and Sunnis. He wanted them to unite and focus on the fundamental aspects of Islam.  

(Through these points you can easily answer many questions.)

Describe the work of Shah Waliullah?

He worked hard to ensure the betterment of Muslim Society in India. He translated Holy Quran into Persian language which was the language Muslims at that time. Now it could be understood by a larger number of Muslims. He wrote 51 religious books in Arabic and Persian. Famous books include Hujjat Allah al-Baligha and Izalat-Akhfa. His writings brought him fame and enabled him to have influence in other areas too.