THE CITY SCHOOL

GULSHAN CAMPUS
SHAH WALI ULLAH (notes by: Lubna Shireen)

Sample Question

Q. Shah Wali Ullah was the most important reformer of the 18 th and the 19th century.
Do you agree? Give reasons. [14]

It is considered that Shah Wali Ullah is one of the important Muslim reformers but
there are other reformers of the 18th and the 19th century such as Haji Shariat Ullah and
Syed Ahmed Shaheed Barelvi. They all had a thought and so they all helped in bringing
about a revival of Muslim fortunes and to bring back the glory of Muslim Community in
the sub continent. All of the three reformers went to Arabia to perform Hajj and also
studied there for some period of time.

Shah Wali Ullah being the first reformer of the 18th and the 19th century brought
prominent changes for the Muslim living there. He was deeply concerned about the
decline of Muslim’s status in the sub-continent after the death of the Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb. He worked hard to ensure his strong personality as a role model for the
Muslims. He translated Quran into Persian so it could be understood by a large number
of Muslims. He wrote 51 books in Arabic and Persian and also an account on the first
four caliphs of Islam. On the other hand, Syed Ahmed and Haji Shariat Ullah, being the
men of actions, started Jihad Movement and Faraizi Movement as their religious
contributions for the Muslims of the sub-continent.

Shah Wali Ullah’s writing brought him great fame and prestige and enabled him to have
influence in other areas such as in economics he emphasized the need for social justice.
He solved the problems of sectarian groups i.e. Sunnis and Shias. His father’s work
Madarssa Rahimiya continued to play a vital role in Islamic teachings. He also united
Muslims against Marathas at the battle of Panipat by emphasizing the importance of
Jihad against a common enemy. The work of Syed Ahmed, the Jihad Movement, was
also influential as it was the first example in Indian history that a movement formed to
free Muslims from foreign rulers. Haji Shariat Ullah’s work ‘Faraizi Movement’
supported the idea of Jihad against non-Muslims who were undermining the true
principles of Islam. It also united Muslims for a certain period of time only as did the
work of Syed Ahmed.

Syed Ahmed started Jihad Movement in Punjab against Sikh rulers and other non-
Muslim rulers. He worked against those rulers to try to ensure the Muslims were ruled
by their fellow Muslims. He believed once it was done, Islam could be rejuvenated and
rescued from beliefs and customs contrary to Islamic beliefs which had crept into
everyday life. He brought together all the Muslims from different parts of India and
mostly was Pathans who opposed on many issues. Everyone had their own view about
how things should wake especially Pathans who were independent and so they all had
conflicts over fighting tactics. Mujahedeen were volunteers, mainly professors and
lecturers, who were inexperienced to fight in the war. Syed Ahmed imposed taxes on
them which were unacceptable by everyone. The betrayal of Yar Muhammad and local
rulers led to the martyr of Syed Ahmed which was serious setback for the Jihad
Movement and it struggled to survive for a few following years.

Haji Shariat Ullah believed the miserable condition of Muslims of India led to the
country being ruled by non-Muslims. Ha also believed that the Muslim community had
moved away from true Islamic practice so he started Faraizi Movement in Bengal to
restore the pride of the Muslims and remove Hindu practices which had crept into their
worship. An important part of this reform was to follow the religious obligations of a
true Muslim. His movement caused great concern amongst the Hindus of East Bengal
and carried economic oppression on Muslim peasants. Land lords did not want him to
create difficulties for them and were alarmed that the Muslim Cultivators were uniting
in a desire to improve their lives and purify their religion so they drove him out of the
region to Nawabganj in Dhaka.

Shah Wali Ullah, one of the first Muslim thinkers, stated the decline of the Mughal
Empire and the vulnerable position of the Muslims was due to the neglect of the
principles of Islam. He showed how the regeneration might take place by convincing the
work of Madarssa Rahimiya. He provided the inspiration for all Muslims to lead a pure
life based on the beliefs that anti-social attitudes incurred the displeasure of Allah. He
even showed a Muslim Revival would only take place if there was an acceptance that
sectarian division was to stop.
It can be considered as the conclusion that yes shah Wali Ullah indeed was the most
important reformer of the 18th and the 19th century for the Muslims of the sub-continent
as he had a long lasting influence of his work. His writings did survive and the Madarssa
Rahimiya continued to flourish as his sons carried forward his work and teachings
which is still present today.