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Qutb ud-Din Ahmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Rahim al-ʿUmari ad-Dehlawi | |
|---|---|
قطب الدين أحمد ولي الله بن عبد الرحيم العمري الدهلوي | |
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| Personal life | |
| Born | (1703-02-21)21 February 1703 Phulat,Muzaffarnagar,Mughal Empire |
| Died | 20 August 1762(1762-08-20) (aged 59) |
| Resting place | Mehdiyan[1] |
| Nationality | Mughal |
| Children | Shah Abdul Aziz |
| Parents |
|
| Main interest(s) | Hadith,Tafsir,History,Bibliography,Fiqh |
| Notable work(s) | |
| Occupation | Mufassir,Muhaddtih,Historiographer,Bibliographer,Theologian,Philosopher,Academic,Linguist |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi[2][3] |
| Tariqa | Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi[4] |
| Creed | Ash'ari[5][6][7][8][9][10][11] |
| Muslim leader | |
Students | |
Influenced by | |
Influenced | |
| Arabic name | |
| Personal (Ism) | Aḥmad أحمد |
| Epithet (Laqab) | Quṭb ad-Dīn قطب الدين Shāh Walīullāh شاه ولي الله |
| Toponymic (Nisba) | al-ʿUmarī العمري ad-Dihlawī الدهلوي |
Qutb ud-Din Ahmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Rahim al-ʿUmari ad-Dehlawi (Arabic:قطب الدين أحمد بن عبد الرحيم العمري الدهلوي,romanized: Quṭb ad-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd-ur-Raḥīm al-ʿUmarī ad-Dehlawī; 1703–1762), commonly known asShah Waliullah Dehlawi (alsoShah Wali Allah), was an IslamicSunni scholar andSufi reformer,[13] who contributed toIslamic revival in theIndian subcontinent and is therefore seen by his followers as arenewer.[14][15]
Ahmad was born on 21 February 1703 toShah Abdur Rahim, a prominent Islamic scholar ofDelhi. He later became known as Shah Waliullah because of his piety. He memorized theQur'an by the age of seven. Soon thereafter, he mastered Arabic andPersian letters. He was married at fourteen. By fifteen he had completed the standard curriculum ofHanafi law, theology, geometry, arithmetic and logic; two years later after the demise of his father he succeeded him as the dean of his Madrasah-i Rahimiyah. His father,Shah Abdur Rahim was the founder of theMadrasah-i Rahimiyah. He was on the committee appointed byAurangzeb for compilation of the code of law,Fatawa-e-Alamgiri. Shah Waliullah visited Makkah at the age of 29 years in 1732. His grandson wasShah Ismail Dehlvi who had a huge impact on the Deobandi movement.[16][17][18][19]
He died on Friday the 29th of Muharram 1176 AH, or 20 August 1762 at the time of Jummah prayer inOld Delhi, aged 59.[20] He was buried beside his fatherShah Abdur Rahim atMehdiyan, a graveyard to the left ofDelhi Gate.[21]
Shah Waliullah definedSunni Islam in broad terms, rather than confining it to a specific school of theology. According to Shah,Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jam'ah are those who followed theQur'an andSunnah on the way of theSahaba (companions) andTabi'īn, by holding "fast to the beliefs of the pious ancestors (al-salaf)." He considered the four legal schools, as well as both theAhl al-Hadith (Athari) andAhl al-Ra'y (Maturidi andAsh'ari) schools of theology to be part of Sunnism. According to Shah, the differences between them are only over secondary issues of validIkhtilaf; while on fundamental issues they remain united.[22][23]
He believed that leaders should rule in accordance with the precepts of Islam and the teachings of Islam should be purified by teachers withijtihad based on the basis on which theQuran andHadith is founded on. He believed that there are certain boundaries that must be placed onSufism and that the four mainMadhahib were to be mixed into one system of law and moral codes.[24] He said:[25]
There are numerous benefits in it that are no secret to anyone. These are especially required in these days when people lack courage, when carnal passions have taken deep root in people's souls and whenever a person is obsessed only with his opinion.
In his workTahfimat al-Ilahiyya, Shah declared his conviction that the unity ofHanafi andShafi'i schools of law was essential for Indian Islamic revival.[26][27] Thus, many of his legal positions aligned with the views of Imamal-Shafi'i.[28] Shah Waliullah sought the reconciliation of differences of the Shafi'i and Hanafi schools ofFiqh as his duty. He was particularly concerned with the pervasive Hanafi fanaticism prevalent in his community, which he rebuked, and called for an inclusive association of all of the schools of law.[29][30] He said:[25]
The entireUmmah, or rather those of them who are dependable, are unanimous about the fact that it is permissible to follow one of these fourMadhahib that have been methodically systemized and recorded. This unanimity remains to this day.
Shah Waliullah placed emphasis on a direct understanding of theQur'an, maintaining that those students with sufficient knowledge must work with the text, rather than previous commentaries. He argued that Qurʾān is clear to any student with sufficient knowledge ofArabic, just like it was understandable to its first recipients and scholars, including those parts that aremutashābih (unclear). Shah believed that one should prefer the interpretation that is closest to the literal meaning (ẓāhir al-maʿnā) of the Qurʾān and theSunnah which fits the Qur'anic context, without clinging to a particular school in exegesis, grammar, or theology.[31]
On the nature of Divine Attributes, Shah Waliullah held the positions of the Ash'ari creed.[13][14][16][20][22][23][24] Shah Waliullah held to the position thatta'wil (alternative interpretation) of the Divine Attributes is permissible within limits. He writes inHujjatullah al-Balighah: "It is our right to interpret them (the attributes of God) in senses more easy to comprehend and more suitable than what they said, for clarity's sake, since holding these (specific) meanings is not stipulated, and the one investigating by means of intellectual proof is not forced to use them, and they are not preferable to others, nor do they have any exclusive merit."[32]
Despite being an Ash'ari, Shah Waliullah opposed excessiveness inKalam (speculative theology) and defended the position of the earlyAthari creed.[33][34] Shah wrote inHujjatullah al-Balighah: "Those speculative theologians (Mutakallimun) who behaved contemptuously towards the Atharis calling them corporealists andanthropomorphists, saying that they sought refuge in the formula of "without asking how" (Bila Kayf)... this contempt of theirs is unfounded and they err in their sayings both from the viewpoint of tradition and of reason and they err in slandering the leaders of the true religion."[34]
In contrast to those speculative theologians which he deemed to be in err, he said the following regarding the limits of interpretation and its speculative nature: "There is no ruling to the effect that God meant what we hold, nor is there a consensus that one should believe in them and acknowledge them; such a thing would be absurd."[32]
His dislike of theMarathas is expressed in one of his dreams that he narrated in "Fuyooz-ul Haramain" where he said "And I saw that the king of the infidels took over the land of the Muslims and looted their property. He enslaved their women and children and in the city ofAjmer he declared the rites of disbelief".[35]
In one of his letters available in manuscripts collection atRampur, he asksMuharram, Shi'a should not be allowed to go beyond the bounds of moderation: they should neither say or do things that are considered offensive by other Muslims ─ that is, to recitetabarra, or to curse the first three successors of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Salam, in the streets or bazars.[36]
Shah Waliullah strongly advocated against adopting non-Islamic customs, and argued for commitment to Arabic Islamic culture. Shah Waliullah believed that:"Muslims, no matter where they live, wherever they spend their youthful days, they should in any case be completely separated from the natives of that country in their culture, traditions and mannerisms. And wherever they are, they must be immersed in their Arabic splendor and Arabic trends"[35]. On adherence toArab culture, he insists:"Beware! The rich intend to adopt the ways of strangers and non-Arabs and those who deviate from the right path, and tries to mix and be like them".[35] In his own words, he sought to conform to the habits and customs of the early Arabs and Noble Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi Wa Salam, and to "abstain from the customs of the Ajam and the Indians." The only logical hikmat-i-amali, or practical wisdom for Muslim rulers, was to strengthen community boundaries by conducting Jihad against opponents and promoting the cultural practises (adab) that differentiated that faithful from non-Muslims.[37]
Besides these, he is also credited being the first totranslate the Quran intoPersian in theIndian subcontinent.[15]
Shah Waliullah worked hard to ensure that he was a role model for otherMuslims. His deep understanding of the Qur'an, Hadith, Fiqh, andTasawwuf made him a highly knowledgeable scholar at an early age.
Since he believed that an emphasis on the Qur'anic 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. SomeUlama criticized Shah Waliullah, but his work proved very popular. In addition to translating theQuran, Shah Waliullah wrote 51 books in Persian and Arabic.[41] Amongst the most famous wereHujjat Allah al-Baligha andIzalat al-Khafa.
He felt a debt to the Sufis for spreading Islam throughout India. He also appreciated Sufi spirituality. Waliullah built a bridge between Sufis and the Ulama (Islamic scholars).[42]
Shah Wali Allah agrees with Shaykh Abu'l Hassan Ashari on most of the points held in dispute. In the beginning of the tenth khizanab he mentions fourteen main points. Shah Wali Allah is of the view that the Ashari school of thought generally represents the school of the companions. It is stated that Shah Wali Allah himself was Ashari in taste.
{{cite magazine}}:Cite magazine requires|magazine= (help)In the tenth khizana, Shah Wali Allah explains his theological view which, according to him, is in full accord with Ash'arite theology.
Another important work dealing with metaphysics is al-Khayr al-Kathir (The Abundant Good), which is divided into ten chapters or, by his description of it, khizana (treasures). The book seeks to reconstruct new cohesive modes pertaining to the reality of wujud (being), the knowledge of God and human knowledge, the relationship between the Creator and the cosmos, and the reality of prophecy and the prophethood of Muhammad. Then, he discusses the principles of sainthood and Sufism. In the eighth and ninth chapters, practical and theoretical religious matters, such as the Shari'a (Islamic law) and the eschatological theories of Islam, are evaluated.In the last chapter, his theological views, generally in line with the Ash'arite theological school, are discussed.
وقال في الختام: وكتبه بيده الفقير إلى رحمة الله الكريم الودود ولي الله أحمد بن عبد الرحيم بن وجيه الدين بن معظم الدين بن منصور بن أحمد بن محمود عفا الله عنه وعنهم، وألحقه وإياهم بأسلافهم الصالحين؛ العمري نسباً، الدهلوي وطناً، الأشعري عقيدة، الصوفي طريقة، الحنفي عملاً، والحنفي والشافعي تدريساً[He (i. e., Shah Waliullah Dehlawi) then finally said: "And he wrote it with his hand, the one needy of the mercy of Allah the Generous and Most Loving, Waliullah Ahmad b. 'Abd al-Rahim b. Wajih al-Din b. Mu'azzam al-Din b. Mansur b. Ahmad b. Mahmud, Allah forgive him and them, and join him and them with their righteous ancestors.Al-'Umari by way of lineage, al-Dehlawi by way of homeplace, al-Ash'ari in'Aqida, al-Sufi inTariqah, al-Hanafi by way of practice, al-Hanafi and al-Shafi'i in terms of teaching."]
As for Tasawuf Shah Waliullah was a reformist Sufi..
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)Shah Wali Allah was primarily concerned about the pervasive Hanafi fanaticism that he observed in his community. Instead of condoning this he was more inclusive and argued for a synthesis of all of the schools of law
He placed great emphasis on understanding the Qurʾān, first and foremost, through the Qurʾān itself, .. Shāh Walī Allāh maintained that students of the Qurʾān, after having acquired sufficient knowledge of Arabic, should directly work with the text itself instead of reading commentaries on it. The Qurʾān, he argued, is perfectly understandable to any serious student with knowledge of Arabic, just like it was understandable to its first recipients; to the learned scholar, even those parts that are usually considered unclear (mutashābih), ... In seeking an explanation for Qurʾānic verses, Shāh Walī Allāh argued, one should not follow a particular school, be it of exegesis, grammar, or theology, but prefer the interpretation that is closest to the literal meaning (ẓāhir al-maʿnā)..
Shah Waliullah disagreed with the Ash'arite scholars and said, "The groups agreed that Allah is living, knowing, willing, powerful, speaking and they said that there is a difference between those seven Attributes and (other Attributes) like mercy (Rahmah), anger (Ghadhab) and generorsity (Jood) in this respect. While others said that seeing and hearing were two independent Attributes." In refusing the faith of Ash'arite the Shah said, "The earlier pious were unanimous in believing in Allah's Attributes according to His wish and as He obligated it (to the men) to declare Him as dissimilar with the creatures by His verse, "Nothing is like Him." And whoever obligates the opposite thought he contradicts the way of earlier pious. I say that there is no difference among the hearing, seeing, having power, laughing, speaking andIstiwa (existing upon theArsh)."
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)Hujjat Allah al-Balighah (Arabic), Cairo, 1933 It is the magnum opus of the author which has been universally acknowledged by Muslim scholarship as his most outstanding and epoch-making contribution. It constitutes a highly significant exposition of the Islamic worldview. We shall separately present an introduction to this work in some detail. It was first published in Bareily (India) in 1286 A.H.
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