Shah Waliullah (1703 – 1762)
Biographical Details
Shah Waliullah Dehlawi was born on 21 February 1703, during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. His real name was Qutub-ud-Din, but he was known as Shah Waliullah because of his piety. He memorized the Qur'an by the age of seven. Soon thereafter, he mastered Arabic and Persian letters. When his father died in 1718, Shah Waliullah began teaching at the Madrassa Rahimiya. In 1724, he went to Arabia to perform Hajj and to further his studies. He studied under Sheikh Abu Tahir bin Ibrahim, a famous scholar, before returning to Delhi in 1732. He died in 1762.
Family:
His father, Shah Abdur Rahim, a prominent Islamic scholar of Delhi, was the founder of the Madrassa Rahimiya. He was on the committee appointed by Aurangzeb for compilation of the code of law, Fatawa-e-Alamgiri. His grandfather, Sheikh Wajih-ud-Din, was an important officer in the army of Shah Jehan. He had a son who was also a famous religious scholar, Shah Abdul Aziz.
Beliefs
During his time in Arabia, Shah Waliullah thought deeply about the problems faced by Muslims in the Mughal Empire. The Empire was in decline and Muslims were disunited and vulnerable to attacks on their religion. He realized that reform could not come from weak leadership in Delhi and that it had to come from within the Muslim community itself.
Shah Waliullah believed that many of the problems of the Muslims resulted from their incomplete knowledge of the Quran and about Islam in general, and it was necessary that Quranic teachings become more accessible to the people.
The enemies did not allow Muslims to practice Islam freely. They were divided into sects and fighting was common. Shah Waliullah wanted Muslims to concentrate on the fundamental principles of Islam, believing that this would create a more united community.
Shah Waliullah believed that all political, social and economic behavior should be based on Islamic principles. It was essential to follow the moral and spiritual principles of Islam in order to create a good society, whether politics, economics or just the day-to-day lives of the individual Muslims.
Shah Waliullah observed that Muslims were becoming superstitious while living among other religions. They were doing all the things which were done by Hindus and non-Muslims. So it was important to revive Islam.
Shah Waliullah worked hard to ensure that he was a role model for other Muslims. His deep understanding of the Quran, Hadith, Fiqh and Tasawwuf made him a highly knowledgeable scholar at an early age.
Since Shah Waliullah believed that an emphasis on the Quranic teachings was vital to Muslims, he translated the Arabic Quran into Persian. Few Muslims spoke Arabic and so the Quran had not been widely studied previously. Some Ulama criticized Shah Waliullah, but his work proved very popular. Later his two sons, Shah Abdul Qader and Shah Rafi, translated the Quran into Urdu, which meant that many more people could study it.
In addition to translating the Quran, Shah Waliullah wrote 51 books on Fiqh and Hadith, in Persian and Arabic. Amongst the most famous were Hujjut Allah al-Baligha and Izalat-Akhfa.
Hujjut Allah al-Baligha: This book explains how Islam was found suitable for all races, cultures, and people of the world and how successfully it solves social, moral, economic and political problems of human beings.
Izalat-Akhfa: It is focused on the actualization of the sociopolitical ideals of Islam in history. From this historical analysis, Shah Wali Allah derives the applied principles of state and government. This established unity among Muslims. This proved to be successful to such an extent that the rivalry between the Sunnis and Shias ended.
Shah Waliullah felt a debt to the Sufis for spreading Islam throughout India. He also appreciated Sufi spirituality. He also built a bridge between Sufis and the Ulama (Islamic scholars). He studied various Muslim societies and empires from a sociological point of view. He tried his best for the existence of the Mughal Empire and to restore the sense of unity of the Muslim community. He was anxious to reduce the Shia-Sunni conflicts and, for this, he wrote books, like Izalat-Akhfa, on the four Caliphs in such a way that it was acceptable for both the sects.
Shah Waliullah’s writings brought him great fame and prestige and enabled him to have influence in other areas too. For example, in economics, he emphasized the need for social justice and for peasants and craftsmen to be truly valued for their contribution to the economy. He urged traders and businessmen to adopt fair principles of trade, and to refrain from accumulating wealth.
One of Shah Waliullah’s most important contributions to the Muslim community was his organization of opposition to the Maratha Empire, which was threatening to over-run the Mughal Empire from the south. They had reduced the Mughal Emperor’s power to a mere puppet. He realized that the Muslims had to unite to deal with this threat and that of the Sikhs who were attacking in the north.
Shah Waliullah wrote to all the Muslim nobles calling on them to join together to save the Mughal Empire. It was partly his influence which helped to persuade Ahmad Shah Abdali of Persia to intervene. He joined forces with the local Muslim leaders and defeated the Marathas at the Battle of Panipat in 1761. However, despite encouragement from Shah Waliullah, the Muslim leaders did not unite to take advantage of the defeat of the Marathas.
Third Battle of Panipat, 1761
This battle was fought between the Marathas and the forces of the Afghan ruler, Ahmad Shah Abdali and his allies. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire moved towards decline. When Persian ruler Nadir Shah easily invaded India in 1739, the domination of Mughal power shattered. Meanwhile, the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali was making frequent inroads into Punjab. In 1758 Marathas pushed forward taking control of Lahore and Peshawar and forcing Taimur Shah Durrani, the son of Abdali, out of Punjab and Kashmir. Abdali decided to strike back and check Maratha power. Seeing him advancing, Marathas headed north towards Delhi with a large army of 100,000 men.
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761 at Panipat between the Maratha Empire and the invading Afghan army of Ahmad Shah Abdali, supported by the Rohillas, the Afghans and the Nawab of Oudh. The Maratha Army was led by Sadashivrao Bhau and the Peshwa. The Marathas were badly defeated by Afghan forces. Although the Afghans retreated from India, the Maratha Empire never recovered. The British East India Company was the beneficiary and got strength.
Importance
Shah Waliullah was one of the first Muslim thinkers to state that the decline of the Mughal Empire and the vulnerable position of the Muslims were due to a neglect of the principles of Islam. He believed that, if the decline in the position of the Muslims was to be stopped, there had to be spiritual and moral regeneration. He showed how this regeneration might take place. The Madrassa Rahimiya continued to play a vital role in teaching Islamic principles and researching Islamic thought.
Shah Waliullah’s writings in Persian made Islamic teaching available to large numbers of Muslims who had not been able to understand Arabic. He believed that Muslims could only prosper if they followed proper Islamic customs and did not indulge in social evils. Shah Waliullah provided that inspiration for all Muslims to lead a pure life, based on the belief that anti-social attitudes incurred the displeasure of God.
Shah Waliullah also showed that a Muslim revival could only take place if there was an acceptance that sectarian division was to stop. Muslims had to concentrate more on the basic principles of Islam, and not allow the differences between them to lead to conflict. He tried to build bridges between the different Muslims sects and to unite the community. He tried to do this by organizing opposition to the Marathas and uniting Muslims by emphasizing the importance of Jihad against a common enemy.
Like all great reformers, Shah Waliullah’s influence continued long after his death. Not only did his writings survive and be translated in many languages, but the Madrassa Rahimiya continued to flourish as his sons carried forward his work and teachings. Many future Islamic leaders were inspired by him to fight for the good of the Muslim community.
Syed Ahmad Barelvi (1786 – 1831)
Biographical Details
Syed Ahmad Barelvi was born near Lucknow in the small town of Raebareli in 1786. His father died whilst he was young and, in 1806, he moved to Delhi and enrolled in the Madrassa Rahimiya. For two years, he studied under the sons of Shah Waliullah learning the Quran and the Hadith. He became a disciple of Shah Abdul Aziz.
However, Syed Ahmad was more a man of action than a scholar and, in 1810, joined the forces of Amir Khan, a Pathan military leader. It was at this time that Syed Ahmad learned how to use European weaponry. He showed himself to be so able that he was given command of a group of soldiers. However, because of his piety, he was also made responsible for leading the troops in prayer.
In 1817, he returned to Delhi, where his work became important in trying to restore Islam to its original purity. In 1821, he went for Hajj. He was inspired by the teachings of Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Wahab, the founder of Wahabi Movement. He was martyred in the Battle of Balakot in 1831.
Beliefs
As a man of action, Syed Ahmad was an ideal person to act as a leader to work against British power in India and to try to ensure that Muslims were ruled by fellow Muslims. He believed that the freedom of Muslims could only come as a result of armed struggle against the foreign and non-Muslim forces which were oppressing them.
Syed Ahmad wanted to improve the lives of Muslims. Muslims were becoming superstitious while living among other religions. They were doing all the things which were done by Hindus and non-Muslims. Consequently, even when he served as an army officer, he surrounded himself with men of great piety, who were prepared to reject worldly wealth and work for improving the moral and intellectual lives of Muslims.
The British had ensured that the Mughal Emperors had little real power and the Sikhs were dominant in the Punjab. Syed Ahmad founded the Jihad Movement, which called for armed struggle to overthrow non-Muslim oppression and restore Muslim power. He believed that once this was done, Islam could be rejuvenated and rescued from beliefs and customs contrary to Islamic beliefs which had crept into everyday life.
Achievements
Before going to Hajj in 1821, Syed Ahmad traveled across India and held meetings in order to spread his beliefs about jihad. When he returned from Arabia in 1823, he was ready to take action. He banned some customs and rituals which had crept into Muslim society and had nothing to do with true Islam.
At this time, the Punjab was under the control of the Sikh regime of Ranjit Singh, who had also extended his authority into the North West Frontier. Ranjit Singh had banned Azan and mosques in some areas were converted into stables. Muslims in the Punjab and NWF were not allowed to observe religious practices freely.
Syed Ahmad was encouraged by his mentor, Shah Abdul Aziz, to launch a movement against Sikhs. He thought that the Punjab was the place to launch his jihad against non-Muslim rulers. In 1824, he sent an invitation to accept Islam to Ranjit Singh, but it was rejected.
Syed Ahmad toured the Punjab and the NWF to enlist men to fight the Sikhs. He traveled many hundreds of miles to raise a mujahideen force. His travels took him through Rajasthan, Sindh, Balochistan, and into Afghanistan. However, he found that the Afghan troops were suspicious of each other and not always prepared to join him in his jihad.
In 1826, Syed Ahmad established his headquarters near Peshawar. He sent a message to Ranjit Singh, telling him that he must allow the Muslims freedom of worship or face the mujahideen. Ranjit Singh dismissed the ultimatum. So, he was forced to attack the Sikhs. The Battle of Akora and Hazara were fought in December 1826 and Sikhs suffered defeat.
In 1830, the Muslims were successful against the Sikhs in capturing Peshawar. Syed Ahmad’s victories established him as a successful military leader and encouraged other tribes to join the mujahideen. Soon the army numbered over 80,000 strong. A major problem for Syed Ahmad, however, was that his army consisted of men from many different communities which disagreed over how the campaign was fought. The Sikhs tried to exploit these differences by calling his army un-Islamic.
The Sikhs claimed that by following these teachings of Shah Waliullah, Syed Ahmad’s forces were not true Muslims. This view was not accepted by the Muslim leaders. In 1827, they agreed unanimously that Syed Ahmad should assume the authority of an Imam. His word on religious matters was considered binding and his increased authority helped to unite the various Muslim groups forming the mujahideen force.
Syed Ahmad was preparing to attack the fort of Attock when he encountered an army of 35,000 Sikhs near Akora. What he did not know was that Yar Muhammad Khan, a Pathan chief who had joined his army, had been bribed by the Sikhs. First one of his servants tried to poison Syed Ahmad, and then he deserted the battlefield along with his men, thus creating confusion and chaos in the ranks which ultimately led to the defeat of Syed Ahmad’s forces.
Syed Ahmad had no other option but to move his headquarters to the safety of Panjtar near Kashmir. Although Yar Muhammad was later killed in battle against the mujahideen, his brother, Sultan Muhammad Khan, also waged war against him. This constant campaigning against fellow Muslims was not what Syed Ahmad wanted. So, he moved his forces to Balakot, hoping to liberate Kashmir and Hazara.
Battle of Balakot
Balakot was thought to be safe as it was protected on three sides by mountains. However, once again, Syed Ahmad was betrayed when local leaders told the Sikhs of a way through the mountains. They made a surprise attack on the forces of Syed Ahmad. The Battle of Balakot (1831) was a fiercely contested one. Though the mujahideen had been taken by surprise by a much larger Sikh army, they fought bravely but were heavily outnumbered and unable to resist the Sikhs. Six hundred mujahideen soldiers were killed, including Syed Ahmad and his commander, Shah Ismail.
Achievements (Continued)
The defeat of the mujahideen in the Battle of Balakot was a serious setback for the Jihad Movement and it struggled to survive in the following years. The movement continued on in the hills of the NWF until 1863. The British sent a large army to deal with the mujahideen threat. Even then, the movement survived through the determination of its followers.
Importance & Influence of the Jihad Movement
It was the first example in Indian history of a movement formed to free the Muslims from the non-Muslims or foreign rulers.
It was not a movement in order to place a particular leader in power, but, instead, to achieve religious and spiritual freedom.
It was a uniting force for Muslims. Many of Syed Ahmad’s soldiers had been spiritual leaders or teachers. The fact that they were prepared to die for their cause was an inspiration to all Muslims.
It is regarded as the fore-runner of the Pakistan Movement in India by many historians. Syed Ahmad’s efforts were an inspiration to all Muslims in defending their religion, their culture and their freedom. Those Muslims who later campaigned for their own homeland saw Syed Ahmad as an example of a Muslim fighting for the Muslim cause, in much the same way, since he too wanted to see a state which was based on the principles of Islam.
Haji Shariatullah (1781 – 1840)
Biographical Details
Haji Shariatullah was born in 1781, in Faridpur District in East Bengal. His father was a farmer and his family was not very well off. He received his early education from his local village. In 1799, he traveled to Arabia on pilgrimage and stayed there for the next nineteen years. He became greatly influenced by the beliefs of Sheikh Muhammad Abdul Wahab, the founder of the Wahabi Movement.
On his return to East Bengal in 1818, he started his own reform movement designed to purify Islam on the Hindu influences. Haji Shariatullah died in 1840, but his work was carried on by his son, Mohsin-ud-Din.
Beliefs
Haji Shariatullah believed that the miserable condition of the Muslims in India led to the country being Dar-ul-Harb. This meant an area where non-Muslims ruled. Haji Shariatullah said that Friday and Eid prayers should not be offered in such areas.
Haji Shariatullah also believed that the Muslim community had moved away from true Islamic practice. He wanted them to return to what he thought was the proper observation of Islamic duties called Faraiz. This was why his movement was called the Faraizi Movement.
The Faraizi Movement supported the idea of jihad against the non-Muslims who were undermining the true principles of Islam.
Achievements
Haji Shariatullah found that the Muslims in East Bengal had been oppressed both by the Hindus and by the British. Previously, the Muslims had been the ruling class in Bengal; but, when the British took over, they worked with the local landowners (zamindars), who were mainly Hindus. The Muslims had also been given few opportunities in education and employment. As a result, many important Muslim families had been reduced to near poverty.
Haji Shariatullah started the Faraizi Movement to restore the pride of the Muslims and remove what he thought were the Hindu practices which had crept into their worship. Emphasis was placed on praying for past sins and on promising to lead a righteous life in future. An important part of this reform would be to follow the religious obligations of a true Muslim.
The success of Haji Shariatullah’s movement caused great concern amongst the Hindus of East Bengal. In that region, Hindu and British landlords had carried out economic oppression of the Muslim peasants. The landlords did not want Haji Shariatullah creating difficulties for them and were very alarmed that the Muslim cultivators were uniting in a desire to improve their lives and purify their religion. They drove Haji Shariatullah out of the region to Nawabganj in Dhaka District, where he died in 1840.
Mohsin-ud-Din
Haji Shariatullah’s work was carried on by his son, Mohsin-ud-Din. He continued to improve the position of the Muslims in East Bengal and introduced important economic measures.
He divided East Bengal into areas called circles; each under the control of Khalifas. They were responsible for the social and spiritual welfare of the people in their area.
He helped the peasants to oppose the excessive taxes imposed by the Hindu and British landlords.
His opposition to the payment of the taxes led to unrest in East Bengal; but, he went even further and threatened to declare a jihad against the British government.
The British arrested him and put him in prison. After his death in 1860, the Faraizi Movement declined.
Importance & Influence of the Faraizi Movement
It gave encouragement to the Muslims at a time when they were demoralized by the oppression they suffered from the Hindus and the British.
It brought about a spiritual revival which led to a revival in the Islamic religion in East Bengal. Hindu influences were removed from Islamic practices.
It also had an important political and economic impact. The Bengal peasants became united in their opposition to the harsh treatment they received. They became more aware of their rights and a political unity began to grow amongst them. This was to prove important in later years as the Muslim demands for their own homeland grew. It might be said that some of the seeds of the Pakistan Movement were sown by the Faraizi Movement.
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