Reformation Movement of Hazrat Shah Waliullah (1707-1762)

“Shah Waliullah rendered meritorious services for the good of the Muslim community. He appealed the Muslim community persistently to turn to the Quran. He made them clear that the Holy Quran has stood the test of times and could solve all their problems.”

Background
Shah Waliullah was born in 1703. This period is marked as persistent decline and deterioration all over in the Muslim society. The people had no peace of mind and no safety of life. Loot and plunder, feuds and fighting had spread everywhere. Disintegration of the Mughal Empire had set in and the Muslims were split among themselves. Consequently, they suffered much at the hands of the Sikhs, Jats and Marhatas.

When Aurangzeb Alamgir died, Shah Waliullah was only four years old. No less than ten rulers ascended the throne one after the other during his lifetime. None of them was competent enough to stem the tide of decline. The attack of Nadir Shah ruined Delhi and made it vulnerable for more attacks.

Economic Background of Shah Waliullah’s time
Political decline had made the country virtually bankrupt, exploitation of the rich, life of luxury and ease, Jagirdari system, heavy taxes and political anarchy collapsed the country economically. Middle class, that has always been bone of a country, had been extinct virtually.

For an improved and reformed economy, Shah Waliullah thought it necessary that the basic necessities of life should be provided to the people. That state would be considered a welfare state where this is done.

Corrupt Government
“A corrupt government, which neglects satisfying the basic needs of life, ‘says Shah Waliullah’, should and must be overthrown by every hook and crook. If it is allowed to continue, its corruption will spread like a cancer first in some members of the administration, which, if it is not cut out from its very root, will go on spreading till the whole body will disintegrate”.

Religious Conditions
The luxury of Akbar and Shah Jehan period led the so-called Ulema to discuss dogmatic intricacies in terms of reasons. As they failed to furnish the religious grounds to the rational one, they started propagating against the very teachings of Islam. No research and investigation was made by the learned in the affairs of religion as to solve the problems emerging from time to time. Sufis were hollow, and had no knowledge of the Holy Qur’an and the Traditions.

Differences of Shiites and Sunnies
Shah Sahib made a very serious effort to iron out the differences of Shiites and Sunnies. Shah Sahib rendered meritorious services for the good of the Muslim community. He appealed the Muslim community persistently to turn to the Quran. He made them clear that the Holy Quran has stood the test of times and could solve all their problems. He decided to translate the Holy Quran into Persian. Even Fatwas were issued against him. He advised Muslim to study the Holy Quran with the help of Hadith.

Jihad
It is for this reason that he emphasises the necessity of the continuation of Jihad, he generally meant revolution (Inqilab). He strongly recommends the retention of the spirit of Jihad for all times to come. So long as this spirit, he says, was present in the Muslim, they remained victorious and were honoured everywhere, but no sooner it disappeared from them, they were humiliated and hated wherever they were. He tells that in the existing times, the Muslims should in no way neglect the sacred duty of Jihad as such neglect in turn amounts to the loss of abundant good.

Economic Reforms
He Presented some of the economic principles for governing a state:
1.Economic prosperity depends upon the hard worker of its labourers. These labourers are the backbone of our economy.
2. He advised Mughals to be conscious of their duties and not to indulge in the accumulation of wealth.
3. He underlined the importance of Economic Equality.
4.He said that such economic system is dangerous for the development of country where labourers, artisans and peasants failed to get their basic rights.

As a Social Reformer
Shah Waliullah directed the his teachings towards reorienting the Muslim society with the concepts of basic social justicse, removing socilal inequaliliteis and balancing the distribution of wealth. In his book, Hujjat-ullah-il-Balighah, he pinpointed the causes of chaos and disintegration of Muslim society. Following are the reasons:

1. Pressure on public treasury, the emoluments given to various people who render no service to the state.
2. Heavy taxation on peasants, merchants and workers with the result that tax evasion was rampant.
3. He also requested Mughal rulers to stop their corrupt activities and advised not to give lands to those who were not loyal to the state.

Political Movements
Finding no other way to get out of this critical situation, he wrote a letter to Ahmad Shah Abdali to attack India. Ahmad Shah Abdali made an all-out attack on India in 1174 H /1760-61 A.D. The battle took place in the plains of Panipat. The Marhatas, despite their great military might, suffered a crushing defeat. They could not rise for some time to come. This was a golden opportunity for the Muslims to avail of, but against all expectations they remained where they were.

“The most monumental task he performed was to translate the Quran from Arabic to Persian which was the language spoken by the Muslims at that time in India.”

Unity of Muslims
In this connection, he says, it is the duty of the entire Muslim nationals wherever they are to come nearer to each other, close their ranks, and participate jointly in the various fields of life as far as it is practicable. This had been his anxiety and his aim in life. He has spoken much on this topic under the heading IRTIFAQAT (socio-economics) in his Huj’atullah-ul-Balaghah in particular.

Shah Waliullah’s Work
The most monumental task he performed was to translate the Quran from Arabic to Persian which was the language spoken by the Muslims at that time in India. Apart from the Holy Quran, Shah Waliullah also wrote “Hujatul Baligdh”. This book explains how Islam was found suitable for all races, cultures and people of the world. “Al Fauzul Kabeer Fee Usool at Tafseer,” a booklet in Persian that follows his Persian translation of the Qur'an. It contains the nucleus of the Qur'an, the rules for interpretation, and interpretations of the Qur'an.

Impact on Muslim Society
Shah Waliullah was responsible for awakening in the community, the desire to win back its moral fervor and to maintain its purity. To rescue a community’s conscience, belief and faith from destruction was not small achievement. His teachings created new awareness in the minds of Muslims of the Sub-continent. He was realist in his political thinking. He had a clear vision of society, religion, ethics, morals and politics. He presented such modern and golden principles of economics and politics that are still in use. Shah Waliullah tried to synthesize the two streans of liberalism anf religious extremism of Akbar and Mujadid Alf Sani simultaneously. After his death in 1762, Shah Waliullah’s work continued both by the members of his family and by his close followers, the chief of whom was his son, Shah Abdul Aziz.