Shah Waliullah

Background Info

Born on 21 February 1703 during the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir.
His real name was Qutub-ud-Din, but later became known as Shah Waliulah because of his piety.
His Father was Shah Abdul Rahim, who started Madrassa Rahimya in Delhi, which Waliullah continued after his father's death in 1718.

Beliefs

During his time in Arabia (in 1724), Shah Waliullah thought deeply about the troubles faced by the Muslims of the Mughal Empire. The empire was in decline and the Muslims were disunited, weak, and vulnerable to attacks upon their religion. He realized that reform should come from the Muslim community itself, rather than the weak leadership in Delhi.
Waliullah believed that one of the main causes of the problems the Muslims faced was their lack of knowledge in the Quran and about their religion, Islam, in general.
Shah Waliullah believed that all political, economical, and social behaviors should be based on Islamic principles.
Waliullah wanted Muslims to concentrate on the fundamental principles of Islam, believing it would create a more united and strong community.

Workings

Translated the Quran into Persian, so it could be understood by a larger number of Muslims.
Wrote 51 books on the Quran, Hadith, Fiqah, and Tasawuf. This gave the Muslims a deeper understanding of their religion and their Holy Book. Some of his famous workings are called Hujjat Allah al-Baligha and Izalat-Akhfa.
His writings brought him great fame and enabled him to influence other areas as well. For example, he emphasized the need for social justice in economics.
One of the most important contributions of Shah Waliullah to the Muslim community was his organization of the opposition of Marathas, who were threatening to over-run the Mughal Empire from the South, while the Sikhs were attacking from the North.

Importance

Shah Waliullah was one of the first Muslim thinkers to state the decline of the Mughal Empire, as well as the vulnerable position of the Muslims.
Waliullah believed that a spiritual and moral regeneration was needed and his Madrassa Rahimya played a vital role in teaching Islamic principles and researching Islamic thought.
His writing in Persian made Islamic teachings widely available to large numbers of Muslims who had not been able to understand Arabic.
Shah Waliullah provided the inspiration for all Muslims to lead a pure life.
Shah Waliullah showed Muslims that they had to concentrate on basic Islamic principles rather than their differences to unite.
Waliullah's influence continued long after his death. His writings survived and were later translated into several languages, and his two sons, Shah Abdul Qader and Shah Rafi continued Madrassa Rahimya and went further on to translate the Quran into Urdu.