Did Shah Waliullah contribute more to spread Islam in the Sub-continent than anyone else before 1850? Explain your answer.

Q:Did Shah Waliullah contribute more to spread Islam in the Sub-continent than anyone else before 1850? Explain your answer. [14]

Ans:Shah Waliullah worked hard to ensure that he was a role model for otherMuslims. His deep understanding about the Quran, Hadith, Fiqah and Tasawufmade him a highly knowledgeable scholar at an early age. Since he believed that anemphasis on Quranic teachings was vital to Muslims so Shah Waliullah translatedthe Holy Quran into Persian which was the language of educated Muslims at thattime. He also wrote 51 books to explain the principles of Islam. He wrote anaccount about the first for Caliphs of Islam in a way in which it was acceptable toboth Shias and Sunnis. He hoped that this would help to heal the divisions betweenthem. His writings brought him great fame and prestige and enabled him to haveinfluence in other areas too. For example: in economics he emphasized the need forsocial justice and for peasants and craftsmen to be truly valued for theircontribution to the economy.He advised the Muslims to give up extravagance and wasteful expenditure onmarriages, deaths, births and other occasions. Wealthy Muslims were asked to lookafter the poor and the needy.Shah Waliullah wrote letters to the rulers of Muslim states asking them to unite andrise against non-Muslim forces. He invited the Afghan ruler Ahmad Shah Abdali todeal with Marathas who were threatening Muslims in Delhi and Punjab. AhmadShah Abdali defeated the Marathas in the battle of Panipat in 1761 so they werenever able to rise again.Shah Waliullah explained the importance of JEHAD to the Muslims. He gave theconcept of social justice and advised the Muslims that due importance and valueshould be given to peasants and craftsmen.The work of Shah Waliullah was very important but the work of another tworeformers was also very important for a number of reasons:Syed Ahmad Barelvi Shaheed was born in 1786. He was greatly impressed by thepreaching and thoughts of Shah Waliullah. So, Syed Ahmad Shaheed startedpreaching true Islam (as Shah Waliullah did). But he was of the opinion that thereshould be a political power behind the preaching for the revival of Islam andMuslim power in India. He founded the Jihad Movement for the restoration andrevival of Muslim power in India. His main objective was the establishment of anIslamic state on proper Islamic principles. Also the aim of the Jihad Movement wasto liberate the Muslims of the Punjab and N.W.F.P from the Sikh rule.At that time (beginning of 19th century) Punjab and N.W.F.P were under the Sikhrule of Ranjit Singh. Muslims were facing great difficulty in following therereligion in this area. Syed Ahmad established his headquarters at Nowshera. Hisfirst encounters against the Sikh forces took place at Okora in which the Mujahidinwere successful. Syed Ahmad’s example continued to inspire the future Muslimgenerations.Haji Shariat Ullah’s contribution towards Islamic religion was also very important.Haji Shariat Ullah started the faraizi movement to restore the pride of the Muslimsand to remove what he thought were the Hindu practices had crept into theirworship. The faraizi movement was important because it gave encouragement tothe Muslims at the time when they were demoralized by the oppression theysuffered from the Hindus and the British. It brought about a spiritual revival whichled to a revival in the Islamic religion in East Bengal. Hindu influences wereremoved from the Islamic practices. It also had an important political and economicimpact. The Bengal peasants became united against the harsh treatment theyreceived. They became aware of their rights and the political unity began to growamongst them.Although the work of another two reformers was also important but the work ofShah Waliullah was the most important factor in the revival of Islam in the Sub-Continent. Because his contributions for Islam were too much affective and due tothese contributions many people accepted Islam and many people’s faith becamestronger.
                                    By M.H.KHAN.